10 Best tips to cook a Steak To Temp

Line cooks share their best tips on how to cook a steak

Have any of yall ever successfully taught a new person how to properly cook a steak to temp.? I’ve tried to articulate it for goin on 15 years now and I still cant teach you how to do it. Also maybe I guard some of my knowledge because its MY knowledge; hard earned and hard fought. I just tell em, “Cook at least 1,000 of the same cut of meat and maybe you will get it. I dont know how or why I know, I just do.” Last Valentines DAY I cooked 113 metro cut “bistro sirloins” w/ half skewers of grilled shrimp. and we closed at 9! 5-9 PM Valentines Special. Only 1 came back and it was because the steak itself was shitty and grizzled. Just curious….and the palm of the hand thing I cant make work and no I dont just use a temp. gauge. Eyeballs and feel only.

Dan:

This sounds stupid but this is how I learn. Timers Until u learn the feel and look of different temps. Never had send backs and food went out real quick cuz I knew when to drop it. I was self taught how to cook when everyone quit one day

forrest:

Squeeze it and go off the juice. It’s still med-rare if the juice is real red. Clear juice means med well and up. I use it if the steak has a hard sear or it’s a shitty cut and I’m not sure

ralph:

I am 66, and am a one man show, at a veterans club. One server and a dishwasher. Friday evening’s we have 12 oz. ribeyes, 8 oz. filet, baked potato, and salad. Also, fried fish dinner, and sandwiches. A typical evening is 45-60 char-broiled steaks, 15 fish, and assorted sandwiches, tenders,etc.
We serve from 5:30-8;00.
All steaks cooked by looks, and the timer in my head. The timer, that can only be turned off, with a scotch, at 8:01??

Daniel:

I cook 100 to 250 steaks a night. Only ones that come back are ignorant guest or bad cuts of meat.
Use the palm method. Best I ever seen.

Tim:

Do the same thing over and over and over again and u can close your eyes and still can do it….its complicated but simple.
Same heat…same pan…same amount time…same way of cooking = the same result every time… It’s physic it aint magic.

jesse:

Use thermo + feel until you can feel what med rare, med, etc feel like. Practice until you just know. There’s other factors of course but they also jist start to make sense.

johnny:

I always have them feel a correctly temped steak at least a dozen times if they arent comfortable with it.

Richard:

Its called experience and if the steak was shitty, it was your fault for not throwing it out. I hate arrogance. Train your guys to be the best team. You don’t work alone…

angelia:

I work at longhorn where we make 300-400 steaks a night ?? I still use a biotherm. But the palm of the hand thing actually is a lifesaver when your cooking hundreds of steaks a night.

Chriss:

Watch the color of the blood rise?

And I enjoy the touch method.

But yeah after 20 years. Can just see that shit