The Steer Inn, Hull Road, Wilberfoss

THE menu at The Steer Inn steak house is enough to make anyone who prefers their cows in fields munching grass extremely nervous.

All the beef is locally sourced and hung in a cold house on site for up to six weeks before being butchered. At the end of the process, four different cuts of steak are available for customers: sirloin, T-bone, rump and fillet.

So what's the difference? Well I'm no expert but I'd guess sirloin steaks come from the loin, which looks like the bit I'd sit on if I was forced into a rodeo on an Angus beef bull. Rump steak comes from a bit further back and could easily be called butt steak, but I predict sales would be slower.

Fillet is the choicest cut, alongside tenderloin, and is removed from the short loin before anything else. Many find it too soft for their tastes, unlike the distinctive T-bone steak which derives flavour from the dividing bone.

At The Steer Inn these meat hunks are split into four different sizes on the menu from a delicate six ounce fillet to a wholesome 20 ounce sirloin.

During our visit, a heart-stopping 32 ounce steak appeared on the specials board, but I couldn't tell if this was a challenge or a threat. In fact I was becoming obsessed with the "mixed steaks" such as surf and turf (sirloin and scampi), turf and chirp (chicken) and the fabulously-named turf and squirt (battered squid).

My mind was so occupied with trying to come up with other exotic variations (how about turf and trough for a gammon steak?) that I also almost missed the optional steak toppings, which include pat, red wine and blue cheese.

I went for a steak and spare ribs combination - a real winner - with a beautifully tender and slightly-bloody medium rare steak, as I had asked for, with sticky meaty ribs cooked in a honey and soy sauce marinade.

Catherine meanwhile had "chosen" duck for her main course. This was because I forced her to out of a misplaced sense of balance. She was presented with a huge half of duck which looked almost as though it had been cooked on a rotisserie.

She found it a little "overwhelming" and the small amount of orange sauce didn't help cut through the mass of duck flesh. The duck came bearing a message, it read "stick to the beef".

We preceded these hearty mains with two dishes from the rich variety of starters, which include everything from deep fried brie to Japanese prawns. I chose black pudding with red wine and mustard sauce and Catherine plumped for Mozzarella fingers (both £3.45)

The pud was good, with an average salad and Catherine's "fingers" were deep-fried which gives a good crunch-and-chew texture, but little flavour. Considering what we ate afterwards, it was fortunate neither was too substantial.

After a break and our respective meat feasts, we asked to share a slice of lemon meringue pie (£3), which came from a sweet trolley of cheesecakes, chocolate slices and other delights.

We asked for the bill too, which with a posh liqueur coffee (£2.50) and a regular coffee (£1), totted up to just £42.45.

That's a great price for a big feed and all steak fans in and around York should consider a trip out to Wilberfoss to sample this restaurant's speciality served by knowledgeable and friendly staff.

Just don't forget the duck's message and stick to the beef when ordering.

Food: meaty

Service: friendly

Value: good

Ambience: roadhouse

Disabled facilities: Yes

The Steer Inn, Hull Road, Wilberfoss. Telephone: 01759 380211.

Chris and Catherine visited the Steer Inn on Friday June 13, 2003.

Updated: 10:15 Saturday, June 28, 2003