To probe or not probe....that is the question


 
M

M Rose

TVWBB Member
So I'm interested to hear thoughts on the great debate of whether or not to probe steak for doneness or if others prefer a different method (touch, time, etc).....im a medium rare guy and i have in the past just winged it with ok results, but i want to be able to do it perfect every time. Thanks for the insight!
 
M Rose said:
t i want to be able to do it perfect every time.
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The only way to spot on nail it every time is with using a probe. Touch test is reliable once you get it down but it's only precise to about .5 degrees of doneness or about 5 degrees in either direction: it's easy to miss on the rare or well side of your target temp. In contrast, 125F or 135F in the center of the steak is always going to be the same every single time, regardless of thickness of steak or firmness of the particular cut of meat that might throw off the touch test.
 
I go by touch and time...
It all depends on thickness of steak... Quality.... And how hot my fire is.
 
A thermapen takes all the guess work out of "doneness". Fantastic tool I now find indispensable. Reverse sear; Sous Vide. These are things I use all the time when cooking meat and I'm expanding that to vegetables and other things.
 
Add another vote for the thermapen. The guys who can consistently nail it by touch probably cook the same cut of the same thickness under the same conditions frequently. As Pete said, the thermapen takes the guesswork out of it when dealing with different cuts, different thicknesses, and different conditions. Cutting into a steak to check for doneness likely does more harm than good, but a thermapen probe won't hurt anything.
 
If you're a line cook in a restaurant , I guess you get good at that touch system but I get inconsistent results that way. I recently got a thermapen and if you want to call it a crutch , just call me long john silver! Arrrrrrhhhh!
 
By touch but I cooked in a steakhouse when I was younger so cooked thousands of them. I actually went about 5 years when I never wanted to see another steak in my life. I'd use a thermopen if I were you. Just don't poke it full of holes.
 
I've had too many overcooked or undercooked steaks in restaurants by those "touch" cooks, to know that it doesn't work for way most of them.........so thermapen for me........................d
 
David said:
I've had too many overcooked or undercooked steaks in restaurants by those "touch" cooks, to know that it doesn't work for way most of them.........so thermapen for me........................d
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Can't beat a Thermapen especially if it's RED
 
Thermapen. I am a rare steak guy, and if I hit Med-Rare I am disappointed. Takes the guess work out.
 
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