As many of you will be all too well aware, British Airways does not have a great reputation for the quality of steaks served at 35,000ft. However, on recent flights I've had some great crews who have put up with my inane divaness and worked hard to cook my steak perfectly, with some pretty good results. Knowing what a contentious issue this is on the BA board, I thought I'd share my findings with you in the hope that you can all enjoy steak cooked to your liking*

So, what's the secret? Well, it is a little more labour intensive than the normal process, so I would lower your expectations if you're in a busy CW cabin, but most First crews should be able to cope.

As we all know, the standard cooking process tends to lead to a burnt offering, so the key is to separate the beef from the rest of the meal and cook it on its own, initially in a medium heat oven for -

Rare - 6 minutes
Medium rare - 8 minutes
Medium - 10 minutes
Medium well - 12 minutes
Well done - You may as well eat the table

Afterwards the beef should be placed in the hot warmer for around 30 minutes, whilst the rest of the meal cooks.

Using the above method and timings, your steak should look similar to this -

(can't find my 'medium' picture. I'll add it later, if I do)

6 minutes - Rare


7 minutes - Heading towards medium rare


8 minutes - Medium rare


12 minutes - Medium well


And there you have it. Remember, you are on a plane, so set your expectations accordingly, but hopefully this will help ^

*Disclaimer - This may not be in line with BA's cooking guidelines and so I can't promise your crew will be willing to follow the recipe. Also, please remember that your crew will be very busy, particularly in CW, and the temperature of your steak may not necessarily be the most important thing on their mind