Steak Temps – Are Temperature Charts Enough to Get These Right?

Nowadays, many websites provide information about steak doneness and use temperature charts based on the steak type. However, it is a needless distinction because all steaks experience the doneness stages at the same temperature. It doesn’t matter if you are cooking a ribeye or porterhouse steak; the medium temperature to achieve doneness is within 57 to 63°C(134.6 to 145.4℉).

If you are new to steak cooking, you need to recognize the motives behind doneness. You have to understand what happens physically to appreciate why temperature charts are not enough. When you heat the protein fibers in your meat to rare doneness, it begins to change its structure, coiling, and denature at the end. Because of this, everything changes as they become less slick and lustrous.

To make it easier, let’s look at a steak temperature chart:

What Temperature Do You Cook a 1 inch Steak?

The temperature you cook a 1inch steak at is determined by what cooking medium you are going to use. If you are pan searing then you are going to use medium high heat, if you are using a stove broiler then you are going to be at 500℉(260℃), and if you are using a grill, you are at 650℉(343℃). Each of the cooking mediums are different because of how the heat source is applied. With a pan you have to heat the pan, and have some type of fat in the pan to get a beautiful sear on the outside. With a stove broiler, you will be at a higher temperature, and will require close monitoring of the steak to make sure you reach the desired level of doneness without over cooking. The same applies to a grill but a grill is more forgiving because you can move the steak around if needed to a cooler area of the grill.

Steak Temp – Doing it Right

If you want to temp a steak, ensure you are reading the temperature in the steak’s coolest part. The steak exterior may have a higher temperature compared to the center. Therefore, you need to use an accurate instant thermometer like the Finaltouch X10 meat thermometer to get the right temperature.

The Finaltouch X10 is fast enough to display changing temperatures as you pull the probe. It comes with an automatic power feature that turns on automatically when opened. Once you insert and begin to draw it out, you will observe the temperature changing through the meat.

Best Cooking Method for Steak

Nowadays, the best method to cook a steak is the reverse-sear method. It involves cooking the steak at an extremely low temperature to reach the desired cooking temperature searing the steak. This method works excellently if you have a two-zone grill setup. Alternatively, you can use a low oven with a hot cast-iron pan.

Besides being the best way to cook your steak, it also quickly gets the steaks done. In addition, you also need to use a meat thermometer to gauge if the steak is cooked correctly before taking it down.

Why Do You Need a Meat Thermometer to Gauge Your Steak Temperature?

You can use a meat thermometer to check the steak temperature by inserting the device through the steak side. Ensure the meat thermometer goes more than half an inch. If your steak is thick, you can push further. Note that inserting a thermometer will not produce the juice since the device is dull to cut the muscle fibrils. However, if you mistakenly overcook your steak beyond the normal temperature, it will release some amount of moisture. Therefore, you should get a meat thermometer.

Besides this, it is preferable to other methods since it has a commercial setting. Unreliable methods such as touching and finger testing can expose your steak to bacteria. Therefore, it is never advisable to solely depend on touch or visual cues as that is not effective since it is subjective to nature.

How to Use Meat Temperature for Your Steak?

It is difficult to determine if your meat is thoroughly cooked by looking, tasting, or smelling. For safety purposes, it’s critical to know the ideal temperature for your cooked meats. When using a meat thermometer, it must be inserted into the thickest part and shouldn’t touch fat, bone, or gristle.

You can also use the thermometer to check your chicken breasts or hamburger patties. When reading the temperature, it should be when the meat is close to getting ready, rather than when you expect it to be cooked. Furthermore, allow the meat to stay for three minutes after you have done cooking.

How to Choose a Meat Thermometer?

There are five standard thermometers available to check your meat temperature. You can check our store to see some of the types mentioned here.

Oven-Safe Thermometers

This thermometer comes in different size that ranges from 2 – 2.5 inches. It can read results within 2 minutes and stay within the oven while your meat cook.

Digital Instant-read Thermometers

It measures about ½ inch deep into the meat and can get the temperature of your meat within 10 seconds. It is the typical type of meat thermometer you will find online.

Dial Instant-read Thermometers

This type of thermometer has the same features as the ones mentioned above but cannot stay in the oven while your meat is cooking. However, it can read your steak temperature within 20 seconds. It can get as deep as 2 – 2.5 inches into the meat’s thickest part.

Pop-up Thermometers

It’s a standard thermometer that sometimes comes with a packaged chicken or turkey. It pops up whenever it reaches an ideal internal temperature when cooking your meat.

Disposable Thermometer

You can use this thermometer once as it has specific temperature ranges. Whenever the color change within 10 seconds, it shows your meat is ready.

When choosing a thermometer to check your steak temps, there are several things to consider. You should consider the cooking method, type of meat, and so on. If you cook frequently, we will recommend you purchase a digital instant temperature reader.

Summary 

Although the ideal temperature to cook your medium steak is within 130 to 140°F (54.44 to 60℃), the United States Department of Agriculture, beef, lamb, and pork recommend the temperature to be at least 145°F (62.78℃). While you can use temperature charts for cooking your steak, they don’t usually produce the best result if you want to gauge if your meat is thoroughly cooked. Nevertheless, you can use a digital meat thermometer to check if your steak is done.