Steak Doneness Reference
Internal temperatures and appearance for rare → well-done.
Overview
The Steak Doneness Reference lists the standard doneness levels — rare, medium-rare, medium, medium-well, well-done — alongside the target internal temperature in both Fahrenheit and Celsius, the colour of the interior and a brief description of the texture you should feel when probing the steak. Use it as a chef's tool when calibrating your grill or as a customer-facing chart for staff.
The tool is built for home cooks calibrating a new digital thermometer, restaurant staff training new line cooks and anyone who's been confused by the difference between "medium-rare" in the US and Europe. Long-tail queries it covers include "internal temperature for medium rare steak", "what colour is a medium steak inside", "rest temperature for steak" and "pull temperature vs serving temperature".
How it works
The dataset uses the temperatures recommended by major culinary references — the USDA, ChefSteps and Modernist Cuisine. Pull temperatures (when to take the steak off the heat) are 3 to 5 °F below the target serving temperature because the steak continues to cook from residual heat during the 5- to 10-minute rest, a process called carryover cooking.
The reference also includes safety notes: the USDA recommends 145 °F (63 °C) with a 3-minute rest as the minimum safe internal temperature for whole-muscle beef, which corresponds to medium. Ground beef has different rules — 160 °F (71 °C) throughout because grinding redistributes surface bacteria.
Examples
Rare → 120-125 °F / 49-52 °C → bright red, very soft
Medium-rare → 130-135 °F / 54-57 °C → pink, slightly firm
Medium → 140-145 °F / 60-63 °C → pink centre, firm
Well-done → 160 °F+ / 71 °C+ → no pink, very firm
FAQ
Should I check the temperature in the middle?
Yes — probe the thickest part, avoiding bone and gristle. Bone conducts heat differently and gristle has its own temperature; the geometric centre of the muscle is the most accurate measurement.
Why pull the steak below the target?
Carryover. A thick cut continues to climb 5-10 °F during rest as heat redistributes from the hotter outer layers. Pulling early prevents overshoot.
Is rare meat unsafe?
For whole-muscle beef, no. Surface bacteria are killed by searing, and the muscle interior is sterile in a healthy animal. Ground beef is different — bacteria are mixed throughout and the whole patty must reach 160 °F.
What's reverse sear?
A technique that cooks the steak low and slow first (e.g. 250 °F oven until 115 °F internal) and finishes with a hot sear. It gives even doneness edge to edge instead of the gradient you get from hot-and-fast cooking.
Do these temperatures change for sous-vide?
Sous-vide holds the steak at a single water-bath temperature, so the bath temperature equals the final internal temperature. There is no carryover, so the bath is set to the target rather than the pull temperature.