Free Fabulicious!: On the Grill by Teresa Giudice

handy chart of what temperatures correspond to our descriptions of rare through well done meat.
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    * * *     Optimum Temperature After Resting:     * * *
    Rare = 120°F to 130°F
    Medium-Rare = 130°F to 135°F
    Medium = 135°F to 140°F
    Medium-Well = 140°F to 145°F
    Well = Over 145°F
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T HE I MPORTANCE OF R EST
    Another thing that people tend to rush is serving the meat after it’s cooked. You must, must, must let it rest first. After you take it off the grill, let it stand undisturbed for at least 5 minutes, 10 minutes for larger pieces. It won’t get cold (in fact it will keep cooking), but it will get much, much juicier. When meat is heated, all the moisture is forced out of the meat fibers and settles in the middle. Cut it open right away, and the precious juices will flood your plate. When you let it rest, you give the meat fibers a chance to relax, open back up, and reabsorb the moisture throughout, making every single bite—as long as you’re patient!—a luscious, lip-smacking wonder.
T HE T OUCH T EST
    Not all cuts of meats—thin pork chops and steaks and chicken breast—are thick enough for you to use a thermometer. (That’s one reason why a thin-stemmed, instant-read thermometer is better than a thick-stemmed, old-fashioned thermometer.) If you don’t have a thermometer, you could always slice into the meat to see how done it is, but that’s really ugly and lets the juices out, and really, just don’t do that. Instead, get to know your way around steak by learning how to tell how done it is inside by the “touch test.” If you poke the steak in the middle with your forefinger, you can tell its degree of doneness by how firm or soft it is. How do you gauge what’s firm and what’s soft? It’s takes some practice, but here’s how it works:
    Open your left hand so that your palm is facing up. Keep it nice and relaxed, then poke the fleshy part under your thumb with the forefinger (the first finger, also called your “index” or “pointer” finger, depending on where you grew up) on your right hand. See how squishy that is? That’s how “raw” feels.
    Now touch your left thumb to your left forefinger, making a loose “o” shape.Poke the fleshy part of your thumb with your right forefinger again. This time it’s a little firmer. That’s what “rare” feels like.
    Now release that finger, and touch your left thumb to your left middle finger. Poke yourself. A little firmer. That’s “medium-rare.”
    I think you know where we’re going with this: Touching your left thumb to your left ring finger and poking your fleshy bit is what “medium” cooked meat feels like.
    And finally, your left thumb touching your left pinkie gives you the same tension as “well-done” meat.
    Chi la vuole cotta e chi la vuole cruda.
    Literally: “Some want it cooked, and some want it raw.” What it means: “Different strokes for different folks.”

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Steak Milanese
    Makes 4 servings
    This simple dish is as Italian as they come. We just call it “beef cutlets”; it’s breaded steak on the grill. In fact, it’s the first recipe Joe told me I had to include in this book because we make it so much. The breading helps keep the steak juicy and delicious! This is one time when you don’t want to cook the steak over high, but over medium heat to crisp the crust. For “chicken cutlets,” just substitute the steak with pounded boneless and skinless chicken breast halves, and cook for about 10 minutes total.
    1½ pounds sirloin steak, trimmed, cut 1 inch thick
    2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    Â¾ teaspoon salt
    Â½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    Â½ cup Italian-seasoned dry bread crumbs
    Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
    Lemon wedges, for serving
    1. Cut the steak into 4 serving