Steak temperature chart
Blue to well done, in degrees Celsius, with the temperature to take it off the heat.
The quickest way to cook a steak the way you like it is to stop guessing. A thermometer in the thickest part tells you exactly where it is, and the chart below tells you when to take it off the heat.
Steak temperature chart
Take the steak off the heat at the first temperature. It keeps cooking as it rests and finishes at the second.
| Doneness | Take it off at | After resting | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue | 43°C | 46 to 49°C | Seared outside, cool and deep red right through. Soft and almost raw in the centre. |
| Rare | 47°C | 50 to 52°C | Cool to warm red centre, very soft, lots of juice. |
| Medium rare | 52°C | 55 to 57°C | Warm red to pink centre. Juicy, tender, and the fat has started to soften. |
| Medium | 57°C | 60 to 63°C | Pink centre, firmer to the touch. Marbling well rendered. |
| Medium well | 62°C | 65 to 68°C | A thin line of pink in the middle, mostly brown, noticeably firmer and drier. |
| Well done | 67°C | 70°C and above | Brown all the way through, firm, with little juice left. |
How to check a steak’s temperature
Go in from the side. Push the probe in through the side of the steak until the tip sits in the centre of the thickest part. Going in from the top on a thin steak puts the tip too close to the surface and reads high.
Keep clear of the bone and the fat. Bone conducts heat and fat reads differently, so a probe touching either gives you the wrong number.
Check early. A steak moves through medium rare quickly on a hot grill. Start checking a few minutes before you think it is ready, and check again every minute.
Why resting matters
Heat keeps moving from the outside of the steak to the centre after it leaves the grill. A normal steak rises about 3 to 5°C while it rests, and a thick cut like a tomahawk can rise 5 to 8°C. That is why the chart has two columns: take it off early and let the rest finish it.
Rest a steak for about five minutes, or roughly half its cooking time for a thick cut, on a warm plate. The juices settle back through the meat instead of running onto the board when you cut it.
The best doneness for each cut
Lean cuts suffer most when they are overcooked, while well marbled cuts need a little more heat for the fat to melt.
| Cut | Best at | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Eye fillet | Rare to medium rare | Very lean, so it dries out fast past medium rare. |
| Sirloin (porterhouse) | Medium rare | Leave the fat cap on while it cooks, then trim it at the table if you like. |
| Scotch fillet (rib eye) | Medium rare to medium | The marbling needs a little more heat to melt, so it forgives medium. |
| Rump | Medium rare | Full of flavour but firmer. Slice it across the grain. |
| T-bone | Medium rare | The fillet side cooks faster than the sirloin side, so keep the fillet away from the hottest part of the grill. |
| Tomahawk | Medium rare | Thick and on the bone, so take it off earlier: it can rise 5 to 8°C while it rests. |
| Skirt and flank | Medium rare | Cook hot and fast, then slice thinly across the grain. |
| Brisket, short rib and back ribs | Cooked until tender | Slow cooked to around 90 to 95°C, where the connective tissue breaks down. Not served pink. |
Every cut has its own page in the steak guide, with where it sits on the animal and how to cook it.
Steak, burgers and mince
A whole steak can be served rare, because any bacteria sit on the surface and a hard sear deals with them. Mince is different: grinding spreads the surface right through the meat, so burgers, rissoles and anything made from mince should be cooked through to 75°C in the centre, as the NSW Food Authority recommends.
Steak, cooked over charcoal, the way you order it
Tell your waiter how you like it and the grill does the rest, from a fillet served rare to a tomahawk carved at the table. See every steak night on the steak specials page, or Book Now.
Frequently asked
What temperature is a medium rare steak?
55 to 57°C in the centre after resting. Take it off the heat at about 52°C, because it keeps cooking while it rests.
What temperature is a medium steak?
60 to 63°C after resting. Take it off the heat at about 57°C.
What temperature is a rare steak?
50 to 52°C after resting. Take it off the heat at about 47°C.
What temperature is a well done steak?
70°C and above in the centre after resting. Take it off at about 67°C.
How long should a steak rest?
About five minutes for a normal steak, or around half the cooking time for a thick cut like a tomahawk. It rises 3 to 5°C while it rests, and a thick cut can rise 5 to 8°C.
Is it safe to eat a rare steak?
A whole steak, yes, because bacteria sit on the surface and searing deals with them. Burgers and anything made from mince should be cooked through to 75°C.
