I think it is very important that we make the distinction here between "low fat" and "fat free" diets and cooking practices. We have heard tale of many quite preposterous dieting fads and theories in recent years and we have to consider the fact that many of these obscure, maniacal, starvation routines can be every bit as harmful to our bodies - if not in fact more so - as a large burger or pizza. Common sense must be made to prevail in any attempt to reduce fat intake, calories, or any other aspect of our eating habits and not only will our food remain tasty, we will reap the health benefits as well.

Cutting the fat off a nice sirloin steak, for example, PRIOR to cooking, is not only depriving us of much of the flavour and placing the texture of our cooked meat at risk, it is in fact a form of sacrilege! We should instead be looking in the first instance at how and in what we are cooking the steak. A little drizzle of sunflower oil in a very hot frying pan or skillet is ideal. It will not burn at the high temperature required and is tasteless. Our steak should then be seasoned with plenty of freshly ground black pepper only on both sides and fried for a maximum of two to three minutes on each side, depending upon the thickness. The pan should then be removed from the heat and set aside for the meat to rest while we prepare our accompaniments.

Mushrooms are a traditional complement to many a steak meal but it is far from necessary to fry them along with the steak to the extent that they resemble slimy prunes. Try simply wiping them clean with a dry cloth, carefully removing and discarding the stalks, then placing them on a grill-pan beneath a very hot grill, topside up, for a minute to a minute and a half or until they start to colour. Turn them over and, in the cavity left by the stalk, place a small pinch of very finely chopped fresh garlic. Place them back under the grill for another couple of minutes where the natural juices of the mushrooms will infuse with the garlic and assume its flavour.

Tomatoes also can be grilled very successfully, along with the mushrooms. Simply half them and, with a sharp knife or skewer, poke a few small basil leaves as deeply as you can in to the seeds and juices. Grill them open side up for three or four minutes.

Any excess fat can at this stage be removed from your rested steak and it should be plated with the mushrooms, tomatoes and whatever else your little bit of thought and imagination has come up with on a generous bed of fresh rocket leaves.

Result - low fat...but not at the expense of taste.

Learn more about this author, Gordon Hamilton.
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