Everyone has their preference when it comes to how they like their steaks, roasts and other beef cooked.  But just what does rare, medium or well-done mean?  Here are temperatures, appearance and feels generally associated with each of these cooking types:

Rare
130° F
Browned surface, thin layer of gray, red interior
Soft, yields to pressure

Medium 
140-145° F 
Browner surface, thick layer of gray, pink interior 
Moderately firm, springs back when pressed

Well done
160° F
Brownish-black surface, gray throughout
Firm, does not yield to pressure

For more information on Beef Cooking see our Rhapado Quick Reference on the subject, available in our Ebay Store along with laminated guides on over 100 other topics.