I have learned in recent years that what I enjoy most is black and blue (but I learned to call it Pittsburgh Rare). I almost never eat at places where I can order that without being met with that blinking blank stare. Most often I order rare and expect it to arrive what I would consider medium rare.
I learned a way to fix it at home (side one on the stove in a cast iron pan as hot as possible, side two right under the broiler) Tasty, but it does smoke up our apartment.
When I was in Argentina it was suggested that I order it jugoso, but warned that some places won’t serve it too rare to the ladies. One night my lomo appeared precisely how I like it. When I expressed my appreciation one of my friends said “Gwendee, that’s what they feed the lions!” Yummm.
Nertz. Now I really want steak, and there’s chicken in the crockpot. feh.
I like a properly done medium rare best, but actually have a moderately strong aversion to out and out rare ( let alone “blue” ). It’s a fine line to thread for me. So when eating out at a non-steak specializing restaurant, I will generally go medium, because if they screw up in either direction slightly pink is preferable to near raw.
But I will admit to having the standard foodie ( which I’m not, really ) aversion to well-done steak.
Well done!
What’s wrong with you that you omit that popular choice?
It’s in every cookbook, and it’s about the only way to kill most germs, plus it just tastes toastier, has more of the flavor you came for.
Mmm…black and blue. I’ve never heard that description before, but it describes how I like it. I pissed off a chef at one of those places where they cook your food in front of you and he served my steak still cool on the inside when I asked for it rare. He kept asking afterwards if it was too rare. It wasn’t. It’s easily the best steak I’ve ever had.
Medium-rare, please, and let it sit a couple of minutes after cooking so the juices retreat back into the meat. Lots of cracked black pepper and a little coarse salt on the outside.
Ketchup on steak makes you as garlic to vampires. Look to others for relief.
Medium Rare
Add pepper, heat, salt and butter as necessary.
I was a beef-fed youngster and our family dinner high point was divvying up the juices (oozed blood and fat, roasted or pan-fried into dappled unity) from the serving plate onto piles of mashed potatoes or heaps of 1 hour rice; Mom was from Savannah. In gentler times than these, steak tartare has been appealing.
Now, I like beef with a black/brown/salt/pepper crust and bright pink thruout with a little plate juice, just the way I like my lamb. I call it, The New Medium.
Very well done. I mean no pink in the middle and the edges should crunch a bit when I bite into them from the sheer amount of char. My plate should have black flecks on it when done. Smothered in an A1 and ketchup mixture. Mmmm!
I want it cooked so a good vet could bring it back to life!