Reverse Sear Method - The best way to do a steak

It's kind of a combo of doneness and food safety for me. Using the thermometer takes away the guesswork, which allows you to be precise enough to cook everything to the absolute minimum temperature safe point. Particularly for chicken and pork, I skirt the line of traditional food safety temps because we generally don't have the same quantity of foodborn pathogens in Australia compared to the USA. I like to serve very slightly pink pork, for example, which can be achieved if you finish up at 68* rather than the 70* generally required for pork. I'm looking for a probe temp of 65* when it comes out to rest, because it will come up about 5* while resting and then drop again when it is sliced and relaxed.

There's something to be said for getting your technique / method correct and sticking to it though.

Like this roast chicken rule: start at 220* for 10 minutes, then 20 minutes at 180* for every half kilo of weight. Doesn't matter if you stuff it, if you keep to that method you will always get decently moist but appropriately cooked through roast chook. It will hit required food safety temp close to the internal bones, have a slightly crispy skin, and cause you to freak out at the 'overtemp' when you probe thinner parts of the bird. But 85% of the bird will be spot on and you'll have a great carcass for stock.
 
At a pinch the finger test is good enough, especially if you're used to doing it. The problem though is that it's a subjective measurement. How's the feeling in your fingers, how hard are you pressing, etc. It also fails to take into account a really bad cut of meat that is already quite hard and tough. That's why I prefer a thermometer... it eliminates the variables. But I'm also a bit more methodical like that, which can be a nuisance itself
 
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