A perfectly cooked steak is an absolute delight for many people. Whether you prefer it rare, pink or well-done - with a few simple tips, you can make your steak exactly the way you like it best.
Before you start roasting or grilling, choosing the right meat is crucial. Always go for a high-quality cut, if possible organic. A good steak should always be well marbled, i.e. have fine fat veins that make the meat particularly juicy and tender. Whether you pick beef, veal, or another type of meat, quality, origin, and freshness are always top priorities.
The right preparation
Another important preparation before the actual cooking is the correct tempering of the steak. It should always reach room temperature before being placed in the pan or on the grill. If the meat is taken straight out of the fridge and cooked immediately, it may brown too quickly on the outside while remaining cold on the inside. So take it out early enough.
It is also critical to pat the steak dry to get a nice crust. Seasoning is done according to taste – a little salt is enough. Make sure that you salt either half an hour before cooking or just before! If the salt has enough infusion time, it breaks up the meat fibres so that the meat can absorb more liquid.
After roasting, herbs such as rosemary or thyme and garlic can give the meat an additional flavour.
From rare to well done
When cooking, there are different stages that describe the desired cooking point of a steak. The first cooking stage, ‘rare’, is characterised by the fact that the steak is seared on the outside but remains raw on the inside. The core temperature at this cooking stage is between 45 and 49 degrees Celsius. A lot of red meat juices are still released when the steak is cut.
If you prefer it a little less raw, opt for ‘medium rare’, also known as medium rare or ‘English’. In this case, the steak is well browned on the outside and pink throughout. The core temperature is around 50 to 54 degrees Celsius. The meat juices are still reddish, but the meat is already cooked through at the edges.
The ‘medium’ cooking level is probably the most popular. The meat is still nicely pink on the inside and has a core temperature of between 55 and 59 degrees Celsius. The meat juices do not come out as much, which is why the steak remains juicy and tender. If you like it a little more well done, choose ‘Medium Well’, where the steak only has a slightly pink centre and reaches a core temperature of 60 to 64 degrees Celsius.
Finally, there is ‘Well Done’, the level for all those who prefer their steak fully cooked. Here, the meat is firm and has a core temperature of 65 degrees or more, with no pink centre visible.
How well done is the steak?
There are various methods for determining the correct cooking level. The safest and most accurate method is to measure the core temperature with a meat thermometer. The thermometer is inserted into the thickest part of the steak without touching the bone to measure the exact temperature. We have listed the temperatures above: Simply check what the temperature is, and you will find out what the current cooking level is.
Alternatively, there is the so-called palm test. This involves pressing lightly on the steak with your index finger and comparing the feel with the heel of your hand. By pressing your thumb together with different fingers, you can feel the tension in the heel of your hand and compare it with the hardness of the steak. If you press your thumb together with your index finger, the ball of your hand feels like a rare steak. The middle finger and thumb pressed together correspond to ‘medium rare’, the ring finger and thumb to ‘medium well’. The steak is done when its surface feels like the heel of your hand when you press your little finger together with your thumb. Have a look at the pictures and try it out!
If you don’t have a meat thermometer or the ball of the hand test is too complicated for you, you can of course cut the steak slightly and visually check the cooking point. However, this can release meat juices – so use this method sparingly!
Let it rest after cooking
An often underestimated factor when preparing steaks is the resting time after the cooking process. The steak should be left to rest for a few minutes after cooking, ideally loosely covered with aluminium foil. This allows the meat juices to spread throughout the steak and prevent them from running out when the steak is cut. This keeps the steak juicy and tender.
In the end, every steak deserves to be refined. After cooking, you can brush it with a little butter and finish with a pinch of sea salt or fresh herbs such as thyme or rosemary. A hint of garlic or a pinch of other favourite spices will also give the steak a special touch. This way, every steak is cooked well – even if it is not well done.
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