How to stop overcooking my meats

Despite buying a meat thermometer and going by what google and alton brown say, my meats (steaks, burgers, etc) wind up medium well at least.

I take them off the range early, check the temperature with the thermometer, everything I'm supposed to but I just can't curtail this habit.

I notice that I can never get a consistent read from the thermometer, I'll stick it in the middle and it'll be 110. Pull it out, stick it in, 145. Yes, I'm putting it into the side of the meat towards the center and not at an angle.

what do

When one side is seared, flip it over. When the other side is seared, take it off the heat.

when I try this it comes out raw, that's another thing I forgot to add.

It's either a hockey puck or blue rare, never inbetween.

it's not blue rare, it's medium.
or you're an epiche trolololo

use a flippin' TIMER

Are you this fucking stupid user?

First, for thin cuts of meat, a thermometer is useless....

Also, have you heard of a fucking timer?

Next time you cook, note the heat settings you are using at the time you are using. If it's too done, shorten the amount of cooking time by 10-20% next time and try again....

Try sous vide

Some people really are this dumb. And some people are just less experienced.

I've cooked enough I don't use a timer or thermometer and my meats are pretty much right on the money every time these days. But it was lots of trial and error. If your sear is good but it's too rare in the middle, lower your heat a bit and try cooking for a little longer. Should take longer to sear, but the interior will cook more. Don't be afraid to experiment and try to learn from your mistakes rather than just giving up. IMO, using a thermometer is kind of anal, but to each their own.

how am I supposed to know how long to put it on for

I guess I have it on too high a heat because it really is blue rare. I've been searing my steaks and then finishing them in the oven and this has gotten them to medium/medium-well, but still more done than I'd like.

I am absolutely this fucking stupid when it comes to cooking.

I'm not talking about thin cuts of meat, but I'll try shortening the cooking time

REALLY hot pan is a meme. If your oil is smoking, it's too hot. For a steak, sear one side on medium-high heat, then flip it and reduce the heat to low. The pan will sear the second side before it cools down. Once it's cooled down on low heat for a minute or so, add some butter, some whole cloves of garlic and some robust herbs. If the butter smokes, it's too hot. Move the steaks around and hold the fat edges against the pan if it has them. Baste them with a spoon.

You don't need to finish in the oven and if you finish in the pan over low heat with some butter, you can keep prodding it. It's pretty easy to tell doneness of a steak by the spring it has.

Rest on a warm plate. No foil. Deglaze the pan and cook some veges in it or make a pan sauce.

use cast iron. heat the pan medium high, sear, wait for it to unstick by it's self. flip, throw it in a 425 f oven for 5-7 mins. take off pan, cover with foil rest loosely (tent) for 10-15 mins. vee oh la.

>I am absolutely this fucking stupid when it comes to cooking.

I know I called you stupid, but i'm not trying to be mean....I just don't understand the following concept:

"I keep overcooking my food and there are only two options to cook something less, lower the heat, or lower the cooking time......I just don't know what to do"

Naw dude don't rest meat under foil the moisture ruins the exterior. Might as well boil your steaks. Rest on a warm plate and it stays hot.

I'm very inexperienced, so I do lots of stupid things.

I guess you could say I have an anxiety for both over and under cooking the meat.

If I lower the heat I'm constantly wondering if I've let it cook long enough. I let it go on for too long and I wind up with leather.

If I lower the cooking time but keep the heat high I'm afraid I'll burn the sear with the inside still raw. So I take it off, and of course it might as well be mooing. So I try to finish it in the oven and I get a boot because I don't think the steak can cook in 5 minutes but apparently it can.

>So I try to finish it in the oven and I get a boot becauseI don't think the steak can cook in 5 minutes but apparently it can.
I should rephrase

I leave it in the oven for too long because it seems like the steak wouldn't be medium rare in only 5 minutes.

If you put an oragami crane on top of your stakes in the oven the wings will droop when they are medium rare, i know it's crazy, but it works every time for me

So if your issue is overcooking, might want to have an electronic thermometer, and just bzzt, done, and remove from oven. Allow for carryover cooking. I haven't used them in years, but I do have a fast read, just so I don't have to slice into big loin roasts.

i never place foil directly onto the meat. tent it. or like you said throw it on a warm plate in the microwave to sit while i finish the things that need finishing. like pan sauce or butting potatoes. i agree with you about the moisture thing.

buttering* sorry
my potatoes come pre-butted.

words of wisdom.
clarified butter on the non stick pan. when it starts smokin, take the pan off stove, reduce the heat a little bit, when the fat stops smoking put the pan back on heat and the meat on pan.
about 1.5- 2 min after you'll see your meat charring under. check if it looks alright to you, then reduce heat to really low and flip the meat.
after a while play with the pan, so all the sides get hot fat treatment. when second side looks like the bottom, take it from the pan, let it rest UNDER FOIL tent with fork holes.
discard excess fat leaving some dark charred goodies on the pan.
deglaze with brandy or wine, remove the foil, add the bloody juice from the plate to sauce, reduce.
if your potatoes are pureed, thats it, if you have more dry sides, add a bit of cream to the pan sauce.
that's it, job done, healthy medium steak and a happy tummy.
remember to take a shot of jaegermeister, cynar or similar digestive liquer afterwards.

>Hot pan is a meme
>words of wisdom.
>clarified butter on the non stick pan.
>non stick pan
>steak

jesus, kys senpai