The cooking level is decisive! Some grill masters roll their eyes when the conversation turns to the cooking level. It's too complicated, they say, to cater to every diner's wishes. But with a little experience, the right cooking level for a steak can be quickly achieved and determined. This precise preparation demonstrates two kinds of respect: for the guest; and for the precious meat.
A case for Uncle Klaus's teeth
For a long time, you didn't give much thought to the correct doneness of a steak. That has changed. At least since the story with Uncle Klaus. Mother's brother, happily retired, is an old-timer. A Zeus plate devourer from the "the-more-the-better" faction. You were together at the steakhouse. Uncle Klaus doesn't hesitate, orders the thickest beef fillet. "Rare, medium rare, or medium?" the waiter asks. Uncle Klaus points to the legend on the menu: "Well done." The waiter says he wouldn't recommend it. "Why not?" Klaus retorts. "Well done sounds just right!" The waiter is an old hand; he doesn't argue with guests. When he's gone, Uncle Klaus goes on about pompous service staff and brown-black meat crusts. Later, when the meat is on the plates, Uncle Klaus disdainfully points to the pink meat juice flowing from your medium steak. His, on the other hand, darkly crusted – as if from the grill. For the next half hour, Uncle Klaus's astonishing teeth work their way through the fillet. It was tough, he tells the waiter later. Probably not the best cut. When Uncle Klaus is in the restroom and the waiter is clearing the table, you ask him the difference between medium and medium rare. The waiter provides a crystal-clear explanation and recommends choosing medium rare next time. You realize it's good to listen to experts. Or to acquire the knowledge yourself. Uncle Klaus, however, will again head for Zeus plates.
The delicious science
You realize you first need to learn something about the right doneness. You have a few terms in mind: "english" for example (just before sushi); or "medium" (can't go wrong with that). And then you marvel at how many nuances doneness has, and that it's not a fixed term, but must be seen in connection with the type of meat and the steak cut. It's a science in itself. But a damn tasty one!
The doneness and its facets
So you buckle down. You're a systematic learner. You first separate doneness from the type of meat. Now it's time to memorize. It's like cramming Latin, but more useful:
- Very rare ('blue'): lightly seared/grilled on the outside, completely red and raw inside; core temperature 38 degrees Celsius
- Rare: browned on the outside, red and raw in the center; core temperature max. 49 degrees Celsius
- Medium rare ('english'): intensely browned on the outside, red center, dark red meat juice; core temperature at 52 degrees Celsius
- Medium ('pink'): strong brown crust, pink colored center layer inside, pink meat juice; core temperature 57 degrees Celsius
- Medium well: crispy dark crust, slightly light pink center, light pink meat juice; core temperature 62 degrees Celsius
- Well done: dark brown to black crust, completely brown, cooked-through interior, light yellow meat juice; core temperature 74 degrees Celsius
Now you know every doneness level and its German and English names. Next time the waiter comes at you with Anglicisms, you'll be prepared. But you can't be completely satisfied yet. Which doneness do you prefer? And what actually happens when a steak is grilled or fried?
The phases of thermal transformation
Steak consists of muscle fibers. These muscle fibers are built from proteins. Depending on the doneness, you heat the steak to higher or lower temperatures. From 40 degrees Celsius, the protein begins to denature. The muscle fibers loosen, the connective tissue shrinks. From 50 degrees, the protein coagulates, from 70 degrees, collagen transforms into gelatin. Your steak gets a tender bite. But the physical-chemical transformation process is not yet complete. Because during continued heating, water separates from the proteins and evaporates on the surface of your steak. The meat slowly dries out. The muscle fibers contract and give the steak an increasingly firm consistency, the longer it stays on the grill or in the pan. If you overdo the doneness, you'll get the best meat off the grill like a shoe sole. Hence Uncle Klaus's struggle with the well-done fillet.
The interplay of meat type, doneness, and roasted aromas
You know the cooking levels. You also know the names for doneness. You've understood that cooking or grilling for too long makes any steak tough and dry. From this, you deduce the following: Everyone loves tender steaks; therefore, there must be an ideal cooking level. - This is a nice logical deduction. But it neglects two other quality factors. First, the type of steak. Because the cooking level interacts with the steak variety and the cut. Second, the roasted aromas. These aromas are created when sugar and protein molecules merge – a phenomenon named the Maillard effect after its discoverer. When you walk through your neighborhood on a beautiful summer evening and the most inviting smell in the world wafts into your nose, you're experiencing roasted aromas. And there are people for whom a strong crust is more important than an absolutely tender consistency.
Doneness recommendations for the most important steak types
Within a debatable framework, the doneness of steak is a matter of taste. Nevertheless, many people have thought about the best doneness for different types of meat and have made recommendations. These are your fixed points on the way to the best steak in the
world. For example, these people say that fillet (also called tenderloin) loves a medium rare doneness. Here, the core temperature ranges between 38 and 55 degrees Celsius. Be careful, experts say: delicate fillet dries out particularly quickly. T-bone steaks need a bit more power: 49 degrees Celsius core temperature for medium rare, 55 to 58 degrees Celsius for medium. The more marbled the meat, the higher the doneness. But be careful: if you are lucky enough to get a good dry-aged steak at the butcher's counter, you can reduce the cooking time a bit. Dry-aged steak is very tender, contains hardly any water, and dries out quickly if exposed to heat for too long. Neck steak, also called chuck-eye roll, has a lot of intramuscular fat and remains tender even at higher temperatures. Experts recommend a core temperature of 55 degrees Celsius (medium rare). The steak from the high rib (called entrecote or rib-eye) also has strong intramuscular marbling. The steak master recommends medium at 56 degrees Celsius core temperature.
Once again in brief: General info about doneness and core temperature
- rare: 45 - 49 degrees Celsius
- medium rare: 50 - 54 degrees Celsius
- medium: 55 - 59 degrees Celsius
- medium well: 60 - 72 degrees Celsius
- well done: 73 - 85 degrees Celsius
The art of hand-reading
Okay, you say. There's been a lot of talk about doneness and core temperature – but how do I actually know when to take the steak off the grill or out of the pan? There are two wonderful tools for this, without which no grill master goes into battle: the grill thermometer and your own hand. Let's start with the hand. Its advantage: You always have this tool with you. The disadvantage: It doesn't work as precisely as a thermometer. Hold your left hand loosely with the palm facing up. If you press the thumb of your right hand into the relaxed thumb pad of your left hand, you'll know what raw meat feels like. Now touch the tip of your left index finger to the tip of your left thumb. And again, press with your right thumb into your left thumb pad: That's a steak cooked to 'rare'. You continue this pattern from the middle finger to the ring finger to the pinky finger. Middle finger: medium rare. Ring finger: medium. Pinky finger: well done.
If you want to know for sure, use a meat thermometer
The thumb pad test requires a bit of experience. Values must be determined and compared. The sense of touch sometimes reaches its limits. For beginners in determining doneness, a meat thermometer is recommended. It shows you precise values that you can write down for future attempts. So feel free to arm yourself with note-taking tools. What type of steak, what cut went on the grill or in the pan? Where did the meat come from? How thick was it cut? How long was it exposed to what temperature? What was the core temperature of the steak? How did it taste to you? These notes are not pedantry, but helpful memory aids on the way to the ideal steak. The thermometer assists you in this. As a probe thermometer, it measures the Celsius degrees inside the meat accurately and quickly. Both analog and digital models are available on the market. Both deliver good results.
Mastering the grill and pan
The perfect steak and the right doneness require good meat and a bit of equipment. Plus a lot of experience. What do you need to consider at the grill or in the pan if you want to cook that precious favorite piece exactly to perfection? Let's start with the pan. It should be made of stainless steel or cast iron. Avoid coated pans, because these popular kitchen assistants don't reach the desired temperature. You need a pan heated to 180 degrees Celsius with some clarified butter or sunflower oil. Pure butter or olive oil cannot withstand the heat. Always take the meat out of the refrigerator at least half an hour before preparation – whether you're frying or grilling it. Pat it dry and refrain from adding salt and spices – otherwise, bitter substances will develop under the heat. The frying time depends on the steak's thickness and the desired doneness. For meat 2 cm thick, two to three minutes per side are usually sufficient. Don't pierce the meat when flipping. After frying, the steak goes into the oven, preheated to 90 degrees, to 'relax' briefly.
Forward Grilling
Similar rules apply to grilling as to frying in a pan. The steak goes onto the grill grates dry, unseasoned, and at room temperature. The grate is clean and lightly prepared with rapeseed oil. Professionals turn their steak every 20 seconds with grill tongs to distribute the meat juices as evenly as possible. After reaching the desired core temperature for doneness, let your steak rest for a few minutes at the edge of the grill.
Or rather reverse searing?
With reverse searing, you reverse the order of preparation, as you pre-cook the meat indirectly. This works in the oven at 100 degrees Celsius, in a gas grill with a temperature setting of 110 degrees Celsius, or on a charcoal grill if the steak is placed at the edge of the grill grate next to the coals. A particularly safe method is cooking in a sous-vide device. The doneness can be determined without haste with a meat thermometer when reverse searing. Afterwards, you briefly create delicious roasted aromas on the hot grill or in the hot pan.
You'll only win the doneness championship with masterful meat
You've learned a lot. You've equipped yourself with the right gear. Before you present yourself as a doneness master at your next barbecue, you still need to go shopping. Invest in quality – because inferior, poorly aged meat would ruin your efforts. At Freyberger, you'll find the best cuts from a Franconian master butcher and meat sommelier.
For example, the RibEye Steak in guaranteed DryAged quality with the classic fat eye. By the way, the meat experts also provide helpful preparation tips for the perfect doneness for each of their products.
Conclusion
You now know what you need. A good grill, a good pan, a meat thermometer, and steak of the best quality you can buy. You have developed an idea of how to proceed to combine delicious roasted aromas with the right doneness. The rest is experience. And experience grows from one barbecue evening to the next. If that's not good prospects.
Want to know more? Then check out our Tomahawk Steak video!
