Testing a Steak for Doneness

Testing a steak for doneness is a skill learned over time. You gotta cook a few steaks in order to get the feel for it. Normally a person could use a thermometer to tell precicely that their steak is done, but after you learn how to feel for doneness you will never be sticking your steak with a thermometer again.

I don't use a thermometer much as more when I grill meats, because I've learned how meat feels as it cooks. As your steak cooks it loses moisture and becomes firmer, so the longer you cook it the firmer the steak will feel. So it you are testing your steak for doneness and it feels pretty spongy, it is more than likely still rare. Now if it is really firm when pressed you probably have a medium-well or a well done steak.

With practice you will be able to easily tell if your steak is rare, medium rare, medium, medium-well, or well done. So, the next time you grill up a steak, test for doneness using your finger. For information on grilling a really good steak visit >> How to Grill the Perfect Steak

Do you like your steaks rare? Do you think a rare steak is really bloody? Find out here if a rare steak is really bloody. >> Is a Rare Steak Really Bloody?

Is a Rare Steak Really Bloody?

You probably think that when you have a rare steak it is a bloody steak. I used to think that as well. A nice rare steak that when you slice into it the red juices cover your place and the meat is still all red or pink. However, a rare steak is not a bloody steak.

So, if a rare steak is not bloody, why is it red? When a cow is butchered all of the blood is drained out, so there is hardly much left in the meat. What the reddish color you are seeing in the meat is myoglobin. Myoglobin is a pigment in the meat that makes it red, while blood gets its color from hemoglobin. So for the most part the nice red juices you see flowing when you slice into your steak is myoglobin.

Also you may notice that your beef is redder than your pork, that is because beef contains a lot more myoglobin than pork. For more information on the color of meat visit >> Color of Meat - The Sign of Freshness

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