How to Tell if Your Steak is Done

Some home cooks are a little intimidated by preparing steak. With various levels of doneness, how can you be sure to meet the personal preferences of your guests? Since there’s nothing quite like a good steak cooked to perfection, and we have some advice to make sure you hit the mark every time.

We’ve shared a “handy” trick for testing a steak’s doneness without a thermometer. Sometimes, just feeling the steak will tell you the internal temperature, from rare to well done. Still, the most efficient way to check is with a meat thermometer, but you don’t want to check it too often while the beef is cooking. Probe thermometers that can stay in the meat as it cooks avoid the risk of juice leaking out.

When you’re using a grill or hot cast iron skillet, you should hear the beef sizzle when it goes on. Many chefs prefer either of those methods to best develop a delicious crust. Avoid flipping the steak in the pan or on the grates too much – perfection takes patience. If the steak is stuck to the surface when you try to move it, it’s not ready.

On the grill, it’s a good idea to have a slightly cooler area to set aside steaks that might be cooking too quickly at any point. Then they can continue cooking at a gentler, slower rate.

Remember that no matter how you cook your steak, the temperature for each level of doneness is always the same:

• Rare, with a cool red center should read 110-120°F
• Medium rare, with a warm red center is 120-130° F
• Medium will result in a warm pink center at 130-140° F

Have you heard you should give your steak time to rest? It’s true that steaks will continue cooking once they’re removed from the heat, and flavorful juices that had been previously pushed to the center of the steak will be redistributed throughout the meat. Experts say to cook the steak about five degrees under your desired doneness temperature, then let it rest only about five minutes so it stops cooking when you cut into it.

Feeling more confident about how to know when your steak is done? Come into Butcher Boy and let us help you choose the best steaks for a delicious meal. We also have a selection of ready-made sides and fresh vegetables to go with it.