Steak is a favourite dish here in the UK thanks to its rich flavour and juicy texture. But while it’s a popular choice on the menus of many Wembley places to eat, diners will often debate which level of cooking is the best. While some wouldn’t dream of having their meat anything other than rare, others prefer their cut well done. There are several different types of steak – from fillet and rib-eye to sirloin and rump – and each takes a different amount of time to cook. The key is to hit the right internal temperature of the meat. Here, we explore the different levels of a perfectly cooked steak.
Pre-cooking
Before the steak goes anywhere near the grill, it’s critical to bring it up to room temperature. This ensures the meat doesn’t end up with a burnt crust on the outside while remaining cold in the middle.
A perfectly cooked steak
There are five main levels of cooking for steak. One of the most popular cuts is the rib-eye, renowned for its tenderness, rich flavour and fat marbling. We’ll use a 4cm cut of rib-eye as the example throughout our guide.
Rare
If serving a ribeye rare, the steak should be cooked for around 2 minutes each side, to an internal temperature of 49-52°C. It should be bright red in the centre with a lightly charred exterior.
Medium rare
A medium rare steak should be cooked for 2-3 minutes per side, but the internal temperature should be slightly higher, at 54-57°C. Its centre should be pink with a hint of red, and the exterior should be well browned.
Medium
To cook a medium rib-eye steak, you’ll need to sear it for 3-4 minutes each side. The aim is to reach an internal temperature of 60°C. Medium cooked steak has a light pink centre with a thicker band of brown meat on either side. The outside is typically a rich brown, with some charring on the top and bottom.
Medium well
To achieve a medium well done cook, a rib-eye steak should be seared for 4-5 minutes each side, and reach an internal temperature of 63-65°C. There should be a hint of pink in the very centre, with a dark brown exterior and charring on the top and bottom.
Well done
Cook a well done steak for 5-6 minutes each side, until the internal temperature reaches 71-77°C. The meat should be brown all the way through, with perhaps the very faintest hint of pink.
After cooking
The final step when cooking any steak to any requirement is to let it rest for at least five minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute from the centre, ‘relaxing’ the meat and resulting in a more juicy and tender steak.
Perfectly cooked steak in Wembley Park
Enjoy a steak cooked to perfection at one of the best restaurants in Wembley Park – Studio Five. Based at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre, our modern, relaxed restaurant offers a range of popular dishes including a 10 oz rib-eye steak cooked to your specification and served with peppercorn sauce, fries and rocket salad. Search ‘Wembley Park places to eat’ to book a table, or pop in as you’re passing to enjoy a flavourful meal and first-class service.
