Cooking a steak perfectly can seem overwhelming, as it often comes out of the pan either super rare or dry and grey. A perfect steak should have a crusty, crunchy, well-browned exterior surrounding a core of perfectly pink, juicy, tender meat that spans from edge to edge.

While using butter or oil in a frying pan or in the air-fryer are the most common ways to cook steak, the creator of the food blog Simply Delicious, Alida Ryder, recommends a different ingredient and cooking method. She argued that coating steaks in mayonnaise is the way to cook the best steak. She said: “This recipe for easy garlic steak is grilled with mayonnaise, and you won’t believe how juicy and delicious the steak turns out.

“Yes, you read that right. Slathering your steak in mayonnaise and then grilling it might not be something you’ve ever thought of doing, but I’m here to tell you that you really should.”

If you think about it, mayonnaise is largely comprised of oil, and most marinades consist of oil and flavourings, so it sort of makes sense.

She added: “Now, I don’t know the science behind this, but grilling your steak with mayonnaise really does result in meat that is juicier and more flavourful.”

You also don’t have to marinate the meat for hours like you would with a regular marinade. As well as using mayonnaise, Alida seasons the steaks with rosemary and garlic cloves.

Steak

Ingredients (serves two)

• Two 200g rib-eye steaks
• One cup of mayonnaise
• One tablespoon of fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• Two garlic cloves
• One teaspoon of flaky sea salt
• One teaspoon of cracked black pepper
• Lemon wedges to serve (optional)

Method

Start by preheating a griddle pan (or your grill) until hot and smoking before moving on to the marinade.

Next, combine the mayonnaise, rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper and mix well. Generously brush the mayonnaise mixture over both sides of the steak.

After, place the steak onto the griddle pan. Cook the steak until done to your preference. Alida recommends cooking the steaks for two minutes on each side if you like yours medium rare.

For medium steaks, cook for two-and-a-half minutes on each side, and for well-done, leave cooking for four to five minutes on each side.

Remove the steaks from the pan and allow them to rest for five to 10 minutes before serving with lemon wedges.