What is up with the steak here??

This happens every time we buy steaks: They look fine in the package, typical sirloin or rib-eye type or whatever steaks, about 3/4" thick. As soon as I start cooking them, they flatten out and become about half again as wide and only about 1/2" thick. We get most of our meat from Waitrose, which you think would be fine, but it doesn't seem to matter where I buy them.

I've tried them on a stove-top ridged cast iron grill and in a frying pan. I've tried them after bringing them to room temperature and straight from the refrigerator. Same results. It's very frustrating, especially as I like my steak pretty rare, with a good dark brown outside, which is impossible when they just flop out like that.

I think I might be better off just getting thicker steaks cut at the butcher's counter, but I hate to spend the £££ if they're going to end up the same way.

Is it just me? Does anyone else experience this? Any suggestions? I have never seen had happen with any steak I bought in the US, so I'm stumped.

What % of fat is in your steaks? 

I don't know--it's just regular steak, from UK cattle, so whatever the normal percentage is, I guess?

(BTW, I should clarify that we don't eat steak all that often! It's a treat, which is why it's so disappointing when it doesn't come out well.)

I would say you can look for leaner steaks, less marbled, etc - The fat cooks quicker, it can make it shrivel up quicker. 
You could make sure that at least the fat on the edge is pretty even if its a sirloin steak

On what kind of heat are you cooking them?

You could try slower cooking of the steaks as well - Quick sear then oven roasting at a lower temperature? 

Don't oil the pan, oil the steak, let the steak come up to room temperature, let the pan get as hot as possible, a good 10-15 minutes until it's smoking. For rare 2-3 minutes each side depending on how thick.
I don't use a ridge pan I use a cast iron flat pan which is heavily seasoned. You should get a nice crust that way.

Cooking with gas or what?

What cuts are you buying? I find that rib eye is the best, I only cook meat on the BBQ so never noticed a problem.  I find Costco has the best meat going, but you pay for it. It's quite few. Good luck!

I've found that steaks here usually aren't all that great. The best one I've had was about 3 weeks back - a thick aged rib-eye, well marbled and probably something that most Brits would never buy based on the way it looked. Sirloins here are generally NOT what we typically get in the US, IMHO.

Less marbling = tougher meat. I agree that if you must do it on top of the stove, start with a VERY hot pan, oil the beef, and sear. Personally I rub some butter onto the meat, but as I now have a gas barbecue, I wouldn't dream of doing a steak any other way. And yes, we buy them so rarely that it's a real treat.

Far too many Brits like thin steaks and well done. I had to re-educate my DH, and he has lived all over the world. His brother did steaks for a family meal 2 weeks ago, and we cringed.....tough, thin, and totally tasteless.

It's not just you. I haven't had good steak since I've been here. Well, I shouldn't say that. I've had good steak when DH and I have gone out for dinner, but we haven't bought a good steak from the grocery store yet. Very disappointing.

I agree that the beef just didn't taste as good to me. They can say what they want about Scottish beef, but grass fed vs. corn fed really does change the taste. If the Costco steaks come from the US, that could explain why Americans prefer them.

I think the steaks here are fine, you just have to get used to different cuts and get used to cooking them. I am also a gas bbq-er and I like Rib Eye or Rump in particular. I always marinate them and use meat tenderiser (I bring it back from the states) My favourite cut is Skirt (flank really) from Morrisons in particular, or Costco.

I went out for my 40th last month with some girlfriends to the Gaucho Grill, and the steak was phenomenal. PHENOMENAL. We spent about £600 there. Unreal.

I went out for my 40th last month with some girlfriends to the Gaucho Grill, and the steak was phenomenal. PHENOMENAL. We spent about £600 there. Unreal.

But their beef is from Argentina...

Well, glad to know it's not just me, I guess.

phatbeetle and vadio, I just have an old electric burner range (we are going to get something new in the next few months), but I do have a cast iron griddle with ridges, which is well-seasoned, and which I heat on the burners for 10-15 minutes until very hot. I put a little oil on the steaks, not the grill, and they don't stick. They're better this way, but they still spread out and get very thin. It's kind of a pain to clean the griddle afterward, so last time I did try doing them in a pan (hot All-Clad), which is how I cooked them a lot in the US with good success, but they were pretty mediocre (and spread out and got thin).

I would love to be able to BBQ but we're not allowed to have them in our estate (nor could I have one in my US flat). Guess I'll just have to stick to eating steak when we dine out (we did just find a great steak restaurant, so it's not a terrible burden). Good to know about the Gaucho Grill!

But their beef is from Argentina...

No buts about it...it was bloody delish.

When I send my husband to buy steak he ALWAYS picks out the leanest steaks they have, with no visible fat at all and they are always terrible. I keep telling him, it has to have LOTS OF FAT on it to taste good. You don't have to eat the fat, but thats what makes it taste good!

Oh, the meat here is often pumped up with water, so it flattens out a lot. Thats my theory.

I'm a Brit through and through and reasonably well traveled:

The best steak I've had is Argentinian (In Germany and the US) followed by Portuguese (In Spain) and Kobe (in Australia)

As much as I hate to say it, I find British steaks somewhat below average in comparison in the majority of places - even if I cook them myself, they just don't come close 

Don't oil the pan, oil the steak, let the steak come up to room temperature, let the pan get as hot as possible, a good 10-15 minutes until it's smoking. For rare 2-3 minutes each side depending on how thick.
I don't use a ridge pan I use a cast iron flat pan which is heavily seasoned. You should get a nice crust that way.

Cooking with gas or what?

Sound like a black and blue....which is the way to go if you remember to turn off teh fire alarm.

/btw the best steak I ever had was at the Palm in D.C.