John Myers
The firmer a steak feels, the more the meat is done. At least four out of six possible cooking levels can be checked with the pressure test. For a more precise result, however, you need a special meat thermometer.
The different degrees of doneness for a steak are:
- Blue or raw (“very rare” or “raw”): The outer layer is lightly browned, the inside of the meat is still as good as raw and bloody. The core temperature is around 38 degrees Celsius.
- Rare: The meat is roasted grey-brown on the outside, but is still red and bloody on the inside. The core temperature is around 48 degrees Celsius.
- English (English “medium rare”): The core is still completely red, but no longer bloody. The meat thermometer shows a temperature of 54 degrees Celsius.
- Pink (“medium”): The middle layer is no longer red, but only pink. The outer layer is roasted medium brown and the core temperature is around 58 to 60 degrees Celsius.
- Medium well: The core is only slightly pink and the temperature is 64 to 66 degrees Celsius.
- Well done: At a core temperature of 74 to 76 degrees Celsius, the meat is thoroughly cooked and the outer layer is brown to dark brown.
If you don’t have a meat thermometer at hand, you’ll need a little finesse for the so-called pressure test. To do this, place the thumb loosely together with different fingers of the same hand and compare the firmness of the heel of the hand and the flesh:
- Bloody: Put your thumb and forefinger together and press the heel of your hand. This is how the steak feels when it is cooked until rare.
- English: Place your thumb and middle finger together and press the heel of your hand. If the steak feels like this, it is raw but no longer rare.
- Pink: Place your thumb and ring finger together and press the heel of your hand. This is how the meat feels when it’s still raw but no longer bloody.
- Through: Place your thumb and pinky together and press the heel of your hand. It feels just as firm as well-done meat.
