Steak 101: Testing the doneness of steak using your hands

Did you know?

You can tell the doneness of the steak using your hands? Chefs have been using this finger and hand method for years, and it takes a lot of practice to get used to it. So, here are as easy as 5 ways you can tell the determine the level of doneness by just touching the meat. 

Raw 

First, open and relax your palm. You can either use left or right depending on which one you are comfortable with. Next is point the index finger of your other hand on the area between your thumb and base of the palm. That is the general idea of how firm raw steak is. 

Well Done 

Ever wonder how well done feels like? Put your thumb and pinky finger together. Then press the area below the thumb and that’s what well done steak should be like. 

Medium Doneness 

In this case, we are just moving from pinky to the ring finger or the next to it. Put it together with your thumb and poke again the same area beneath your thumb and that’s what medium doneness is like.   

Medium Rare 

Just like the other three, but this time, middle finger. Try putting your thumb and middle finger together and pressing the area below your thumb. That should give you also an idea how firm medium rare steak is. 

Rare 

Lastly, put the tip of index finger to your thumb. Then poke the area below your thumb. That is rare. 

 Note that there are only steaks that could be tested using this method, these are the T-Bone, Tenderloin, Flank Steak, and Ribeye.  So, the next time you try to cook a well-cooked meat or rare, you already know if you have done it right. Checkout our Grill it like a Pro: Here’s your official guide to selecting steaks.  

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