My skillet pan love started with Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman on Food Network. I fell in love watching her cook meat on these heavy metal cast iron pans and wished that one day we’d have smelly-vision. I could imagine the char, that caramelisation and the smoky flavour. Now the thought of a skillet pan laden with food really awakes my taste buds; so when I seen Instagram being flooded with skillet brunches, I knew I needed to get to Cocktails and Steaks pronto.

REVIEW OF COCKTAILS AND STEAK, UDDINGSTON

Based in Uddingston, it might be a bit of a trek for a brunch but wow, you wont regret the 50 minute drive from Edinburgh City Centre or 20 minutes from Glasgow.

It’s a fairly narrow but long space with an upstairs split balcony. The bar area dominates the entrance but is cleverly stocked with glassware and bottles where every inch of space has a use. Although a busy space, the restaurant doesn’t feel claustrophobic due to the large window front that floods the exposed brick wall interior with light.

First up was the drinks. Due to the joys of the pandemic, drinking was not allowed indoors so our choices where mocktails and milkshakes; which after one sip we both agreed were the best choices to have made!

The Berry Smash mocktail (£5) of raspberries, blackberries, cranberries, apple, lemon and honey hit every single juicy give-me-more tastebud in my mouth. Sweet and tart at the same time, this more-ish mocktail didn’t last long.

The Salted Caramel Pretzel Milkshake (£5) was epic. Creamy flavours of milk and vanilla with lashings of sweet caramel coming through. Salty pretzel finished it off nicely.

I have to admit that I stalked their Instagram page and re-read their menu on their website several times, although I knew when I first read the menu what I would have (but I wanted to double check that no menu item had escaped my scrupulous eye)

The Brunch Menu is packed with brunch-a-licious offerings. So many dishes that I love like The Stornoway (£9) black pudding OR the Royale (£11) Scottish Smoked Salmon, both served with soft poached eggs topped with Hollandaise sauce on toasted sourdough bread.

But I wanted the Skillet Pan and chose the Baked Steak and Egg Hash (£9). It’s freaking awesome! Skillet fried baby potatoes, mushrooms, tomatoes and onions create the comfort food base for the strips of medium rare Rump steak and acts as the well in which the absolutely perfectly cooked bright yellow egg yolk sits. Smack bang in the centre of the pan; ideally positioned for when you split open the runny yolk so that it runs all over the hash and mixes with all those delicious home comfort flavours. Also its the ideal dunk for the steak. This is also served with farmhouse white toasted bread and lovely soft salted butter.

Other choices for breakfast/brunch are the Steak Ciabatta (£10.50) - steak served pink with onion chutney, mustard mayo and rocket salad or go the whole hog with a full breakfast; the Butchers Special, or vegetarian or vegan!

Tartanspoonie Lotte, chose The Butcher’s Full Scottish (£10.50). Delighted to see its a Full Scottish and not a Full English! your plate is piled high with breakfast delights of eggs (poached or fried), Ayrshire streaky bacon, Stornoway black pudding, Lorne sausage, tomato, mushrooms, potato scone, beans and toast. Shew! Arrive hungry, go home stuffed and completely satiated.

The staff are welcoming and friendly, efficient and on hand to attend to your every need. I like it here, I like it a lot and if I lived closer, I reckon this would become one of my go-to brunch destinations.

Their other menus are filled with mouth watering dishes too - Sunday Roast Beef for £12.99 looks a real show stopper and any of the meats cooked on the Josper Grill such as the Jacobs Ladder or Short Rib have me drooling.

Cocktails and Steak, 193 Main Street, Uddingston, Glasgow, G71 7BP www.cocktailsandsteaks.co.uk

My Spoon Award : Gold Spoon 9/10

I was invited by Cocktails and Steak to review their brunch menu. Food and drink were complimentary but the views are very much my own.