Everyone loves a good piece of steak, but not everyone gets it right. Here are our top tips and tricks to ensure juicy, tender steak every time.

Remove steak from the fridge 10 minutes before cooking to allow the meat to reach room temperature. This will result in a juicier steak.

Pat the steaks dry before frying in order to remove excess juices, thus allowing the steaks to seal better, locking in the desired juices.

To ensure a  crisply sealed skin, never cook steaks in oil - rather rub them with the oil then fry.

If you prefer to grill your steak instead of frying it, do so at a high temperature - this will cause the surface of the meat to become pleasantly crisp while the inside remains moist and tender.

Try not to turn steak more than once when cooing as, every time you do so, you lose some of the juices.

Always cut steak across the grain in order to break the meat fibres into small pieces, making each bite as tender as possible. 

Free-range beef steaks are much healthier for you, not to mention its kinder to the animals. Experts say you should cook free-range steaks a little longer and over a slightly cooler fire to ensure they are tender and juicy.

Because the taste is superior (although this is a matter of taste), they say you shouldn't use a marinade. Olive oil, salt and pepper is all you need. 

Click for a great selection of steak recipes, with suggested potato sides