| I love a freshly grilled rare steak. Emphasis on the the | | | | little side to side movement it is in the no pink zone. |
| rare. Just past mooing! Blood red and juicy! "Oh, | | | | This step by step process is the easiest way to |
| Yuck" (that was the peanut gallery looking over my | | | | check the doneness in a non-technical way and come |
| shoulder who obviously doesn't like her steaks the | | | | out with a steak that is done just about right for |
| same way). | | | | each desire. But that is for ribeyes that were fresh |
| When grilling steaks one of the hardest things to get | | | | cut and thick, on a 500 degree gas grill. |
| right is the desired steak doneness for your dinner | | | | A quick story here. In a past lifetime I ran a small |
| companions. No pink, just a little pink, medium rare, | | | | budget race team. I was also the suspension guy, |
| rare, black and blue, all just as picky as me and how | | | | the tire guy, sometimes the driving guy, the timing |
| can I be sure it will be spot on without slicing into the | | | | guy and the chuckwagon guy. We had enough to |
| soon to be juiceless steak? | | | | race but no luxury hotels or weekend nightlife, it was |
| Stop! Step back with that steak knife! Let's try some | | | | the camping life for us and the grill was my weapon |
| less invasive techniques, shall we. You can use the | | | | of choice. |
| time tested manual method or today's modern digital | | | | To make a point here, you test suspension by tire |
| meat thermometer. | | | | temperatures across the tire after a practice session |
| For the past few weeks we have been receiving | | | | using an instant read thermocouple thermometer |
| payback steak nights with a group of friends. (I love | | | | probe. It tells you the effectiveness of your |
| to entertain by steak) Now, THEY have to worry | | | | suspension settings and you can adjust the caster, |
| about getting it right. I know how. I've been grilling | | | | camber, toe-in, tire inflation, etc..., to get the most |
| steaks for a long time. (and I sometimes cheat) | | | | contact patch for adhesion (you go faster and |
| Well, William and Mary (really, I call them my college | | | | smoother). Well there were several thermocouplers |
| friends) had the group over for some beautiful | | | | with thin one and a half inch probes that I cleaned up |
| looking thick boneless ribeyes. It also included some | | | | a bit and stuck it into the center of a fat NY strip |
| great dark brown Belgian Ale so it looked like a great | | | | steak we were grilling and it told me the temperature |
| feed. | | | | exactly, digitally, and almost immediately. |
| Willy was grilling a couple of these ribeye steaks for | | | | I had an A'HA moment. The probe was thin so |
| the kids who were soon off to the movies. So I | | | | although piercing the meat it wasn't letting a gob of |
| kept him company at the grill. Willy asked exactly | | | | juices out of the steak. If I knew the different |
| how I got my steaks medium rare because that's | | | | recommended temperatures for a rare, medium rare, |
| how the young crew wanted it. | | | | or medium steak, I could always cook a steak |
| Now these ribeye steaks were well marbled with | | | | perfectly. All I had to do was practice my timing. |
| tasty ribbons of fat and way over an inch thick and | | | | Cool. I like to practice. |
| he had no meat thermometer so I said grill these | | | | This was 1987, and I was using an industrial |
| steaks 3 minutes on each side on a very hot grill that | | | | thermometer used for medical and industrial |
| is covered. | | | | applications and adapted to checking tire |
| As I finished my ale, the rib eyes were done the | | | | temperatures and the doneness of my steak. Since |
| required 6 minutes and they honestly looked great. | | | | then the manufacture of bbq meat thermometers |
| OK Will, just take your thumb or the back of a | | | | have taken off. Instant read digital meat |
| tablespoon and press down lightly while moving in | | | | thermometers, wireless meat thermometers, remote |
| small circles to see how much side to side resistance | | | | meat thermometers-some with alarms, some that will |
| there is. If it is soft and spongy and easy to wiggle it | | | | talk at you, and all available to help you with how to |
| is at the rare stage. At six minutes that's what I | | | | cook a steak and have it come out just right. The |
| would expect. | | | | benefit of course is grilling the perfect steak every |
| Reduce the grill heat to medium and cook another 2 | | | | time. |
| minutes per side and test it again. If there is a bit of | | | | In my way of thinking, grilling steak using a meat |
| firmness when you press down and the side to side | | | | thermometer mostly takes the guessing out of how |
| resistance is also a bit firm it should be medium rare. | | | | long to cook a steak. A little more practice with grill |
| Pink but not red. | | | | temperatures and timing your searing just right and |
| For medium just cook another 2 minutes per side and | | | | bingo, you are good to go. |
| when you check this time, if it is pretty firm with | | | | |