How to use the online timer
Six minutes total, split across both sides, is a workable starting point for a steak of average thickness — say two to three centimetres — cooked in a hot pan or on the barbie plate, aiming for medium-rare to medium. Thickness matters more than almost anything else here: a thin minute steak needs far less, while a thick scotch fillet or porterhouse will want longer and probably a rest in a lower-heat oven to finish evenly.
What the clock can't tell you is doneness, because that depends on your pan's heat, your steak's starting temperature, and the cut itself. A meat thermometer removes the guesswork — around 54°C for rare, 60°C for medium-rare, up near 68°C for medium — but if you don't have one, pressing the centre with a finger and comparing the give to the base of your thumb is the old trick that still works reasonably well.
The step people skip is the rest. Pull the steak off the heat a minute or two before your target and let it sit, loosely tented in foil, for five minutes or so. The internal temperature keeps climbing during that time, and the juices redistribute through the meat instead of running out onto the board the second you cut into it.
Common questions
Does six minutes work for any thickness of steak?
No — it suits an average two to three centimetre cut. Thinner steaks need less time and thick cuts need more, plus possibly a finish in the oven.
Why does my steak feel more done after resting?
Internal temperature keeps rising for a few minutes after the steak leaves the heat, which is exactly why pulling it slightly before your target temperature works better than cooking to the final number directly.
Cookie policy