Barbecued steak with black olive tapenade butter

Brush the steaks lightly with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Preheat the barbecue flat-plate or char-grill plate to hot before adding the steaks.

Cook on one side until the first sign of moisture appears. Turn steaks once only. Test the steaks for degree of doneness with tongs. Rare is soft, medium feels springy and well done is very firm.

Remove steaks from heat, loosely cover with foil and rest steaks for 2 to 4 minutes before serving. Serve steaks with a small dollop of Black olive tapenade butter.

To make Black olive tapenade butter; Combine butter and garlic in a small bowl. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add tapenade, olives and thyme leaves. Mix with a spatula until smooth.

Best beef cuts for barbecuing: fillet/tenderloin, rib eye/scotch fillet, sirloin/porterhouse/New York, T-bone, rump.

Heat the barbecue before you add the steak. The steak should sizzle as it makes contact with the heat.

Turn the steak once only. Let the steak cook on one side until moisture appears, then turn it (otherwise it will be tough).

Learn to test your steaks for doneness. Rare is soft, medium feels springy and well done is very firm.

Always rest meat after it comes off the heat. This allows the juices, which have been driven to the centre of the meat by the heat to return to the surface. If given the time to rest the meat will be juicier and tastier.