How To Tell When Your Steak Is Done
I worked in a restaurant as a grill cook about 5 years ago and the hardest part about cooking the food was knowing when it was finished to the liking of the customer.
We couldn't touch the meat, so we had to know what it looked like at each level of "doneness", but if you're cooking your own food, you can touch it all you want.
In fact, the most important thing I try to get people to do is touch their meat.
By comparing the steak's tenderness to the soft part of your thumb, you can tell how done it is.
Rare
Touch your index finger to the base of your thumb. It should feel spongy and soft. Steak temp: about 140 degrees F.
Medium Rare
Touch your middle finger to the base of your thumb. Your fleshy thumb pad has a little less give. Steak temp: about 145 degrees F.
Medium Well
Touch your ring finger to the base of your thumb. Even firmer! Mmm, that thumb's looking good, huh? Steak temp: 160 degrees F.
Well Done
Touch your pinkie finger to the base of your thumb. Your thumb's hard. The beast is dead. Hope you're happy! Steak temp: 170 degrees F.
If you noticed, I skipped Medium, but that's because you don't have enough fingers for that. Medium should feel somewhere in between medium rare and medium well.
A lot of the time you can tell when a steak is almost medium because it will just start bleeding. Cook the meat another minute after it starts bleeding for a great medium done steak.
