Steak is a popular cut of beef. In fact, its one of the most desired cuts of meat for many people.
Its rich in nutrients, including vitamin B12, zinc, iron, omega-3 fatty acids, amino acids the building blocks of protein (1, 2).
Its a common choice for backyard cookouts, being easy to throw on the grill on a weeknight whim.
If youve ever ordered a steak at a restaurant, you were likely asked how you wanted it cooked rare, medium, or well-done?
This article explains how the hand test can determine the doneness of a steak, why testing your steak before you eat it matters, and other ways to tell when a steak is ready.
The hand test gets its name because it involves using your finger to poke a steak. Then, you compare its firmness with how your other hand feels.
The method might sound confusing on paper, and it may take a few tries to get comfortable with. Still, when you dont have a thermometer available, its a simple way to measure the doneness of a steak.
Here are step-by-step instructions for using the hand test on a piece of steak:
To use the hand test on a piece of steak, compare the feeling of the cooked meat to the flesh on your hand. A rare steak will be soft, like the flesh on an open hand. A well-done steak is firm like the flesh when you press your pinky finger to your thumb.
The hand test is a well-known way to test the doneness of meats like beef steak and pork chops. Many home cooks and even professional chefs have used the method for years.
Yet, truth be told, theres been little scientific evaluation of the method to date. In other words, its currently unclear how accurate it is.
A recent small study in 26 Australians evaluated the hand test for determining steak doneness. It found that the methods accuracy was rather low, sitting at 36% (3).
The hand test relies on subjective interpretation of the firmness of the steak and your hand. Thus, it makes sense that its more prone to error than other methods, such as using an accurate meat thermometer.
Still, many people find the hand test to be a simple, quick, and effective way to measure the doneness of a steak.
If you decide to use the hand test yourself, remember that it takes practice to feel comfortable and confident with the results. In the meantime, it might be best to double-check the doneness of the meat using another method.
Many chefs and home cooks swear by the hand test for steaks. However, little research has examined the hand test to date, and it may not be as accurate as some people believe it to be.
If youre not comfortable using the hand test or if you just want to double-check yourself the first few times you try it, there are a few other ways you can measure the doneness of a steak.
The safest, quickest, and most effective way to tell when a steak is done is to use a meat thermometer to measure the temperature as indicated in the table above.
You can also cut into the steak and examine its color.
The center of a rare steak is pink or red in color, a well-done steak is brown throughout, and a medium steak is somewhere in between.
Aside from the hand test, you can measure a steak by cutting it open and looking at its color. A steak is red when rare, pink when medium, and brown when well done. Using a meat thermometer is the most accurate way to tell when a steak is done.
Many of us care about how cooked our steak is because we prefer the taste and texture of a certain degree of doneness.
Yet, the main reason to pay close attention to the degree of doneness of a steak or of any meat for that matter is to avoid contracting a foodborne illness.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends cooking steak to a core temperature of at least 145F (63C), which equals medium doneness (4).
Eating a steak cooked to a lower temperature, which can be the case with a rare or medium-rare steak, can be risky for some people.
If meat has been contaminated with a pathogen like Escherichia coli, it can cause illness if not properly cooked particularly in people who are more susceptible, like older adults, pregnant women, children, and those who are immunocompromised (5, 6, 7, 8).
Still, most people who enjoy rare steaks will be fine.
Knowing when a steak is done is not only important for taste and texture, but it also lowers the risk of getting sick if the meat has been contaminated with a pathogen like E. coli.
Steak is a cut of beef thats rich in many nutrients. This red meat is commonly served at backyard cookouts and sold in steakhouse restaurants.
Most people have a preference as to how they like their steak cooked. Some enjoy it rare, others prefer it well done, and many enjoy it cooked somewhere in between.
When you cook a steak at home, the hand or touch test is one way to measure when your steak is ready and cooked to your liking.
If you decide to use the hand test, remember that it takes practice to get comfortable with and it relies on your own subjective interpretation of the texture of the meat. It wont be as safe or accurate as using a meat thermometer.
Read more from the original source:
Steak Doneness Hand Test: Does It Work? How to Do It - Healthline
