[Sax]

That reminds me of the time I grilled steaks for guests (wife’s co-worker and hubby.) After serving, the co-worker asked if I could put the steak back on the grill for a bit longer (no problem) then asked for ketchup.

Shoe leather, brown through & through - covered in ketchup. And these were some handcut uber-thick steaks. I wanted to shout.

Always more salt & pepper than you think - I want a nice coat, almost looking like a rub. And forget times and temps, you can get really good at checking doneness just by quickly poking it with your finger tip to check its resistance.

[Stand Watch Listen]

you can get really good at checking doneness just by quickly poking it with your finger tip to check its resistance.

For the novice…to develop your ‘touch’

The Finger Test to Check the Doneness of Meat

Open the palm of your hand. Relax the hand. Take the index finger of your other hand and push on the fleshy area between the thumb and the base of the palm. Make sure your hand is relaxed. This is what raw meat feels like. (Check this out the next time you have a raw steak to cook.)

Press the tip of your index finger to the tip of your thumb. The fleshy area below the thumb should give quite a bit. This is what meat cooked to rare feels like. Open up your palm again and compare raw to rare.

Gently press the tip of your middle finger to the tip of your thumb. This is medium rare.

Press the tip of your ring finger and your thumb together. The flesh beneath the thumb should give a little more. This is what meat cooked to a medium doneness feels like.

Press the tip of your ring finger and your thumb together. The flesh beneath the thumb should give a little more. This is what meat cooked to a medium doneness feels like.

Now gently press the tip of your pinky and your thumb together. Again feel the fleshy area below the thumb. It should feel quite firm. This is what well done meat feels like when you press on it. (Check this out the next time you overcook a piece of meat.)