Although steak doneness preference may differ from one person to another, it is a universal fact that a medium-rare steak is an all-time favorite. In fact, in some cultures, any other doneness is considered disrespectful to the goodness of the meat. If you are seeking to impress your friends and family with a home-cooked steak and be on-point about your grill, let us help and guide you by giving you the things you must know. What temp is medium rare steak be when cooked? How can you nail cooking it every time? What spices go with it perfectly?
Let us answer these questions and more to guide you in the kitchen whenever steaks are on the menu. Complete the whole meal with perfect wine pairings and sides!
Medium-Rare Steak
A medium rare steak has everything you could ask for in meat – juicy, flavorful, and tender! With this doneness, the inside’s hotness is just right to tuck in all the excess moisture. The temperature is not hot enough to break down a lot of the meat’s proteins that yield into a tough, chewy beef.
A perfectly cooked medium-rare steak is seared outside and visually has a 50% red center. Do not worry if blood still oozes out of the meat. Beef is safer to eat lightly cooked than pork and chicken since it is less likely to have those unsafe bacteria. Just get your meat from trusted suppliers.
What temp is medium rare steak be cooked? Nail this cook by ensuring that the internal temperature stays at 130-degree Celsius. Anything above 140 degrees is considered over this category. Get some tips to perfectly cook the perfect medium-rare steak every time on the next part of this article.
How to Cook the Perfect Medium-Rare Steak
If you do not usually cook steak, it might be hard for you to eyeball the doneness of the meat while searing it. Don’t worry! Here are the things you simply need to follow to serve a perfectly cooked medium-rare steak.
Things you’ll need to prepare
Prepare the following:
- Steak of your desired cut
- Oil (vegetable oil is preferred)
- Salt
- Pepper
- Thyme
- Butter
- Pan (preferably skillet)
Medium-Rare Steak Recipe
Here’s a step-by-step guide in cooking your meat.
- Thaw the meat 20-30 minutes before cooking it. Ideally, you want them at room temperature before exposing them to heat to ensure it evenly cooks.
- Remove excess outside meat moisture on both sides with a kitchen towel.
- Season the steak with salt. You may add the pepper before cooking it or near its desired cook to avoid the pepper from burning.
- If using a pan, heat it with cooking oil for about 3 minutes.
- When the meat is completely thawed, sear it on the hot pan and let it brown. The medium rare steak time is usually 3-5 minutes on each side (depending on the slab’s thickness). Use tongs or just a spoon to press down its middle portion to ensure that the whole slab contacts the pan’s surface.
- Add butter, garlic, and thyme into the pan. Tilt the pan or use a spoon to ensure that the butter is well spread towards the meat.
- Use a thermometer to get its internal temperature. Remember that the answer to “what temp is medium rare steak be when cooked?” is 130-degree Celsius.
- Remove it from heat and let it rest for 5 minutes.
- Serve it as a whole slab or cut it into strips.
Although they already have gained a lot of experience in cooking steaks, some expert chefs still prefer using a meat thermometer to ensure their meat’s target internal temperature. The cooking time and especially the external color might be deceiving. How your beef cooks really depend on various factors like the beef quality, the cut, and the thickness. So, do not be ashamed if you do not outgrow using thermometers in cooking steaks.
Other Steak Doneness
Now that we answered what temp is medium rare steak be when cooked, what about other types of steak doneness? Here is a guide similar to a steak temperature chart to please each guest who prefers different kinds of doneness.
Rare
- Temperature: 115 – 120 °C
- Visual presentation: 75% red center
- Firmness: not firm and still have a cool center
Medium-rare
- Temperature: 130 – 140 °C
- Visual presentation: 50% red center
- Firmness: slightly firm
Medium
- Temperature: 140 – 150 °C
- Visual presentation: 25% red center
- Firmness: springy and firm
Medium-well
- Temperature: 150 – 155 °C
- Visual presentation: slightly pink center
- Firmness: mostly cooked all throughout
Well-done
- Temperature: >155 °C
- Visual presentation: brown all throughout
- Firmness: cooked all throughout
Do not forget that the temperature stated above is your meat’s internal temperature. It must be measured with a kitchen thermometer that pinches through the slab. Do not use a thermal scanner to adhere to these figures.
BONUS: Tips on Steak Pairing and Sides
Steak and wine pairings are classics! Here are some tips on what kind of red wine goes well with certain steak cuts:
- Sirloin: Merlot, Mencia
- Ribeye and tomahawk: Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley Zinfandel
- Porterhouse: Aglianico, Nebbiolo
- Fillet Mignon: Merlot, Mencia
Go all out and complete the menu with a side that you can easily toss in minutes. Quickly prepare any of the following dishes that go well with your steak:
- Steamed beans
- Charred or pan-grilled asparagus
- Baked or mashed potatoes
- Honey roasted carrots
- Mac and cheese
- Potato or sweet potato fries
- Onion rings
- Oven-roasted vegetables
Conclusion
Nailing a medium-rare steak every single time is an impressive skill that you can master if you always follow the right technique. Have a thermometer always in handy and check what temp is medium rare steak be when cooked. This doneness has the perfect conditions for a flavorful, juicy, and tender meat that most people crave. For friends and family that prefer other types of doneness, you can do the same technique but observe their corresponding temperatures. Serve your steak with a glass of wine and/or a quickly prepared side dish, and be an instant kitchen star among your peers! For more awesome tips about steaks, go here!