Steak Doneness Guide: Internal Temps & Tips For Perfection
Is achieving steak perfection at home a culinary Everest you've been putting off? Fear not, because with the right knowledge and a little practice, grilling a steak to your desired doneness is not only achievable, but remarkably straightforward.
Nailing the perfect internal steak temperature, or your preferred doneness on a steak, often feels like a daunting exercise. But the truth is, it doesn't have to be. Over years of testing and experimentation, a clear path to consistently delicious, perfectly cooked steak has emerged. Steak can be cooked to a variety of temperatures and still be safe to consume. Doneness is a matter of personal preference, and today well get into the nitty gritty of cooking steak to your preferred internal temperature. Different steaks can handle different temperatures.
Before we dive into the specifics, here's a handy table summarizing the internal temperatures and doneness levels you'll want to master.
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| Steak Type | Doneness | Internal Temperature (F) | Description | Cooking Time (per side) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black and Blue | Rare (Very) | 110 | Briefly seared on the outside, cool red center. | Brief sear on hot flame |
| Blue Rare | Rare | 115 - 120 | Completely red, almost purple, tender and juicy. | 2.5 minutes |
| Rare | Rare | 125 | Pink, soft & juicy. | 2.5 minutes |
| Medium Rare | Medium Rare | 135 | Pinkish brown, tender & juicy. | 3.5 minutes |
| Medium | Medium | 145 | Pink with a slightly warm red center. | Varies |
| Medium Well | Medium Well | 150 | Golden color, tender & juicy flavor. | Varies |
| Well Done | Well Done | Above 160 | Fully cooked through, slightly drier texture. | Varies |
The ideal cooking temperature for a NY strip steak, or any steak for that matter, hinges on your personal preference. Are you a fan of a barely-seared exterior and a cool, crimson center? Or do you prefer a steak thats cooked through, with just a hint of pink? Regardless of your preference, the key is controlling the internal temperature.
Lets start with the basics. Before you even think about lighting the grill or heating up your pan, let your steak rest on the counter for 30 minutes to an hour. This allows the meat to come to room temperature, ensuring a more accurate internal temperature reading later on. While it's resting, it's a good time to season the steak. A simple seasoning of salt and pepper is often all you need to enhance the natural flavors of the beef.
For checking the internal temperature and overcooking, you should use an instant read thermometer.Dont leave it to chance. Instead, use a meat thermometer and consult this guide for accurate results.
Now, let's delve into the specifics of each doneness level:
Black and Blue Steak: This is the most extreme end of the spectrum, cooked briefly on a very hot flame to char the outside while leaving the inside incredibly rare. The internal temperature should be around 110F. A warning advising customers about food safe temperatures is typically added to menus next to these dishes.
Blue Rare: This steak is almost entirely red, with a cool, tender, and juicy interior. The internal temperature should reach no more than 115F to 120F (46C to 49C). The outside should appear brown and properly seared on both sides, but cutting the steak open will reveal dark pink or red from top to bottom and side to side with, perhaps, a faint pink outline.
Rare: A rare steak is cooked to an internal temperature of 125F. It will be pink and soft, retaining a good amount of its natural juices.
Medium Rare: This is a popular choice, offering a balance of tenderness and flavor. Cook to an internal temperature of 135F. Expect a pinkish-brown center.
Medium: The FDA recommends an internal temperature of 145F (62C) for safe food handling. A medium steak will have a pink center. Medium is the name for the internal steak temperature recommended by the fda for safe food handling, 145f (62c).Cooking it to this temperature allows the steak to be tender and juicy, while still retaining a bit of pink in the center.
Medium Well: At 150F, the steak will be mostly cooked through, with just a touch of pink. Medium well steak is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 150 degrees fahrenheit. That being said, it is the temperature you want to cook steak to when someone says they only want a tiny bit of pink in their steak.
Well Done: A well-done steak, cooked to an internal temperature above 160F, will be fully cooked through, with no pink. While safe to eat, this level of doneness often results in a drier texture. A lot of people feel like this is the only safe temperature for steak, but thats just not true.
Remember that the steak keeps cooking a bit after you take it off the heat, thanks to carryover cooking. After grilling the steak, rest it in a foil for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the juices to retreat and give maximum tenderness and serve.
The chef will season the steak and place it on the grill. The steak will become brown on the outside, but still remain very soft on the inside.
What degree of doneness should you be looking for when cooking steak? Heres our internal cooking temperature guide for rare, medium rare and well done beef. Use our steak doneness chart to cook to the desired temperature. Each level of steak doneness has a different internal target temperature to reach. Ahead, we've laid out everything you need to know about internal steak temperatures and how you can tell if your steak is rare, medium, or even well done. All you'll need is a trusty meat thermometer and the printable steak doneness guide below!
Well, in order to determine if the meat is safe to eat, then you should measure its internal temperature. So, the short answer is yes, medium done steak is safe to eat. As long as the steak is sourced from a reputable supplier and handled properly, it can be enjoyed safely at this temperature. If your steak is thicker than 1 inch, adjust cooking times accordingly.
For more information on temperatures for steak, see my steak temperature and doneness guide. The ideal cooking temperature for a ny strip steak generally varies based on your preferred level of doneness.Recommended internal temperatures for different steak levels. Here are the recommended internal temperatures for different steak levels:
Different steaks can handle different temperatures. The difficultly of grilling a steak is knowing when it's just right. Don't leave it to chance. Instead, use a meat thermometer and consult this guide for accurate results. Keep this handy temperature guide nearby to ensure your steaks come out perfectly on the grill every time. This level of doneness retains a pink center with a slightly warm red center. For a medium steak, the internal temperature should be 145 (which is the FDAs recommended minimum temperature for steak).
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