Slightly pink center Completely firm to the touch with brown juices Warm pink center outer portions beginning to brown Completely firm to the touch with red juices Warm red center Beginning to firm up with red juices Steak Doneness Chart DonenessĬool, bright red center Soft to the touch When touched, it will be firm and springy to the touch. The color will be entirely brown with no pink. At this level of doneness, the beef loses all of its natural juices and the steak shrinks.

We don’t recommend cooking a steak to well-done because it becomes chewy and has very little flavor. If you press on it with your finger, it will be firm with a considerable amount of spring. The meat will be much drier and chewier because the juices inside the steak will evaporate during the cooking process. Medium-Well 145-154° FĪ medium-well steak will have a mostly brown center, with a faint pink color in the hot center. Pressing on a medium steak with your finger gives slight resistance and it springs back a little. A medium steak is completely warm and has no visible dark red in the center. Medium steak meets the USDA’s recommended internal cooking temperature. It has a pink center surrounded by brown meat. Medium – 135-144° FĪ medium steak is also a very popular option. When touched, medium-rare steak gives only a slight resistance. Medium-rare steaks are seared on the outside and the center has a dark pink red color. Steaks served at this temperature are slightly warm, and have the best juiciness and texture. Medium-rare steak is the most popular level of doneness. Therefore, they all cook differently and to achieve a “medium rare” filet steak is going to be slightly different than a flank steak. The reason for this is because steaks have different thicknesses and characteristics based on the cut and quality. The secret to nailing the perfect doneness every time is a quality meat thermometer (more on that below). It’s not about the color or visual appearance of the beef. Steak doneness is about the steak’s temperature. But, did you know their definition goes beyond the color of the meat? For example, a medium-well steak is more than just, “only a little pink in the middle” The terms “rare,” “medium rare,” “medium,” “medium-well”, and “well” describe how meat is cooked. You’ve probably heard the terms for doneness before. What are the degrees of doneness for steak? No matter how you like your steak, there are a few tips and tricks that will help you make the perfect steak every time. But, what is the best steak doneness? Rare? Medium? Well-done? And an even better question is how can you achieve the best steak doneness from your own kitchen? We have all the answers you need to know about steak doneness, temperature guides and charts, the best thermometers, and touch test.Īh, steaks. Steaks are delicious when cooked to the exact degree of doneness that you want.

Steak done temp