Use a thermometer to cook grilled steaks to rare/medium/well reliably
Cook steaks to specific doneness by measuring internal temperature with a thermometer instead of guessing from the outside.
The test is to cook multiple steaks to order (rare, medium, well done) and have them look similarly grilled on the outside while differing by internal temperature. The chef explicitly recommends using a thermometer and compares cooking without one to driving blindfolded with a map.
The short version
- Doneness should be determined by internal temperature, not guessing.
- Multiple steaks can look similarly grilled outside but differ inside.
- Failing to control doneness creates waste (steaks sent back).
What you need
- grillDirect heat cooking
- instant-read thermometerUsed to verify internal temperature
How to do it
- 1
Assign target doneness for each steak (e.g., rare, medium, well done).
Plan to differentiate by internal temperature, not exterior look.
Watch this step - 2
Grill the steaks and use a thermometer to measure internal temperature as they cook.
Don’t guess; the thermometer tells you when you’ve reached the destination.
Watch this step - 3
Remove each steak when it reaches its target internal temperature, aiming for attractive grill marks and even browning outside.
Steaks can look similar externally while being different doneness internally.
Watch this step
What goes wrong
Guessing doneness and ending up with all steaks cooked the same.
Use a thermometer and pull each steak at its target internal temperature.
Why it works
Internal temperature is the reliable indicator of doneness; exterior appearance can be similar across doneness levels.
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