Outdoor Kitchen

Brush the Sauce

Grilling Tip: Buy Cedar Planks at the Hardware Store

Men’s Health points to this cheat sheet for checking on how a steak is being prepared. A great way to secretly appear to be a master griller (I lopped out the images to make it a simpler guide).

The basic idea is to touch the center of the steak and press to see how it feels. Then compare the result by using your hand as shown below.

INDEX FINGER: RARE
Internal temp: 125F
Soft and squishy, like a pink sponge 

MIDDLE FINGER: MEDIUM RARE
Internal temp: 145F
Firm but yielding, like a Nerf football

RING FINGER: MEDIUM
Internal temp: 160F
Barely yielding, like a racquetball

PINKY FINGER: WELL 
Internal temp: 170F
Hard yet springy, like a tennis ball

Just in time for Memorial Day is this guide for affordable steaks. This year I may try to cook my steak over a wood fire. Bonus points if you try my espresso + chili rub! I think for Sunday I’m throwing some pork spare ribs together with carrots (as always if it’s a good recipe, I’ll post it).

Bobby Flay teaches us how to test for doneness on a grill, “I prefer the touch test, which is really easy and makes total sense. As meat cooks, it becomes firmer and firmer to the touch. Rare meat feels spongy, medium meat feels springy, and well-done feels taut. This is true for pork, poultry, and steak-like fish such as tuna, salmon, and swordfish, too.”

A Restless Transplant took a roadtrip and decided to document his meals. Spoiler: it’s all BBQ.