This whole thing started because I couldn’t get one meal out of my head: a Delmonico steak I had years ago at a tiny, no-name spot. It was buttery, tender, ridiculously good. And I remember thinking, “Why can’t I make this at home?”
So, I tried. And failed. And tried again. Eventually, I figured out how to recreate that magic, not just for myself, but for my friends (who now ask if I do catering, I don’t, by the way).
That’s when I realized: it doesn’t take a culinary degree to make incredible meals. It just takes a little curiosity, a few smart swaps, and a deep love for garlic.
On my blog, you’ll find:
🥩 Simple, steak-forward recipes
🌿 Healthier takes that don’t taste “healthy”
🍷 Sides and sauces that make any dinner feel special
🔥 Tips to master the perfect sear (no fancy pan required)
If you love real food, bold flavor, and meals that feel like a treat without the food coma, you’re going to feel right at home here.
Pull up a chair. Let’s cook something amazing.
Eliza _ Creator of AllOnRecipes.com
- Medium Rare Isn’t a Number & It’s a Feeling – November 22, 2025
- Cast Iron Steak Medium Rare: The Foolproof Home Chef’s Guide – October 19, 2025
- How to Make a Perfect Delmonico Steak at Home – September 21, 2025
If you’re new to cooking steak on cast iron, “medium rare” might sound like some chef’s code word you’re supposed to magically understand. And sure, it’s technically a temperature range , but beginners don’t feel temperature, they feel panic. I’ve been there. You flip too early, you flip too late, you stare at the steak hoping it whispers when it’s done.
This guide isn’t about charts, timers, or thermometers. You don’t need another lecture about searing. You need something more basic, more human:
how to recognize medium rare with your eyes, your fingers, and your common sense.
Think of this as the version I’d teach someone who’s never cooked steak before but still wants it to come out warm, pink, and brag-worthy.
What Medium Rare Looks Like (Beginners Forget This)
A perfectly medium rare steak has a very specific look once sliced , but there are clues before slicing that beginners usually overlook.
1. The “Color Bloom”
Right after removing the steak from the pan, the sides will shift from deep brown to a faint rosy gradient. That soft fading color creeping upward is a classic medium-rare tell.
If the sides stay dark and don’t lighten at all? You’re probably closer to medium.
2. The “Gentle Puff”
A medium-rare steak subtly puffs in the center as juices settle. Not bulging, not collapsing , just a small dome shape like the steak is quietly breathing.
3. The “Moist Shine”
The surface gets a slight glossy shimmer, not dry, not wet , like it’s wearing a thin coat of confidence. Beginners often think gloss means undercooked. It doesn’t. It means the interior is warm enough to push juices outward.
These visual cues work even before slicing and require zero tools except your eyeballs.
How Medium Rare Feels (Touch Test for True Beginners)
Look, the touch test is not perfect, but for people just learning cast iron steak, it helps build instinct.
Here’s the simplest way to understand it:
The Thumb Trick, Simplified
- Relax your hand completely.
- Touch the soft area below your thumb.
That slight springiness?
That’s medium rare.
Not squishy like raw meat, not firm like well-done , just softly responsive, like pressing a memory-foam pillow for a second.
But here’s the part beginners never get told:
Do the test on the steak before you cook it, then again midway, then again toward the end.
It’s the change that teaches you, not the final poke.
How Medium Rare Smells (Yes, Really)
You don’t hear many chefs talk about smell because it sounds too sentimental, but it’s one of the best beginner cues.
Medium rare on cast iron gives off a very specific aroma , warm, beefy, slightly nutty, with the fat melting in a calmer way. When it’s undercooked, it smells metallic and muted. When it’s headed toward medium, the smell sharpens, deeper and more roasted.
It’s subtle, but once you smell it once, you’ll recognize it every time.
Why Beginners Struggle With Medium Rare
Most new cooks think medium rare is about “hurrying before it overcooks.”
But it’s actually about pausing and observing.
Here are the most common beginner pitfalls:
1. They’re afraid to let the crust get dark.
Medium rare inside doesn’t mean pale outside. A new cook often flips too early because they think it’s burning. It’s not , cast iron craves patience.
2. They panic when juices appear.
Juices on the surface don’t mean overcooked. They mean the center is warming and the steak is entering medium-rare territory.
3. They keep checking too often.
Repeated poking or lifting interrupts cooking and dries out the edges.
4. They don’t trust the rest period.
Medium rare finishes itself off the heat. Beginners forget that.
Once you understand these, your confidence doubles immediately.
Zero-Technique Ways to Stay in Medium Rare Range
I’m not giving cooking times or temps , you already have those in another article.
This section is about behavior, not numbers.
1. Start With a Room-Temperature Steak
Not because it cooks “better,” but because beginners overreact to cold steaks that behave unpredictably.
2. Notice the Sizzle Fade
As the steak gets close to medium rare, the loud aggressive sizzle softens.
Not stops , just eases, like the pan is sighing.
3. Watch the Juices Pearl at the Surface
Tiny beads forming?
You’re in the medium-rare zone.
4. Use the “Edge Check”
Tilt the steak slightly with tongs and look at the side:
- Bright red: very rare
- Deep pink: rare
- Soft rosiness: medium rare
This edge check is a beginner’s best friend , it’s visual honesty.
FAQ , Beginner Questions I Hear Constantly
Is medium rare safe to eat?
Absolutely. A quick, hot sear on cast iron kills bacteria on the outside. The warm, pink center is completely safe.
Why do my medium-rare steaks turn medium when I cut them?
You didn’t let them rest long enough. Resting isn’t optional , it’s part of the cooking.
My steak got medium rare on one side and medium on the other , why?
Your pan has a hot zone. Cast iron isn’t perfectly even. Rotate the steak next time.
Can I make medium rare without a thermometer?
Yes , that’s literally what this guide teaches. Sight, touch, smell, and edges beat gadgets when you’re learning.
Conclusion , Medium Rare Is a Skill, Not a Setting
Medium rare isn’t something you “do.”
It’s something you notice.
Once you learn the look, the feel, the soft aroma, you stop relying on charts and timers and start cooking with instinct , the very thing beginners don’t realize they’re allowed to have.
Cast iron gives you the heat.
You bring the awareness.
And once you nail your first real medium rare, you’ll understand why chefs never shut up about it.
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