# Carnivores: How would you like your steak? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 6, 2000, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carnivores-how-would-you-like-your-steak/12611 "2000-01-06T17:18:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Sassy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@Sassy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sassy)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2000, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carnivores-how-would-you-like-your-steak/12611/41 "2000-01-07T20:44:00Z")
Padeye - Next time you’re in SF, try Izzy’s. They age their own meat. The menu says they will not be responsible for steaks ordered well done! Heaven… * * * I am a redhead, you see, and I do not tempt. I insist. -Cristi ---
**Author:** ![kathmandu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kathmandu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kathmandu)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2000, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carnivores-how-would-you-like-your-steak/12611/42 "2000-01-07T23:16:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Has anyone else heard of “Pittsburg” Rare? > At a restaurant where I worked we threw a steak on a hot flat top to just sear the outside and serve it up. It took like a minute and sounds like they way alot of people here would like it! Where I come from, this is called “blue rare”, and it’s the only way I’ll eat my steak. ---
**Author:** ![Minxsmom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@Minxsmom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Minxsmom)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2000, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carnivores-how-would-you-like-your-steak/12611/43 "2000-01-08T00:15:00Z")
I’ve had Pittsburgh rare once. I didn’t like it at all. It was all black and charcoaly on the outside. Is that the way it’s supposed to be? ---
**Author:** ![Frankie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/258eb7/32.png) [@Frankie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frankie)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2000, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carnivores-how-would-you-like-your-steak/12611/44 "2000-01-08T00:46:00Z")
Black and Charcoal-y? Not really. But kinda cruncy on the outside. It sears in the juices, but it shouldn’t be burned. We did also refer to it as blue rare too. _shudder_ Kill that thing before you eat it! * * * -Frankie Lack of charisma can be fatal ---
**Author:** ![Frankie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/258eb7/32.png) [@Frankie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frankie)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2000, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carnivores-how-would-you-like-your-steak/12611/45 "2000-01-08T00:46:00Z")
Black and Charcoal-y? Not really. But kinda cruncy on the outside. It sears in the juices, but it shouldn’t be burned. We did also refer to it as blue rare too. _shudder_ Kill that thing before you eat it! * * * -Frankie Lack of charisma can be fatal ---
**Author:** ![ChiefScott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@ChiefScott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChiefScott)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2000, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carnivores-how-would-you-like-your-steak/12611/46 "2000-01-08T01:00:00Z")
Medium-well. I recently went to a Lone Star Steak House and they had pretty color pictures of what the cut steak would look like for rare, medium-rare, medium, medium-well and well right on the menu. I think they’d get much fewer returns that way since it seems medium is different in Philly than say Dallas. Someone also mentioned that you can’t order a bloody rare steak in California anymore. New Jersey tried to impose a ban on soft or “easy” eggs (ones w/runny yolks). Lasted for about 3 months before they gave up enforcing the ban since diner owners and diner patrons universely ignored the law. ---
**Author:** ![brdrcolle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ebca7d/32.png) [@brdrcolle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brdrcolle)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2000, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carnivores-how-would-you-like-your-steak/12611/47 "2000-01-08T01:12:00Z")
Medium to medium well, I like it pink but not runny, bloody. And bring on the A-1 Bold & Spicy! Yahooo that’s a good steak. As far as cut, I don’t care, but T-bone/Porterhouse is best. If I can’t get my runny yolks, I ain’t buyin’. * * * “My, my. Such a lot of guns around here and so few brains.” ~Humphrey Bogart in “The Maltese Falcon” ---
**Author:** ![Surgoshan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Surgoshan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surgoshan)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2000, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carnivores-how-would-you-like-your-steak/12611/48 "2000-01-08T01:25:00Z")
I want it to moo at me and look at me with big brown eyes before I cut into it. I like it medium rare. I think the blood adds flavor. Good flavor. It’s like seasoning on that good meat taste. If you let me, I’d bite your neck for the blood alone. Blood banks won’t let me buy by the gallon though. ---
**Author:** ![Catrandom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@Catrandom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catrandom)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2000, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carnivores-how-would-you-like-your-steak/12611/49 "2000-01-08T02:40:00Z")
Why are we spreading rumors that you can’t order rare meat in California? Perhaps it’s that way up north – but I have no difficulty in getting a properly uncooked steak in L.A. (when I can afford one.) Catrandom ---
**Author:** ![Doobieous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Doobieous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doobieous)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2000, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carnivores-how-would-you-like-your-steak/12611/50 "2000-01-08T06:56:00Z")
Catrandom: I never heard of that either, and I’m in Central California. Then again i’ve never ordered one rare at a restaurant so I’m not sure. If my family and I ever try to get to our city’s steakhouse (I hear it’s good), i’ll order it rare and see if anything is said. Oh and blood doesn’t bother me. I after all love the Philippine dish called “Dinuguan” (Boiled blood sauce / stew 🙂 ) Interesting facts: Sea mammals look like big bloody sides of beef when skinned (No I did NOT kill a whale, seal, or whatever, I got to dissect a recently dead dolphin, and it reminded me of beef). * * * It’s worth the risk of burning, to have a second chance… ---
**Author:** ![Satan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Satan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satan)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2000, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carnivores-how-would-you-like-your-steak/12611/51 "2000-01-08T07:09:00Z")
I don’t know about California, but in (too) many states, it’s illegal to cook a burger at less than a certain temperature, which usually means no pink at all - i.e. Med-Well or Well only. Steaks, however, can go out any old way, from bloody to beef jerky. The reason for this is not that it’s beef, but because it’s ground beef. All of the extra handling makes ground beef much easier to contaminate with neat things such as salmenela (sp), e.coli or other microscopic uglies. Really, the laws all came about after a Jack In The Box unwittingly killed (or severely maimed, I forget) a dozen or so people with their shoddy treatment of sirloin. In all reality, if handled properly, you can eat a burger that blood rare and be okay. Apparently, thanks to a stupid fast food chain, no beef emporiums are to be entrusted with this again. Which is a shame… A burger with some pink in it is wonderful… I don’t think this law effects the tartare you would get in a finer restaurant, because I believe they do their grinding on premisis mostly, but I could be mistaken. If anyone ever eats at places that serve the stuff (usually NOT within Satan’s meager allowance of funds), please advise… * * * Yer pal, Satan ---
**Author:** ![Sassy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@Sassy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sassy)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2000, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carnivores-how-would-you-like-your-steak/12611/52 "2000-01-09T06:49:00Z")
Satan is right about hamburger, but in SF and north of here you can certainly get rare steaks etc. ---
**Author:** ![Doobieous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Doobieous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doobieous)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2000, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carnivores-how-would-you-like-your-steak/12611/53 "2000-01-09T04:33:00Z")
Satan: Yep, most fine restaurants make their own tartare from fresh beef. * * * It’s worth the risk of burning, to have a second chance… ---
**Author:** ![kawliga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ea666f/32.png) [@kawliga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kawliga)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2000, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carnivores-how-would-you-like-your-steak/12611/54 "2000-01-09T08:40:00Z")
Smothered in pork chops. ---
**Author:** ![GraceTX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c4cdca/32.png) [@GraceTX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GraceTX)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2000, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carnivores-how-would-you-like-your-steak/12611/55 "2000-01-09T09:19:00Z")
Well Ike, I’m finally here to represent the “Medium” demographic. Depending on where I go, I end up with bloody to well-done. I’ll eat it undercooked but I refuse to eat an overcooked steak. Hubby always liked his steaks well done. I was extremely happy the day he tried it my way and realized that my steaks were better. Now he orders his steaks my way. * * * “Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be.” ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2000, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carnivores-how-would-you-like-your-steak/12611/56 "2000-01-09T11:54:00Z")
I am a carnivore, but I do not like steak. Nope. But I think it weird that in this nutty world of ours you have to pay a guy to _not_ cook your meat! * * * **-PIGEONMAN-** Returning Soon! [The Legend Of PigeonMan](http://www.hotkey.net.au/~guanolad/pigeonman/) - **Watch this space…!** Great things are afoot! ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2000, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carnivores-how-would-you-like-your-steak/12611/57 "2000-01-09T17:15:00Z")
Canthyeara: > [@](#): > > I like mine medium well. To me, this means gray 3/4 > of the way through the steak. The very middle is dark > red. > > ``` > Yummy. > > ``` That’s what we’d call rare where I grew up in Georgia! I say “medium well” when I am ordering, but that means no hint of pink left in the inside, let alone dark red. “Well done” is when the outside is slightly charred and there is no hint of grey on the inside (full brown through and through), but that’s usually too dry for me. I do occasionally raise the heat and sear the outside before taking it up, though. * * * Designated Optional Signature at Bottom of Post ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2000, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carnivores-how-would-you-like-your-steak/12611/58 "2000-01-09T17:27:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Has anyone else heard of “Pittsburg” Rare? > > ``` > At a restaurant where I worked we threw a steak on a hot flat top to just sear the outside and serve it up. It > took like a minute and sounds like they way alot of people here would like it! > > ``` I’ve heard this referred to as “Philadelphia black-and-blue”. Charred on the outside, blue (literally raw, just warm) on the inside. Heck, if you’re gonna “cook” a steak like that, you don’t need a bed of red coals, just toss it on a minute after lighting the lighter fluid! * * * Designated Optional Signature at Bottom of Post [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carnivores-how-would-you-like-your-steak/12611.md?page=2)