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To achieve this, sear the steak on both sides for 2½ minutes and using tongs, sear the narrow outer edges for 10 seconds each.

The flesh beneath your thumb will give quite a bit when prodded. Gently press the tip of your index finger to the tip of your thumb. If you use a meat thermometer, the steak’s internal temperature will be less than 29C. Sear the steak for one minute either side in a hot pan and for a few seconds on each of the outer edges using tongs.Īll but the outside of the steak will look raw. The touch test for blue steak is the same as for raw meat described above. Note, it is advisable to brush both sides of the raw steak lightly with oil before hand to avoid it sticking, and afterwards to rest the cooked steak for 3-4 minutes before serving as this improves the texture. Inevitably, the touch test is a rule of thumb so timings for cooking are approximate and based on a 1-inch-thick sirloin steak, at cool room temperature, placed in a hot pan. The face test, however, is not as hygienic as the touch test because while we all wash our hands before cooking few of us wash our faces. On a person of average build, the different feels of your cheek, chin and forehead correspond to a rare, medium and well-done steak. With a little practice anyone can become an expert steak chef. So if you touch the steak as it cooks, and compare it with the feel of your other hand, you’ll know exactly when to stop cooking it. The heat is on: cooking steak in four steps Miraculously, the feel of that muscle corresponds to the feel of a steak at its further stages of cooking: medium/rare, medium and finally well done. This is what rare meat feels like.Īs you repeat this process with the middle, ring and little finger, the muscle below the thumb tenses further each time. The muscle at the base of the thumb tenses up slightly. Now make a circle with that thumb and its index finger. With the index finger of the other, gently prod the fleshy area between your thumb and the base of your palm. Hold out your non-dominant hand, palm up and relaxed. One is timing, the other is the touch test. The temperature at the centre of a piece of meat gives an accurate indication of the extent to which is cooked but there are other methods that dispense with the need for a meat thermometer. The following guide covers the six grades of cooked steak from blue to well-done, their key preparation times and the little-known yet very handy ‘touch test’. The good news is that a little knowledge and confidence in our own preference can overcome any reticence and turn us into accomplished cooks and happier diners. How often do we play it safe by asking for medium because we fear saying the ‘wrong thing’ or because we’re not really sure? Even ordering in a restaurant can be daunting. How would you like your steak?” Unless we’re gourmets, having to cook steaks to order for family and friends can be challenging.

Follow this guide to cooking great steaks just the way you, and your guests, like them – and for even greater flavour, make sure you use Scotch Beef PGI