Derek Wolf

Doneness Test for Steak

Appears in
Food by Fire: Grilling and BBQ with Derek Wolf of Over the Fire Cooking
Food by Fire

By Derek Wolf

Published 2021

  • About
If you ever find yourself without a working thermometer, you can check the internal temperature of steak using your hand. Although this is only an approximation and not a perfectly accurate way of testing internal temperature of steaks, it is always a fun party trick to impress friends or fellow fire cooks.
  1. Hold out one hand, palm up, unclenched and relaxed. Using your pointer finger of the opposite hand, gently press on your open palm at the base of your thumb. Your palm will be relatively easy to press into, as the muscle is not tight.
  2. With your open hand, flex your pointer finger toward your palm and, using the pointer finger of your opposite had, press on the same spot. It is a bit firmer. Now, flex your middle finger toward your palm and do the same thing, pressing into the palm of your hand, and so on. The palm gradually becomes more tense and less forgiving.
  3. Each finger corresponds to the internal temperature of the steak when pressed. When checking the steak, the meat should have the same tension or lack of tension. Here is a breakdown:

    Rare

    Opposite pointer finger pressing on unclenched, relaxed palm

    Medium-rare

    Pointer finger of open hand flexed toward palm, touching palm with opposite pointer finger

    Medium

    Middle finger flexed toward palm

    Medium-well

    Ring finger flexed toward palm

    Well-done

    Pinky finger flexed toward palm