Sum Dum Gai
Senior Associate
Joined: Aug 15, 2011 15:39:24 GMT -5
Posts: 19,892
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Post by Sum Dum Gai on Jun 2, 2013 23:27:23 GMT -5
One of the first lessons I got in a restaurant when I started cooking was how to tell the doneness of a steak without a thermometer. I'll try and explain it, and hopefully it makes sense. There might be a youtube video out there with the same info if my description doesn't make sense.
So, we'll start with well done which you usually don't want if we're talking red meat, especially if you sprang for a good cut. Take the index finger of your right hand and push the tip of your nose in towards your face. Now, if you want to cook a steak until it's well done you cook it until when you poke the middle with your index finger it feels just like pressing on the tip of your nose. To feel medium you place your left hand on a flat surface and spread your fingers as far apart as possible. Now do the push test with your right index finger on the flesh between your left thumb and index finger. Keep your left hand on the flat surface but relax your fingers so they aren't spread apart. Push the same meaty bit between your left thumb and index finger. That's what rare meat feels like. Blue rare, which is delicious but should only be done with really good steaks, is where you put it in a super hot pan for no more than about 30 seconds on a side. You're trying to sear the outside of the meat while leaving the middle still cold.
You can do the poke test while the meat is in the pan, so you can periodically check its doneness. Make sure to poke the middle or thickest part of the steak or chop because that's the part that will be the least done. You want to cook the meat evenly on each side, so ideally you have an intuitive feel for how long the total cooking time is and you can do the first side for half, flip, do the other side for half and take it out to rest at the perfect doneness. For the rest of us mere mortals do a couple minutes a side and keep flipping back and forth as needed until the poke test feels like what you want.
With red meat err on the side of underdone since it'll continue to cook through while it rests and it's better pink. With white meat err on the side of overdone since undercooked can make you sick. Simple.
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Regis
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Joined: Dec 27, 2010 12:26:50 GMT -5
Posts: 1,415
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Post by Regis on Jun 4, 2013 7:44:19 GMT -5
I would love to know how to make a roast, still can't make a decent one at 40. Crock pot and beef stock. Add potatoes and carrots for cooked veggies, too.
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Deleted
Joined: Oct 6, 2024 6:27:46 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jun 4, 2013 10:18:23 GMT -5
I would love to know how to make a roast, still can't make a decent one at 40. Crock pot and beef stock. Add potatoes and carrots for cooked veggies, too. That's what I do, except I add the ol' cream of mushroom soup and a packet of French Onion soup mix. I know it's crap food but it's so yummy!
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ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ
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Joined: Dec 17, 2010 16:12:51 GMT -5
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Favorite Drink: Chilled White Zin
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Post by ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ on Jun 4, 2013 22:47:29 GMT -5
No, no, no!! A cut of beef (steak, filet, etc) should ONLY be turned once during cooking - otherwise it'll dry out and lose its juiciness. The meat will also toughen a bit if you keep turning. A little practice and you can hone your skill as to how long to cook for blue-rare, rare, med-rare, med, med-well and well-done. (Though well-done is ruining a good cut of beef, IMO).
For doing chicken on the bbq, I usually nuke it to half done before placing it on the grill. Then when it goes onto the grill, it goes on skin side up for a few minutes, and then turn to brown the top and finish cooking through. That way the meat will stay moist and not dry out. It also won't be underdone in the center and burned on the outside like it would if you threw it on the grill raw.
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Sum Dum Gai
Senior Associate
Joined: Aug 15, 2011 15:39:24 GMT -5
Posts: 19,892
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Post by Sum Dum Gai on Jun 4, 2013 23:01:42 GMT -5
Yes, but this was somebody that doesn't know what he's doing asking how to do it. Saying cook it halfway to medium, flip and cook until done is completely worthless if you don't know how long that takes. It would be like the directions on your Ikea furniture saying assemble halfway, flip over, finish.
You'd be staring at all these little bags of bolts and connectors and wooden panels like, "What the hell?!"
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