The Steak Doneness Alex Guarnaschelli Swears By When Dining Out

Steak lovers probably all have their preferred steak doneness, or how cooked (or uncooked) the meat is. Doneness changes everything about steak, including its chew, texture, and even taste. Celebrity chef and cookbook author Alex Guarnaschelli is no different and has her own preferred doneness level that she swears by when dining out. When we asked 14 celeb chefs how they order their steak, Guarnaschelli revealed that she is "a medium or medium rare person, generally."

Understanding steak doneness is important because it helps you avoid mistakes everyone makes when ordering steaks at restaurants. A medium steak has a pink center and is cooked to around 140 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit. The meat is firm when you cut into it, and while the center isn't quite red anymore, the steak will still be juicy. For those who enjoy less chewy steaks that are still red in the center, order Guarnaschelli's other preferred level, medium rare. With this doneness level, the steak is cooked to about 130 to 135 degrees Fahrenheit.

There's a reason why chefs like Guarnaschelli — who is also a recurring judge on "Chopped" — enjoy their steaks cooked to medium or medium rare. The steaks remain tender, so you're not chewing on meat all night long. The fats and juices make one's mouth water.

When she's not dining out, Guarnaschelli informed us that the way you cook a steak at home (whether it's a porterhouse with butter, a ribeye Diane, or a strip steak au poivre) matters a lot. "I like a hard sear in a cast iron skillet with butter," she explains. The hard sear will create a seal that keeps the steak's juices from leaking out in the skillet. The butter, along with the meat, will brown and caramelize, adding to the umaminess and deliciousness, thanks to the Maillard reaction.

To ensure you'll get a hard sear and proper browning of the steak, be sure the skillet is hot before adding the butter and the steak. Additionally, when making steak at home, cooked to your ideal doneness level, it's a good idea to invest in a meat thermometer. That way, you can always check the internal temperature of the steak to ensure it's cooked to your preferred doneness. If you don't have a meat thermometer, you can use a baking tool to check steak doneness instead. Additionally, check out Gordon Ramsay's unique tip for checking a steak's doneness using your face.