A piece of meat sliced across the muscle fibers known as steak is loved by a lot of people. It is sometimes having a bone in it. Some people grill the steak or have pan-fried steak. It is grilled to replicate the flavor steak that is cooked over burning coals in an open fire. It is cooked in sauces such as kidney pie or steak sauce. It is sometimes in form of minced or patties for hamburgers.
Steaks are grilled at different temperatures and for different durations. As a result, you get a very rare or overdone steak. A rare steak is having a red center with cold and soft meat. When you go to a restaurant you tell your preference of degree of cooking to the chef or waiter. It can be rare, medium rare, medium, medium well, and well done.
What Is Medium Rare Steak?
Medium rare is an abbreviated term that is used to describe the degree of cooking of a beef cut. On the other hand, the definition of medium rare is nice and elegant. Without a few key cues, you cannot convent the meaning of medium-rare steak. Talking about the heat or temperature for medium-rare steak ranges from 130 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
Visually, a medium-rare steak is having a medium pink to red center and warm to the touch. Contrary to popular belief the beef cut is not raw meat, undercooked meat, or red meat but it will be having a light pink center that is safe to eat. There are numerous benefits of cooking a medium-rare steak.
The temperature to cook a medium-rare steak is high enough to melt the fat or mottling into the meat. Also, it helps to distribute the juiciness and flavor to the steak. If you are cooking steak to medium or well done, then you are giving your jaw muscles a workout for chewing and swallowing it.
If you are cooking a steak less than medium-rare, then you will not be having a well-distributed fat and flavor. Hence, you will end up eating soft and cold meat.
Is Medium Rare Steak Safe to Eat
When you see the pink part in the steak you get concerned about your health. You take it as if it is not properly cooked. The next thing you think after seeing pink meat in steak is that if it is still having bacteria. Medium rare steak is sometimes mistaken with rare steak. It is having an easily identifiable red color. You should know that medium-rare steak is not the same as rare steak or raw meat.
A medium-rare rib rack won’t hurt you if it is stored safely before cooking and well cooked. The average medium rare steak is cooked at a safe temperature. It is not further cooked when the temperature reaches 135- and 140-degrees Fahrenheit. Then it is let to sit for few minutes so that juiciness and flavor are distributed properly.
During this time, the temperature of the steak rises slightly because the heat continues to cook the steak. Hence, the average medium-rare steak should be at 145 degrees Fahrenheit. It is then safe to eat.
How To Grill a Medium Rare Steak?
Time It
One of the oldest and least complicated ways to figure out how to grill a medium-rare steak is the time method. As a rule of thumb, 3 to 5 minutes per side on a hot grill will ensure that you are getting a medium rare and juicy steak. The problem with the time method is that all the grills, ovens, or pans are uniform. So, a medium-rare steak can vary depending on the grill or pan.
If the grill is too hot by 20 degrees or the pan has been in the oven for too long, there might be a difference in grilling a medium-rare steak because of beef cut. It might be thicker than usual. The 3-to-5-minute guidelines are applied to a pre-heated grill or pan that is 1 inch thick. Hence, thinner steaks will take less time than thicker steaks for a medium-rare steak.
The Handy Meat Thermometer
Instead of using the time method, you can have a modern meat thermometer because the time method lacks precision. The meat thermometer is made for precision. Hence, you would be able to cook a medium-rare steak at a perfect temperature. With a meat thermometer, you can grill, sear, reverse sear, or any other method for cooking steak.
You have to simply insert the thermometer probe into the center of the meat. If the temperature threshold is 130 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, then you are having a perfect medium-rare steak. With a modern meat thermometer, you can cook a juicy, delicious, and perfectly grilled medium-rare steak.
If you are a beginner, then using a meat thermometer requires you to prick the meat. It will create an escape route for vital juices. On the other hand, inserting the thermometer can be inconvenient because of small places or you put the thermometer directly in the path of the fire. It can be dangerous for you.
Modern meat thermometers come with infrared technology. It means that you can easily measure the temperature of the surface. But you will not be able to measure the temperature of steak from the inside. Sirloin Steaks Cooking Chart is as following for different types of steak with different thicknesses and cooking time.
Thickness | Rare 110° to 120 °F | Medium Rare 120° to 130°F | Medium 130° to 140°F |
1-inch | 5 min first side 3 min second side | 4.5 min each side | 6 min first side 4 min second side |
1.25-inch | 5 min first side 4 min second side | 5.5 each side | 7 min first side 5 min second side |
1.5-inch | 6 min first side 4 min second side | 6 min each side | 7 min each side |
1.74-inch | 6 min first side 5 min second side | 6.5 min each side | 8 min first side 7 min second side |
2-inch | 6 min each side | 7 min each side | 8 min each side |
Expert Level Touch Technique
The final technique for grilling the perfect medium-rare steak requires trial and error. However, in the long run, mastering the touch technique of cooking medium-rare steak cut every time but also you can impress your family and friends.
When you want to execute this practice, the medium-rare steak will squish or sag when it is slightly squeezed with your finger. If the steak is rare, it will be more squished or it will have an imprint where you have pressed it with your finger. A medium steak or even more cooked steak will not give out at all or might be very little.
It will take time for you to perfect the expert touch method. You can do so by touching the thumb with your middle fingertip. Now touch the fleshy part of your palm under the thumb. What you feel is how your medium-rare steak will be.
When you have seared the steak, hold the steak with a pair of tongs. Now poke the thickest part of the steak with one finger. If it feels like the fleshy part of your palm, it means the steak is medium-rare grilled.
Simple Medium Rare Steak Recipe
Ingredients
- Top Sirloin Steaks – 4, 8 ounces
- Chicago Steak Company Seasoning – 1 tbsp
- Worcestershire Sauce – 2 tbsp
Method
Sprinkle Chicago Steak Company Seasoning and Worcestershire Sauce on each side of the steak. Fire up the grill to the required burning temperature. Now grill the steak for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. This 3-to-4-minute time method is for 1-inch-thick meat. To make sure that you get a medium-rare steak, you can use the meat thermometer. It will ensure that the internal temperature of the steak is between 130 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
Just as mentioned above, you have to keep in mind that the steak will continue to cook even if it is removed from the grill. After you have removed the steak from the grill, let it sit for 3 to 5 minutes so that it is juicy and flavored.
Medium Rare Steak – Cook or Grill It Perfectly
If you are a beginner, then cooking or grilling a perfect medium-rare steak would be a difficult task to do. You can cook a perfect medium-rare steak with different tips and tricks. Various factors affect the medium-rare steak and you end up cooking a rare or medium steak. It is because when you remove the steak from the grill, the internal heat cooks up the steak.
To make a perfect medium-rare steak, you need a modern meat thermometer or expert touch rule. With trial and error, you will be an expert at making a medium-rare steak.