Grilling without a thermometer can be tricky. Even the most experienced grillers may find themselves in this situation, either because they’ve forgotten to bring the device with them or because it’s out of batteries. Fortunately, there are several ways to estimate the temperature of your grill without a thermometer.
Here are a few good pointers for the overall grill temperature:
The old tried-and-true method of using your hand to determine grill temperature is still the best way to gauge heat when you don’t have a thermometer on hand. To do this, the idea is to simply hold your hand a few inches above your grill and count the seconds you can feel the heat before having to pull away.
Once you’ve determined how hot your grill is, adjust accordingly – if it’s too hot, add more fuel or move coals around; if it’s not hot enough, do the opposite
Meat Temperature :
The Meat-Doneness Finger to Palm Test:
The Finger/Palm Test is an easy way to check the doneness of your meat without a thermometer. To do this, lightly press the fleshy part of your thumb against the fleshy part of another finger on the same hand. This pressure mimics what it would feel like to press down on cooked meat. Now, compare that pressure with the feel of pressing down on cooked meat with a fork or tongs. A good way to practice is to use this method but verify using a digital thermometer.
- Rare should be as soft as touching your thumb and index finger together.
- Medium-rare should feel slightly firmer than that with your middle finger.
- Medium would be the feeling of touching your palm with your ring finger.
- Well done should be firm like touching your thumb to your pinkie.
The Meat Doneness Face Test:
This method involves pressing on the meat with your tongs until it feels similar to how certain parts of your face feel in order to determine if it’s done. For example, if you press on a rare steak and it feels spongy like your cheeks when you smile, then you know it’s ready to come off the heat. Here is a quick face-test guide to meat doneness:
- Your Cheek (the squishy part when smiling ) = Rare.
- Your Chin = Medium Rare.
- Your Nose = Medium.
- Your Forehead (the very center) = Well done.
