# How do you want your steak cooked? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 25, 2012, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376 "2012-07-25T20:22:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376/41 "2012-07-25T22:16:02Z")
I chose medium, but really, I like it between medium and medium rare. Darker pink in the middle, but not cold. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376/42 "2012-07-25T22:41:13Z")
Medium - just a hint of pink in the center. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376/43 "2012-07-25T23:48:33Z")
I used to think I liked it rare, but the texture if it’s too rare is difficult for me to chew. This is likely because I eat cheap steak. I like raw hamburger 🙂 But there’s a line where the texture changes from ‘stringy’ to ‘edible’, and apparantly ‘med rare’ is on my side of that line. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376/44 "2012-07-25T23:49:34Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > There was a wonderful place in Virginia Beach near military circle called Grate Steak where you picked out your hunk of cow and [grilled it yourself](http://www.womansday.com/food-recipes/8-great-diy-restaurants-102831). They had a salad and sides bar, and foil wrapped already baked potatoes to reheat on the grill, and thick texas toast cut bread you could toast next to the steaks, and bins of melted butter to baste the steaks with. /drool. Such a damned shame it closed, but the wife couldn’t keep it open, too much work for her ☹ > > I always had a minor dream of reopening it somewhere if we won a lottery. With proper staffing and management, it would be great. I loved that place 🙂 Sorry to hear it closed, bah. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376/45 "2012-07-26T00:06:10Z")
I generally order medium-rare, and as long as I get anything from rare to medium, I’ll be satisfied. If it’s blue-rare or medium-well, it’s getting sent back. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376/46 "2012-07-26T00:18:50Z")
Bloody as hell and a $5 milkshake to go with it. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376/47 "2012-07-26T00:37:20Z")
It’s not blood. It’s myoglobin. At Sweetwater Tavern, they describe how they cook each step, from Rare to Medium Well. The description for Well Done is “Order chicken.” ---
**Author:** ![Curiosity\_Kills\_Her](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@Curiosity\_Kills\_Her](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Curiosity_Kills_Her)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376/48 "2012-07-26T00:50:09Z")
I voted medium-rare, even though I don’t eat land critters anymore. When dining out with people that aren’t used to me yet I will sometimes get asked if it will offend me if they order a steak. My reply is always, “Only if you order it well done.” ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376/49 "2012-07-26T01:21:21Z")
I would bring my own and gladly let you cook it for me, rare to medium rare on the grill. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376/50 "2012-07-26T01:22:30Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > Medium rare. I like the flavor of rare, but not the texture. Though given a choice between rare or medium, I’d definitely go with rare. I’m the same but the opposite ;). All things equal I prefer a perfect medium rare, but I really don’t like it when it trips to full rare and I’d actually rather eat a medium-well steak than a fully rare one. Blue is completely unacceptable. So if I go to non-steak specializing restaurant ( or a lower end steak joint ) and get a steak, I always order medium. If they do it medium that’s fine. If they fuck up towards the medium rare end all the better and if they fuck up towards the well end I’m not happy, but it is still edible if disappointing. ---
**Author:** ![Curiosity\_Kills\_Her](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@Curiosity\_Kills\_Her](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Curiosity_Kills_Her)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376/51 "2012-07-26T01:22:32Z")
> [@Curiosity\_Kills\_Her](#): > > When dining out with people that aren’t used to me yet…" People _who_ aren’t used to me, even. ---
**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:** [July 26, 2012, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376/52 "2012-07-26T01:30:20Z")
I tend to liker my steak on the rare side of medium. The better the steak, the rarer the meat. I’d like to try a black & blue steak, but I can’t afford fillet. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376/53 "2012-07-26T01:36:57Z")
Don’t want it raw or burnt so medium well done. ---
**Author:** ![applebetty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4af34b/32.png) [@applebetty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/applebetty)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376/54 "2012-07-26T01:46:12Z")
Crispy on the edges and just a hint of color in the middle. Topped with butter and salt, please. What can I bring to the cookout? I make a fabulous potato salad. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376/55 "2012-07-26T01:51:43Z")
> [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](#): > > Can you eat meat that was cooked through and later cooled, like a chicken breast in a salad or leftover turkey? Just curious. I have to add to this that the best use EVER for leftover steak \ is to dice it tiny and put italian dressing on it, marinate for a little bit. Yes, keep it cold! I take that and put it into a salad and then add whatever hits my fancy. Cashews, blue cheese, whatever. SO GOOOOD!!! This works better, I think, with med to rare steaks, but I imagine it could only make well-done meat more edible. \ Also just fine without the salad bit. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376/56 "2012-07-26T02:14:51Z")
> [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > Me, too. > > Now I’m hungry. Steak! And they’d drown it in A1 sauce. I guess that’s the only way it had any flavor. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376/57 "2012-07-26T02:22:18Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > It’s not blood. It’s myoglobin. > > At Sweetwater Tavern, they describe how they cook each step, from Rare to Medium Well. The description for Well Done is “Order chicken.” Sweetwater Tavern? Is that near Emory in the ATL? ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376/58 "2012-07-26T02:26:54Z")
I voted Rare, but I did so before consulting the chart. After doing so, I decided that what I thought was ‘Rare’ was actually ‘Blue Rare’. I usually end up ordering Medium Rare because if they overcook it, it ends up Medium which is acceptable. If they undercook it, then it is wonderful, assuming (of course) that I ordered a good steak. Lower end steaks need to be cooked more if only to break down the fibrous threads that can make it tough. But, I could be wrong. Perhaps someone might enlighten me as to the best way to prepare a lower end cut of meat for grilling. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376/59 "2012-07-26T02:39:32Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > And they’d drown it in A1 sauce. I guess that’s the only way it had any flavor. My stock answer when the server asks if I want Heinz 57 or A-1 for my steak: “Not if it’s any good!” ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376/60 "2012-07-26T02:51:26Z")
[Drags a live, dazed bull towards the grill, lops off its head, and begins hacking away gleefully. Takes a prime cut and tosses it to **Projammer**.] Black and blue, please! I brought some home brew if anyone’s thirsty. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376.md?page=4)