From Rare to Well-Done: A Comprehensive Steak Doneness Guide

Dario's Texas ^ | 2/22/24 | Dario's Restaurant

[DallasBiff]

Ever sat down at a restaurant, eagerly awaiting a perfectly cooked steak, only to be disappointed by a charred, overcooked slab on your plate?

Well, we’ve all dealt with that disappointment.

Today, we will explain the different levels of steak doneness, from rare to well-done. With this guide, you’ll be able to order your steak cooked just the way you like it every time. Yup, no more dried-out, overcooked steaks!

By the end, you’ll know exactly how to get your steak cooked perfectly.

[Yo-Yo]

The whole colors thing when it comes to steak and burgers never did me any favors. I’m color blind.

When you're cooking a steak or burgers, or even chicken breasts for that matter, you don't see what color the inside is until after you serve it and your guest starts eating.

So you can't go by color when you're cooking, unless you want to serve a sliced-up steak. Being color-blind is no hindrance to cooking a great steak.

When cooking steak or chicken on the grill I always, ALWAYS use an instant-read thermometer and take the internal temperature of the food I'm cooking. For Rare, pull it off when the middle hits 125. Medium rare, 130. Medium, 135. I don't cook steak any more than Medium.

Once you hit your target temperature, remove and let the steaks rest for 10 minutes. As you let the food rest, there will be some carry over cooking to hit the final internal temp of 130 for rare, 135 for medium rare, and 140 for medium.

Chicken breasts come off the grill at 165. Baked potatoes, 195.

There are fancy Bluetooth thermometers that have multiple zone reading, and can cost upwards of $200. But this is what I use, and it's under $20 on Amazon:

[Liz]

Good idea....but it takes an expert chef to know what a filet steak looks like on the inside.

[1Old Pro]

I just use my frill spatula, the softer the rarer

[Yo-Yo]

I have a couple of issues with Trump: Gasohol, eminent domain, Johnson.

I'll add bump stocks and Red Flag laws, but I'm still also Yugely a Trump supporter.

[Political Junkie Too]

I've tried many ways of cooking my steak at home and settled on the slow cook in a low-temperature oven, and then sear afterwards.

Basically, I take a 1 1/2" New York Strip steak and cook it in the oven at 250° for 40-45 minutes, then sear it on a cast iron skillet in bacon fat on the stove for 1 minute per side. (I use the bacon bits in my baked potato)

Let it rest for five minutes and serve.

-PJ

[Tommy Revolts]

Interesting technique. I hear sous vide is good.

However, I'm a Grill master. Although I do use a Thermapen now
for temperature.

[Yo-Yo]

We eat out fairly regularly and places like Outback, Chili’s, Ruby Tuesdays all have seemingly different ideas about what a medium steak is.

With chain restaurants and line cooks, you'll get a different idea about what a medium steak is from night to night in the same restaurant.

Even chain steakhouses like Texas Roadhouse can be inconsistent from visit to visit.

[Red Badger]

That’s exactly what we say.

If we go to Chili’s on a Friday night, we get a good steak.

If we go on Saturday night it is burned!.............

[logi_cal869]

That is well described at the 1st link.

[Jamestown1630]

Nowadays, that ‘red pool’ is often mostly red dye...

[Paladin2]

THAT are your receipts?

Lame.

[cpdiii]

My husband puts hot sauce on eggs. I want eggs to taste like eggs

Your husband is right! LOL

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

The key to perfectly done steaks just the way you like them;

That and just a wee bit of practice. Oh...and cast iron.

[Jamestown1630]

Well, I have to admit to being intrigued by Huevos Rancheros; but not just hot sauce on plain eggs...

[Hatteras]

As Henry Blake would say... Just show it the fire

[cpdiii]

How to cook steak rare:

1. Charcoal fire died down to glowing red hot embers.
2. Place steak close to charcoal and char and brown quickly.
3. Increase height from charcoal and cook to desired rareness. I like mine warm and bloody in the center. It is delicious.

Only use a good cut of meat for this, such as Filet Minion, Porter House, Rib Eye and Strip Sirloin, preferably aged beef. All you need is salt and pepper (may ketchup never touch it) and Sour Dough bread to mop up the juices.

[reed13k]

Was in Massachusetts on a consulting gig about 5 years back and ordered my steak rare...was told that they aren’t allowed to do that as it’s agains regs in Mass. So I went Medium-rare...it was ok I guess.

[Yo-Yo]

I like a rare steak with a nice char on the outside from the BBQ. My challenge is getting that nice char without over cooking and losing the rare quality inside. Does anyone have any suggestions on getting the perfect balance?

You need two things to accomplish what you want:

1) You need to be cooking a thicker cut of meat. The thinner sliced cuts of steak that I can usually afford makes it very hard to get a good crust on the outside while leaving the inside rare to medium rare. You need at least a good 3/4" or thicker cut of meat to even have a chance.

2) You need a very hot grill. Hotter than most gas grills can get. That means cooking over charcoal, with all of its associated hassles.

Remember that before you can brown and char the surface of the steak, you first have to boil off the water from the tissues. The hotter the grill, the faster the surface water will evaporate and allow the char you're looking for without letting the heat migrate to the inside of the steak too much.

If your grill isn't hot enough, then the heat has time to work its way to the inside of the steak before it can char the surface, giving you a more done center.

Some have tried using cast iron pans on their grill, and letting it get really hot. Cook the steak on the grill until you reach the internal doneness you desire, then move it to the hot skillet to provide the outside sear. I've not tried it but I have seen it recommended several times.

https://fieldcompany.com/blogs/journal/grilled-and-reverse-seared-cast-iron-skillet-steak

[linMcHlp]

Never had a problem cooking red meat on the grill. Just pay attention.

[9YearLurker]

So rare is the best for those who appreciate it, especially with prime cuts; but somehow their recommendation is to order it medium-rare at a decent steakhouse?