Folks can get pretty particular about how they like their steaks. Some of us like it well-done while others say the more red and rare the better! When we're cooking steaks at home, it can be hard to get it just the way we like it, especially if we have guests with different preferences.
Cutting into the steak to see how things are coming along works well, but this also lets out juices and moisture that we'd rather keep for ourselves. We can also use an instant-read thermometer to take the temperature, but with a thin cut of meat, it's difficult and awkward to get an accurate temperature read. Here's a little trick to help you gauge how well-cooked your steak is without a lot of hassle...
Touch your thumb and your index finger together in the "OK" sign, and then press the fleshy part of your palm right below the thumb with your other hand. Feel how soft and malleable that is? That's the way rare steak feels when you press it!
Now touch your other fingers to your thumb, one at a time. As you move from your index finger to your pinky, the pad of your thumb will get progressively more firm and resistant. This feels similar to steak as it cooks, moving from rare (index finger) to medium-rare (middle finger) to medium (ring finger) to well-done (pinky).
As your steak is cooking, occasionally press its center and then compare it against this finger test, taking the steak off the heat as soon as it feels as done as you like it. Try it for yourself!
• See also our guide to How to Broil a Steak in the Oven
(Photo credit: B&G Foods)
I like my Meat Pittsburgh style or Black and Blue!
Well I hope you don't use good meat to cook it Well Done, that is a crime.
Ground meat is the only thing that should ever be cooked in the Well area.
Thin cuts are too hard to cook the right way, even for the experienced cook.
view phauxtoe's profile
This doesn't work on my hand. What I've always done is:
OK sign - Rare
Spread thumb and index finger - Medium
Spread as above, but touch palm side - Well-done
view Andy M.'s profile
Does this method usually produce pretty accurate results for people? I've started trying to use an instant read thermometer, although it is a bit of a pain.
The New Cook
view Andy2's profile
This is the method that all the grill cooks used at the restaurant I used to work at. And you're absolutely right, phauxtoe, burgers are the only thing you should even think about ordering well, and I would recommend med-well at that.
One other tidbit- if you ever order a steak at a restaurant Well Done, know that it will be a crummy cut it will taste like shoeleather. Order med-rare or medium if you absolutely must. And never. EVER EVER order a filet mignon anything past med-rare. In fact, I had folks TRY to order a filet well-done and when it came out looking like a charcoal briquet, they were surprised that their 30 dollar hunk of meat tasted terrible.
view emilyandharry's profile
oh, one other tip to remember:
rare- cool red center
med rare- cool pink center
med- warm pink center
med well- warm mostly brown center
well- warm, totally brown center
view emilyandharry's profile
a medium-well burger? i'm always surprised when we're in the US and they ask how i'd like my burger done...it's a foreign concept in Canada.
view evamae's profile