Does a temp probe hinder your cooking skills?

[BAPyessir6]

I'm trying to get better at cooking meat (like the pros!) who can simply look and touch their steak, chicken, etc. and know if it's cooked.

While I'm doing this, I'm double checking my work like 95 percent of the time, but I'm wondering if I would improve faster if I force myself not to use it and rely on feel/sight alone, this disabling my "crutch."

Would this be doable in a home setting, where some steaks are thinner than others or protein size varies? (I have never worked professionally, but it's impressive to me to see people like Gordon Ramsey simply press on a steak and know if it's medium or medium rare.)

Does anyone know of any extra tips on how to effectively imprint this into my brain aside from repetition?

 

[pacanis]

I'm a big fan of using an instant read thermometer on something I need to get right. Like reverse searing a thick steak and when to move it directly over the heat.

Like the guy from Epicurious (on YT) says about probing for a temp, it's a steak, not a balloon

 

[Rocklobster]

Trial and error is probably still the best way to learn anything in the kitchen.
I still use an instant read thermometer. The new generation of them are so easy to use and affordable. Removes all doubt and once you get your timing down it will free up time to deal with all of the other stuff like sides, veg, table setting, beer, etc.

 

[dragnlaw]

I think perhaps it is possible you are mistaking video magic with actual talent of not using a gauge. I'm pretty sure those who feel or look have many oopsie's too. Yes, with time you can get a feel for something but I don't think you can say do it this way and it works.

Well, oopsie... correction... yes you can - after years and years and years and years of practice.

 

[Rocklobster]

A lot of “pros” are standing in front of the char grill from start to finish. They aren’t checking on the mushrooms frying on the stove, taking the potatoes out of the oven or letting the dog out. If quick read thermometer helps and insures you don’t over cook your steak, I say use it. Who cares?

 

[Andy M.]

I tried the press test years ago. Gave up and have been using an instant read since. Simple and easy. Plus there's no nagging doubt whether or not you ruined your steak.

 

[BAPyessir6]

I'm a big fan of using an instant read thermometer on something I need to get right. Like reverse searing a thick steak and when to move it directly over the heat.

Like the guy from Epicurious (on YT) says about probing for a temp, it's a steak, not a balloon

I love insta read (point and temp!) thermometers. I have right now 2! My first one started giving me wildly inaccurate readings, and so I bought a second one to compare it too.

Question! I was temping a dry pan on the heat for fun, and it registered like 350 F. Once I added my steak it jumped up to like 550 F. Is this normal? Would heating a completely dry (I didn't add oil cause it was a fatty piece of meat) pan give off readings?

 

[Rocklobster]

A med rare rib eye is going to feel different from a med rare strip or sirloin.

 

[BAPyessir6]

I think perhaps it is possible you are mistaking video magic with actual talent of not using a gauge. I'm pretty sure those who feel or look have many oopsie's too. Yes, with time you can get a feel for something but I don't think you can say do it this way and it works.

Well, oopsie... correction... yes you can - after years and years and years and years of practice.

Wait, you're telling me YouTube and the internet LIES to me?!?!?

What????? But. . . But. . . The internet told me it always tells the truth! It can't be wrong!! Those chefs online only ever cook perfection! They don't burn or mess anything up! Ever!

Don't you know that Abraham Lincoln himself said the "internet always tells the truth"! It's recorded he spoke this iconic line right after the Gettysburg address!

I'm just joking though.

What you say is very true! I sometimes forget that video magic is lots of magic and not the perfection it portrays. Good reminder to have! Also nice to think it took/takes them years. Sometimes I get discouraged that I don't have all cooking talents down in 5 minutes.

 

[BAPyessir6]

A lot of “pros” are standing in front of the char grill from start to finish. They aren’t checking on the mushrooms frying on the stove, taking the potatoes out of the oven or letting the dog out. If quick read thermometer helps and insures you don’t over cook your steak, I say use it. Who cares?

That's a true point I didn't think of. You have much more control on the steak if you're watching it every second.

 

[pacanis]

I've never known of a cooking surface's temp to increase after adding food.

But that aside, 350F is too low a temp to add a steak to anyway.

I'm not sure why your reading jumped.

 

[Rocklobster]

Probably steam. My fryer temp rises when I first put in frozen products.

 

[pacanis]

Steam. Never occurred to me.

I should take the temp sometime when I'm taking something out of the microwave and removing the cover. Now that's some hot steam.

 

[BAPyessir6]

I've never known of a cooking surface's temp to increase after adding food.

But that aside, 350F is too low a temp to add a steak to anyway.

I'm not sure why your reading jumped.

I don't know if maybe my pan was heating unevenly. After I added the steak, it seared and got like brown in 10 or less seconds, so that told me it was very hot/most likely too hot.

It was very weird!

Edit! According to the website, thermo says that it doesn't temp the surface of shiny pans and objects. Since it was a dry steel pan, maybe it was too shiny? Or it didn't have anything to conduct off of to read the temp, like water or oil?

 

[pacanis]

Edit! According to the website, thermo says that it doesn't temp the surface of shiny pans and objects. Since it was a dry steel pan, maybe it was too shiny? Or it didn't have anything to conduct off of to read the temp, like water or oil?

That makes sense. If it was an infrared maybe it reflected back on itself or something.
I use an infrared all the time on my griddle. And also on a black CI pan on the stove. Even moving from the outside to where I know the gas burner's flame is, there isn't that much of a difference. maybe 30-50 degrees until it heats up more and distributes.

If the steak wasn't patted dry and it did steam, that could also cause a reflection. Worth playing around with.

Or... when I get readings that don't make sense, I change the batteries.

 

[pictonguy]

Trust me chefs use thermometers all the time, it's romantic or ego saying otherwise. Can a chef do better at guessing, sure.

 

[dcSaute]

I'm quite good at 'poking' a steak for rare to 'overdone' ...
DW tolerates no pink, so when mine is poked ready, I do use an instant read to get hers to 145'F/then rested...
only because 'she just doesn't believe me..." - a different issue . . .

 

[BAPyessir6]

That makes sense. If it was an infrared maybe it reflected back on itself or something.
I use an infrared all the time on my griddle. And also on a black CI pan on the stove. Even moving from the outside to where I know the gas burner's flame is, there isn't that much of a difference. maybe 30-50 degrees until it heats up more and distributes.

If the steak wasn't patted dry and it did steam, that could also cause a reflection. Worth playing around with.

Or... when I get readings that don't make sense, I change the batteries.

I don't know if it needs clarifying, but this is the surface thermometer I'm currently using. Steam could cause a reflection. . .of heat? Or like it could cause the readings to jump up? (I think I'm misunderstanding this statement)

I also have a probe one I love as well. No issues with that!

 

[pacanis]

Steam could cause a reflection. . .of heat?

Of the laser light back into the sensing unit.
Think headlights in the fog.

 

[dragnlaw]

Have you tried using both thermo's at the same time???