If you want to cook the perfect steak, rack of lamb, or prime rib, then you need an accurate way to track the internal temperature of meat. The only good way to do this is with a properly calibrated thermometer. Every oven, every stove top, every grill, and every piece of meat is different. There is no set of cooking times that will work for everyone. Consistently cooking meat to the correct doneness requires us to go by temperature, rather than time.
Often, chefs and cooks suggest using the hand doneness test. There are multiple versions of this test, but the basic idea is that parts of your palm (when you flash different gang signs) feel like a steak cooked to different levels of doneness. We’ve never had much success with this method. Perhaps we lack the necessary training in phrenology (a pseudoscience that tries to relate personality traits to the geometry of one’s head) to pull it off. Also, this method is limited to steaks and will not help you with roasts or other cuts.
There is a noticeable difference in flavor, texture, and juiciness of meat in as little as five degree increments. For example, if your ideal steak is cooked to 135°F, then you may find one cooked to 130°F too tough or one cooked to 140°F too dry. In upcoming posts, we will discuss different cooking methods that help you achieve a great result. However, they all require that you have an accurate way to measure the internal temperature of meat.
A fast read thermometer with a long narrow probe is ideal for cooking steaks and roasts. Our personal favorite is the Thermapen from ThermoWorks: http://www.thermoworks.com/products/thermapen. We have found this thermometer to be incredibly accurate. In the image below, you can see us testing the Thermapen in ice water and boiling water. It was right on the money. However, at $96 it’s on the pricey side.
As a convenience for our online customers, we sell a lesser model of the Thermapen on our website: http://www.lafrieda.com/product_p/cgrt600c.htm. It’s not quite as durable as the Thermapen, but it is one fourth the cost. It is still very accurate for cooking meat. We typically use this thermometer when cooking at events.
Out of all the cooking gadgets we have tried, and we have tried many, a reliable fast read thermometer is the most essential. It will almost immediately make you a better cook. You’ll quickly learn the exact temperate that you prefer meat. With this information and knowing how to manage carry over cooking, you’ll be cooking perfect steaks and roasts in no time.
Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors 