Tips For Cooking Your Steak

Keeping your steak tender

  • Sear meat in small batches, to maintain a dry pan and prevent stewing in the accumulating juices.
  • Don’t turn steaks too often or use heat that’s too low, as meat will stew and toughen without sealing in juices.
  • Use tongs to turn meat; a fork will puncture the meat and allow juices to escape.
  • Test meat by pressing with blunt tongs; cutting with a knife lets juices escape and causes dryness.
  • Allow steaks and roasts to rest a short time before slicing, to keep juices inside until set.

How Do I Know When My steak is Cooked?

Test for doneness by simply prodding the beef with blunt tongs. When it has a springy but firm texture and is moderately juicy, the beef is done. The firmer the feel of the meat, the more well-done it is. Rare will feel very soft, medium will feel a little firmer and well-done will feel very firm. The best way to determine the doneness of a roast is with a meat thermometer, which can be purchased from most houseware stores. Insert the thermometer at the start of cooking, leaving it in throughout. When the estimated time is up, check the temperature.

Cook the Perfect Steak

Follow these guidelines for perfectly sublime steak:


Cook-the-perfect-steak

Rare

  • Cook for a few minutes per side, depending on thickness.
  • Turn only once.
  • Cook until steak feels very soft with blunt tongs.
  • A meat thermometer will show the internal temperature of a rare steak as 115–125°F (45–50°C).
  • TIP: Provided you store and handle meat correctly, it is safe to eat whole pieces such as steaks and roasts rare. If bacteria are present, they will occur only on the surface of meat, and are quickly destroyed by the heat of the pan or oven. Sausages, hamburger patties and rolled roasts should be cooked through with no pink meat because the surface meat has been mixed throughout the product.

Medium Rare

  • Cook on one side until moisture is just visible on the top surface. Turn only once.
  • Cook on the other side until surface moisture is visible.
  • Steak will be cooked to medium rare when it feels soft with blunt tongs.
  • A meat thermometer will show the internal temperature of a medium rare steak as 130–140°F (55–60°C).

Medium

  • Cook on one side until moisture is pooling on top surface.
  • Turn only once. Cook on second side until moisture is visible.
  • Steak will be cooked to medium when it feels springy with blunt tongs.
  • A meat thermometer will show the internal temperature of a medium steak as 140–150°F (60–65°C).

Medium Well

  • Cook on one side until moisture is pooling on top surface.
  • Turn and cook on second side until moisture is pooling on top.
  • Reduce heat slightly and continue to cook until steak feels firm with blunt tongs.
  • A meat thermometer will show the internal temperature of a medium-well steak as 150–160°F (66–69°C).

Well Done

  • Cook on one side until moisture is pooling on top surface.
  • Turn and cook on second side until moisture is pooling on top.
  • Reduce heat slightly and continue to cook until steak feels very firm with blunt tongs.
  • A meat thermometer will show the internal temperature of a well-done steak as 160–170°F (70–75°C).

How Long to Cook a Roast

Suggested Roasting Times per pound (500 grams)

Oven Temp Rare Medium Well Done
Beef roast cuts such as Rib, Rib Eye, Tri Tip, Tenderloin and Sirloin 400°F (200°C) 15–20 minutes 20-25 minutes 25-30 minutes
  • If you have a meat thermometer, insert it into the thickest part of the roast before cooking.
  • Cook for estimated time, basting with pan juices throughout cooking.As the water evaporates, add more to the pan.
  • Test to see if the roast is cooked to your liking by squeezing with tongs—rare feels soft, medium has a little resistance, and well-done feels quite firm. When testing to see if meat is done, it's best not to insert a skewer, as it allows the juices to escape.
  • Alternatively, check the internal temperature of the roast on a meat thermometer:
    • Rare = 115–125ºF (45–50ºC)
    • Medium = 140–150ºF (60–65ºC)
    • Well-done = 160–170ºF (70–75ºC)
  • Remove roast from pan and cover loosely with foil. Allow to rest a few minutes before carving, as this allows the juices to settle.