Overcooked, underdone, and everywhere in between—we’ve all been left wondering “is my steak done?” Take out the guess work with this simple #GrillHack.
A meat thermometer is great for large cuts of meat or whole birds, but poking a hole in a steak inevitably leads to those precious juices streaming out once the thermometer is removed. If you would rather not pierce your steak—or worse, slice into your steak—before it is finished cooking, the “Finger Test” is the perfect solution. Even kitchen pros use this #GrillHack to grill the perfect steak!
How To Check If Your Steak Is Done Without A Thermometer
Turn one of your hands palm up, muscles relaxed and with the index finger from the opposing hand press the meaty part of your palm right below your thumb. Feels really soft doesn’t it? That’s how your steak will feel when it’s raw.
Now, put your thumb and index finger together and press on the meaty part of your palm again. It should be a little tighter, but still pretty soft. That’s what a rare steak should feel like.
Repeat the process, touching your thumb to each of your fingers. As you move from index finger to pinky finger, the meaty part of your palm should become firmer and firmer. Thumb to middle finger is medium rare, thumb to ring finger is medium, and thumb to pinky finger is well done. Simple and no tools required!
We always recommend using a meat thermometer for meat like pork and chicken, which needs to be cooked to a specific internal temperature to be consumed safely.
