# Alternate word for 'rare', as it pertains to meat **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 2, 2018, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternate-word-for-rare-as-it-pertains-to-meat/818990 "2018-08-02T17:16:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2018, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternate-word-for-rare-as-it-pertains-to-meat/818990/21 "2018-08-02T20:18:28Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Agreed. I like my burgers medium rare, but some places refuse to do anything less than medium. I don’t go back. Many restaurants stopped being willing to serve rare / medium rare hamburgers some years ago, due to concerns over foodborne illnesses that further cooking (which raises the internal temperature of the patty) neutralizes. It’s apparently more of an issue for ground meat than it is for a steak, since the bacteria are more commonly found on the “outside surfaces” of meat, and when meat is ground up, those surfaces wind up throughout the meat (while, on a steak, those surfaces remain on the outside of the food, and are cooked more thoroughly). Bad news for those who like rare burgers, but at least there’s some thought behind their decision. More info: [Can you eat burgers rare? Beef patty questions answered | The Independent | The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/national-burger-day-rare-beef-patties-can-you-eat-bacteria-food-poisoning-a7908631.html) ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2018, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternate-word-for-rare-as-it-pertains-to-meat/818990/22 "2018-08-02T20:39:21Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Rare: partially raw, warm in the center > Medium Rare: fully cooked, pink all the way though, tender and juicy > Medium: partially overcooked, pink only in the center > Medium Well: overcooked, very slightly pink in the center, dried out with a 24% loss of original weight > Well Done: completely over cooked and with most of the flavor, texture and weight destroyed > > Well that’s just wrong. “Fully cooked” and “pink all the way through” are completely inconsistent: The pink part isn’t fully cooked. If you like your meat better only partially cooked, that’s fine, but that doesn’t mean that it’s fully cooked. It’s a holistic scale. If the center is pink to partly bloody, the entire steak is fully cooked and any further efforts result in an overcooked (ruint) piece of meat. 😉 And rare hamburgers? I don’t worry about e-coli with slabs o meat because the bacterial contamination only gets splattered onto the surface–which gets fire. But with ground beef it’s essentially ALL surface with the nasties buried deep inside as well as on the surface. ninja’d. Teach me to post during lunchtime. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2018, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternate-word-for-rare-as-it-pertains-to-meat/818990/23 "2018-08-02T21:01:45Z")
A decent establishment will make their rare burgers from steak that has been cooked rare (i.e. seared on the outside to deal with any surface contamination), then ground up. You get a little bit of seared meat in the middle of the burger that way, but it’s hardly noticeable. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2018, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternate-word-for-rare-as-it-pertains-to-meat/818990/24 "2018-08-02T21:07:52Z")
You can do that, but it means more infrastructure in the restaurant kitchen and a longer prep time. It’s easy to see why most don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2018, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternate-word-for-rare-as-it-pertains-to-meat/818990/25 "2018-08-02T21:43:56Z")
“Bloody” is a term in French for steak, BTW. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2018, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternate-word-for-rare-as-it-pertains-to-meat/818990/26 "2018-08-02T22:03:27Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > It’s a holistic scale. If the center is pink to partly bloody, the entire steak is fully cooked and any further efforts result in an overcooked (ruint) piece of meat. 😉 A steak can be cooked to any degree of doneness consistently all the way through by cooking it sous vide. Although cooking a sous vide steak well done should result in criminal penalties. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2018, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternate-word-for-rare-as-it-pertains-to-meat/818990/27 "2018-08-02T22:08:20Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Bad news for those who like rare burgers, but at least there’s some thought behind their decision. I know why some don’t serve them (liability issues), but restaurants serve raw seafood, raw eggs, and even raw ground beef (steak tartare), and all they do is put a small disclaimer at the bottom of the menu. Adults should be able to eat what they want. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2018, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternate-word-for-rare-as-it-pertains-to-meat/818990/28 "2018-08-02T22:17:25Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Adults should be able to eat what they want. Fair enough. There are far too many living adults as it is. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2018, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternate-word-for-rare-as-it-pertains-to-meat/818990/29 "2018-08-02T22:21:38Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > “Bloody” is a term in French for steak, BTW. The word is _saignant_, IIRC > [@markn\_1](#): > > Although cooking a sous vide steak well done should result in criminal penalties. A Doper after my own heart! ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2018, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternate-word-for-rare-as-it-pertains-to-meat/818990/30 "2018-08-02T22:44:38Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Adults should be able to eat what they want. Adults don’t always behave like grownups when it comes to risk - I have literally had adult humans say to me (not in the context of food) “Look, get on and do it - I accept the risks. Just make sure they don’t happen to me” ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2018, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternate-word-for-rare-as-it-pertains-to-meat/818990/31 "2018-08-02T23:03:40Z")
Why do some restaurants serve raw ground beef, while others refuse to sell burgers less than medium+? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2018, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternate-word-for-rare-as-it-pertains-to-meat/818990/32 "2018-08-02T23:10:27Z")
And even without using sous vide (which can be difficult in a restaurant, if you can’t predict your orders far in advance), you can get meat to a uniform degree of doneness (whatever your preferred level is) just by slicing it thinner. I’m not sure why this isn’t more popular. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2018, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternate-word-for-rare-as-it-pertains-to-meat/818990/33 "2018-08-02T23:18:03Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Why do some restaurants serve raw ground beef, while others refuse to sell burgers less than medium+? Like you said, liability. In this day and age, there are too many stupid people out there who will CLAIM to accept the risks, but then will turn around and sue if they get sick. Or else they had issues in the past. Businesses are terrified of being sued. It’s the same reason for zero tolerance in schools. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2018, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternate-word-for-rare-as-it-pertains-to-meat/818990/34 "2018-08-03T02:13:35Z")
Now I want a cannibal sandwich. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2018, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternate-word-for-rare-as-it-pertains-to-meat/818990/35 "2018-08-03T06:25:28Z")
> [@gdave](#): > > In fact, in at least one instance I can remember, after I specifically asked for medium rare, the server asked me again to clarify “pink, some pink, or no pink?” - apparently, per their script/SOP, I had to specify level of pink, not level of rare/well-done. > [@kayaker](#): > > Wow. Depending on my mood, that is likely the point where I ask for my check, pay what I owe, and go somewhere else. Me too. If their chef doesn’t know what “medium rare” is, I don’t want to eat what he cooks. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2018, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternate-word-for-rare-as-it-pertains-to-meat/818990/36 "2018-08-03T08:48:28Z")
Unless you’re eating straight from a just-downed cow, “bloody” is a misleading word to use to refer to steak. That’s myoglobin you’re seeing, not blood. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2018, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternate-word-for-rare-as-it-pertains-to-meat/818990/37 "2018-08-03T09:00:37Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Well that’s just wrong. “Fully cooked” and “pink all the way through” are completely inconsistent: The pink part isn’t fully cooked. If you like your meat better only partially cooked, that’s fine, but that doesn’t mean that it’s fully cooked. In red meats such as anything that comes from a cow or her relatives, uncooked is dark red. Dark red \<\> pink. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2018, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternate-word-for-rare-as-it-pertains-to-meat/818990/38 "2018-08-03T09:53:15Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Like you said, liability. In this day and age, there are too many stupid people out there who will CLAIM to accept the risks, but then will turn around and sue if they get sick. > > Or else they had issues in the past. Businesses are terrified of being sued. It’s the same reason for zero tolerance in schools. And don’t forget the next of kin. You may be a person of honor and accept responsibility for your own actions, but your widow and orphan children may want revenge (and money). Of course, the restaurant could ask you to sign a waiver of liability, but yelp reviews that say “the first thing the restaurant did when I sat down was made me sign a paper saying it was OK if their food killed me” won’t go over very well. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2018, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternate-word-for-rare-as-it-pertains-to-meat/818990/39 "2018-08-03T10:40:24Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Why do some restaurants serve raw ground beef, while others refuse to sell burgers less than medium+? I buy steak from a trusted source, trim off fat, then grind the steak. I then sous vide rare burgers, sear and serve. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2018, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternate-word-for-rare-as-it-pertains-to-meat/818990/40 "2018-08-03T12:41:35Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **Nava** : > > In red meats such as anything that comes from a cow or her relatives, uncooked is dark red. Dark red \<\> pink. And pink is somewhere in between dark red and fully cooked. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternate-word-for-rare-as-it-pertains-to-meat/818990.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternate-word-for-rare-as-it-pertains-to-meat/818990.md?page=3)