![]() ![]() Still, most people who enjoy rare steaks will be fine. 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). The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends cooking steak to a core temperature of at least 145☏ (63☌), which equals medium doneness ( 4).Įating 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. 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. Many of us care about how cooked our steak is because we prefer the taste and texture of a certain degree of doneness. However, little research has examined the hand test to date, and it may not be as accurate as some people believe it to be. Many chefs and home cooks swear by the hand test for steaks. In the meantime, it might be best to double-check the doneness of the meat using another method. ![]() ![]() If you decide to use the hand test yourself, remember that it takes practice to feel comfortable and confident with the results. Still, many people find the hand test to be a simple, quick, and effective way to measure the doneness of a steak. Thus, it makes sense that it’s more prone to error than other methods, such as using an accurate meat thermometer. The hand test relies on subjective interpretation of the firmness of the steak and your hand. It found that the method’s accuracy was rather low, sitting at 36% ( 3). In other words, it’s currently unclear how accurate it is.Ī recent small study in 26 Australians evaluated the hand test for determining steak doneness. Yet, truth be told, there’s been little scientific evaluation of the method to date. Many home cooks and even professional chefs have used the method for years. The hand test is a well-known way to test the doneness of meats like beef steak and pork chops. Once you’ve compared the texture of the steak to the feeling of your hand, use the table below to determine which level of doneness the steak has been cooked to.As you progress from your index to pinky finger, the flesh becomes less soft and more firm - just as a steak does as it cooks. The firmness of the flesh on your hand changes as you press different fingers gently against your thumb.This matches how a medium-rare steaks should feel. Notice how the flesh below your thumb is not quite as soft as it was when your hand was fully open. Gently press your index or pointer finger against your thumb, as if you were making an “ok” sign with your hand.This is similar to how a piece of a rare or raw steak feels. When your hand is fully open, the flesh feels soft and you might notice an indention when you press it. Compare the feeling of the steak to the the flesh on the palm of your hand at the base of your thumb.Open your other hand, extending all your fingers but letting them relax.Poke a few areas to get a general idea of how soft or firm it is. When you’re ready to test a piece of steak, gently press down on the meat with your pointer or index finger.Here are step-by-step instructions for using the hand test on a piece of steak: Still, when you don’t have a thermometer available, it’s a simple way to measure the doneness of a steak. The method might sound confusing on paper, and it may take a few tries to get comfortable with. Then, you compare its firmness with how your other hand feels. The hand test gets its name because it involves using your finger to poke a steak. ![]()
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