Being from Texas, you can imagine that our standard for steaks is high. We like them big, thick, medium-rare, juicy, and by all means, sans sauce. We prefer our steak to be steak flavored. The steak is the star of the show and rarely does the supporting cast (aka sides) matter.

In my home growing up, if anyone asked for steak sauce, my dad would be visibly and vocally horrified at the request. I’m almost positive we never even had steak sauce in our house. “A real Texan does not put sauce on a good piece of beef.” ~Dad

Which begs me to ponder why sauce is always served with steaks in England. In quality steak restaurants in Texas, sauce will be somewhere nearby for the “foreigner” but it’s not going to be on your plate. You’re going to have to ask for it or at least reach for it. And you might see a look of pain on your server’s face. If you like sauce on your steak, just ignore the looks and press on. I’m a firm believer that we should enjoy our food however we like it so you’re forgiven. (Please read my words with utter non-judgemental sarcasm. Although, you might not want to share a steak dinner with my dad.)

I think Texans come out of the womb crying because we long for a good, juicy steak. Ok, perhaps that’s an exaggeration but I think many of us cut our eye-teeth on a thick ribeye. Texan vegetarians exist and I support their decision but it also makes me sad to think about what they’re missing out on. (again, sarcasm)

Cutting to the chase… (pun intended)

I recently participated in a thread on an expat forum in Surrey of a person looking for quality, marbelized steaks that they could cook at home. This is probably because, like us, we haven’t really found good steaks in a restaurant yet. Finding a good steak here could very well be quantified as an emergency, making an SOS call out to other expats necessary. We need each other for these types of emergency situations.

The closest we have come is Miller and Carter Steakhouse. If we want to eat a steak out, this is where we’ll go. It’s a nice, friendly restaurant and the portions are plentiful – more than we can ever eat. I do recommend them but they still don’t measure up to your “run of the mill” steakhouse in Texas. They have a phenomenal wedge salad, though! That alone is worth the visit. We also enjoy steaks on occasion at The Sun Inn in Chobham. Although we don’t go there specifically for the steaks, they do them alright.

The recommendations on the “where do I find good steak” thread were plentiful and passionate.

Have you ever been a part of a conversation where a woman asks what type of vacuum cleaner (aka hoover) she should buy? The floodgates open wide and the frenzy of passionate opinions ensues. We women are oddly and incredibly passionate about our vacuum cleaners. And if you’re wondering, I recommend Dyson. Pricey but once you have one, you’ll never be able to be satisfied with another brand again.

I digress…

So according to the thread I mentioned, if you live in Surrey, here are some options of places you might check for a good steak to cook at home. I will add that Costco was my recommendation but others disagreed. I wonder if different UK Costco’s sell different types and qualities of meats. We’ve shopped at the Farnborough Costco and bought some incredible rib eyes and sirloins. We also like to pick up some lamb chops while we’re there. I will also add that Costco doesn’t typically offer grass fed which we prefer but we are okay with sacrificing this since we don’t eat steaks very often.

I think many shops in Surrey cater to their local community. What I mean by that is that they seem to provide products based on the cultural desires of the people in their community. This is evidenced by the products you can find at any given Budgens shop. If you’re looking for Rotel, you go to the area where many Texans live. I have found this to be predominantly in Ascott.

If you go to your local butcher, which you should, be specific about what you want and ask them to cut fresh pieces for you with the thickness you want and find pieces with good marbling. If they are a good butcher, they will be happy to do this for you. Over time, building a relationship with your local butcher is profitable for both of you.

This Texan sincerely hopes you find yourself a good steak. One where sauce will not be sharing space on the plate or even at the table.

The recommendations I’m listing are as plentiful as hoover options but this might at least get you started in your search for a steak in Surrey. I don’t know all of these shops personally or even where some of them are, except for Costco Farnborough and Vincent’s in Woking, but you can do a google search and be on your quest to finding the best steaks in Surrey.

Costco
Vincent’s Butcher, Woking
Abel & Cole
Windsor Farm Shop, Windsor
Lewis in Sunningdale, Ascot
CE Lewis in Ascot
Surrey Hills Butcher, Oxshott
Whole Foods, Richmond
Garsons Farm Shop, Esher
G.J. Honour, Old Woking
The Game Larder, Esher

Please feel free to comment with other recommendations. Either on hoovers or steaks. 🙂

*I have not and am not receiving any kickbacks from the recommendations in this article.

Photo Credit: Pixabay.com, WerbeFabrik