Growing up surrounded by steak-loving family members, I really thought grilling my own steak will be like a walk in the park.
I imagined myself flipping patties and turning steak right off the grill like a pro. But I guess I was so clueless then to assume that it would be that simple.
While it’s true that buying the right meat and having a good grill is essential, so is knowing the right doneness for your steak.
Over the years, I’ve had my share of overly burnt steak or very rare ones fit for a vampire movie.
But my misadventures taught me to stick to this simple guide when it comes to steak doneness.
Using a reliable instant-read meat thermometer, like the InstaProbe food thermometer from Typhur culinary science, I follow this temperature guide when preparing steaks for my family and friends.
And I am telling you, you’ll never go wrong with this simple guide.
- Rare – this doneness requires the least amount of cooking time. For a one-inch boneless steak, sear it for three minutes on each side. Using an InstaProbe food thermometer, check its internal temperature and pull off from the heat source once it reaches 120F. Rest for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving. You’ll know it’s a good rare steak when you see that the outside has an already light to moderate searing. Once sliced, it should be bright red in the center all the way to the edges.
- Medium-rare – a lot of people prefer this level of doneness. My friend used to say she feels a little bit more sophisticated ordering a medium-rare steak rather than a well-done one. For a one-inch boneless steak, sear both sides on high heat for four minutes each side. Using a food thermometer, check for internal temperature and pull off from the heat source once the temperature reads 130F. Rest for ten minutes before serving. You’ll know it’s medium-rare when you see a seared outer layer and a pinkish-red center.
- Medium – as the name implies, the medium is the middle ground when it comes to cooking steak. People tend to prepare medium steaks when unsure about the preference of their guests. For this one, you’d want to grill each side for 5 minutes and pull it off from the heat source once the internal temperature reaches at least 140F. Your steak should appear to be prominently seared on the outside with a light pink center.
- Medium well – for a one-inch thick steak with no bone, allow for six minutes of grilling or searing for each side. Using your trusty InstaProbe food thermometer, check if the internal temperature is already 150F then pull it off from the heat source. You know it’s medium well when the center of the steak is already grayish-brown with very little pink.
- Well done – this doneness requires the most amount of cooking time. You would need to sear your steak for 6 to 6.5 minutes on each side. The pull time for this doneness would be 160F. Your well-done steak should be firm when touched and has a typically light grayish-brown color.
Knowing when to pull off your steak from the heat source is a guaranteed way to achieve the doneness that you want for your meat.
Investing in a reliable tool like the InstaProbe food thermometer is essential too if you want to be consistent in your steak preparations.
You see, grilling a steak is like an art meet science kind of thing.
While some can eyeball or wing it, most of us mere mortals need tools to make grilling steaks efficient and down to the doneness our guests prefer.