Whether you're ordering at a steakhouse or preparing your own meat at home, knowing the right temperature and state of doneness will ensure a delicious steak every time. People tend to feel strongly about how cooked there are steaks are, and that's true if you like it blood-red and fall-apart tender, well-cooked and firm, or anywhere in between. To help you get the perfect steak the next time you visit a steakhouse, or when preparing one at home, below is a brief guide to cooking temperatures.

Rare

A rare steak is the least cooked option of all degrees of doneness, with the inside maintaining a deep red color. The meat is cooked to 115 degrees. It is removed from the cooking heat once it reaches 110 degrees as the steak continues to cook for a few minutes while it settles.

Medium Rare

Medium rare has a more pronounced pink hue than rare steak, indicating its additional time on the heat. These steaks are cooked to 125 degrees and removed from the grill at 120. The center remains red, but the meat noticeably pinkens around it.

Medium

A medium steak is cooked at a steakhouse to 135 degrees and taken off the heat at 130. It is a true middle-of-the-road when it comes to doneness, with a final color being exactly between the red of rare and the brown of well done. The inside should only have about 25 percent pink still showing.

Medium Well

With medium well steaks, only a slight tinge of pink remains. The pink is only barely noticeable. They should reach a temperature of 140 degrees and be removed from the heat at 135.

Well Done

A well-done steak is brown all the way through, indicating its high temperature and lengthy cooking time. The final temperature should be 150 degrees after being removed from the flame at 145. No hint of pink should be visible in a well-done cut of meat.

No matter how much or how little you like it cooked, there's no other meal quite like a delicious, well-prepared steak. Tin Top Restaurant & Oyster Bar has been serving up mouthwatering steaks to Baldwin County, AL, since 2004. The steakhouse’s menu also features an array of fresh seafood, including crab, sashimi, and an oyster bar, as well as a daily happy hour. Make a reservation today by calling (251) 949-5086, visiting their website, or sending them a message on Facebook or Twitter.