Different cuts of beef require different methods of cooking, due to the different structures of muscle fibres and fat distribution in the animal.
When cooking beef, always season it first. You can keep it simple with salt and pepper, or rub garlic, herbs or spices into the flesh.
Use a meat thermometer; it will help determine what stage the beef is cooked to, from rare to well done, and gives a more consistent result.
Allow the meat to come up to room temperature before cooking and leave it to rest for at least 10–15 minutes after cooking – this allows the juices to spread throughout the meat, resulting in more succulent and tender meat.
Tender cuts of beef are better suited to quick cooking, either by quickly pan-frying, barbecuing or lightly roasting in the oven. A hot, direct heat is necessary to cook the beef quickly, but be careful not to overcook, as the beef will become dry and tough.
The cuts of beef which are most suited to rapid cooking are the parts of the animal that have had the least exercise, such as minute steak, fillet steak, tournedos, Chateaubriand, sirloin, rump, rib-eye, and porterhouse steaks, among others.
Beef can also be ground down into mince for quicker cooking, and flavoured with an assortment of herbs, seasonings and bindings to make burgers.
When cooking beef quickly in a pan or on a barbecue, flavour can be added by marinating the cut overnight.