You can always tell an inexperienced or nervous BBQ cook. They will be the ones who are constantly cutting into the steak to check on it’s progress as it is cooking on the BBQ. The end result is often a butchered piece of meat, dry, tasteless and unappealing. Most of the the guests will wonder why they were asked “how would you like your steak cooked?”, if they all end up with the same lumps of meat as everyone else, irrespective of whether they asked for rare, medium, or well-done.
It’s an all too familiar scenario, and it can be easily fixed with a little bit of knowledge, some confidence, and practice.
How to Judge if a Steak is Cooked Rare, Medium, or Well-Done
- Rare – A rare steak should be cooked and browned on the outside, but red in the middle. To get an indication of a rare steak, with a pair of tongs (or whatever BBQ utensil you’re using to cook with), press on the surface of the steak. It should feel soft to the touch. Cooking times will depend on the thickness of the steak, but as a general rule for a usual steak (up to an inch thick) will be 2-3 minutes each side for cooking rare steak.
- Medium – Medium steak should be well browned on the outside and pink in the middle, and should be firm (but springy) to the touch when pressed. As a guide, usually cook 4 minutes on each side for a medium steak.
- Well-Done – A steak that is well-done should be very firm to the touch. It should be well browned on the outside and evenly cooked through the middle, but should still be moist. Most times a well-done steak should be cooked 5-6 minute on each side.
When people go out and pay for a steak meal, they are asked how they would like it cooked, and if it is served to them cooked too much, or too little, they will be disappointed…and they will have every right to be disappointed. Some will leave, some will eat the steak anyway and never return to the establishment, while some will complain and insist on having another steak served to them, cooked the way they requested. In all cases it will leave them feeling disappointed.
Now it will be very unlikely that your BBQ guests will up and walk out on you, or even openly show their dissatisfaction, but there will be every chance that there will be some level of underlying disappointment. The flip side to this is, with some knowledge and some practice, you can easily cook a steak the way your guests have requested. They will appreciate your BBQ cooking, they will appreciate your expertise, and you will feel satisfied with your BBQ cooking prowess!