# 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:** 5
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376/81 "2012-07-26T15:07:11Z")
> [@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. Medium rare… Hmmm, an aristocrat. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376/82 "2012-07-26T15:34:15Z")
That’s not the way _I_ heard that joke. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376/83 "2012-07-26T15:40:34Z")
Make mine medium rare. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376/84 "2012-07-26T15:40:43Z")
> [@olivesmarch4th](#): > > Great! I’ll let my husband know that next time he lectures me for ordering my steak too rare. > > Man, I really want a steak. Yeah, you’re pretty safe with steak as long as you got a good sear on the outside (and what steak isn’t going to have that?) Personally, I also eat my burgers at rare-to-medium rare and, of course, I love my steak tartare. Knock on wood, but I haven’t gotten sick yet. I used to order burgers medium to medium-well, but as I’ve gotten older, my tastes have gotten more and more rare. When I make big thick burgers for myself, they are pretty close to Pittsburgh rare at times. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376/85 "2012-07-26T16:22:50Z")
I grew up in a well-done house. My mom might order Medium Well, but if there’s any pink in the 12 yard vicinity of my dad’s steak, he won’t touch it. As I grew up, I started sliding down the scale bit by bit. Now I’m at Medium-Rare as my choice. I could do rare, but I honestly don’t like the texture and mouth feel of a rare steak. If the chef could find a zone between medium rare and medium I think that would be the most perfectly cooked steak. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376/86 "2012-07-26T16:25:56Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > That’s not the way _I_ heard that joke. I was actually making a movie allusion- let’s see who’s first to recognize it. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376/87 "2012-07-26T16:30:32Z")
Rare, please. As long as it’s warm all the way through, I’m good with it. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376/88 "2012-07-26T16:35:42Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > Medium Well, and I’m not afraid to say it! You shouldn’t be afraid to say it, but you should be ashamed! 😉 Rare to med rare is the only proper way to eat a steak. All else is an abomination. ---
**Author:** ![Labtrash](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/labtrash/32/528_2.png) [@Labtrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labtrash)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376/89 "2012-07-26T17:05:32Z")
I chose rare, but I sometimes like my steak cooked just enough that a good vet should be able to bring it back. > [@](#): > > 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. 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 LOVED that place - I was stationed in Little Creek for 5 years and went there every chance I could. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376/90 "2012-07-26T17:43:05Z")
Medium rare. Beyond that is charcoal. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376/91 "2012-07-26T18:02:04Z")
> [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](#): > > Medium rare. Beyond that is charcoal. p.s. I think your chart is a little low - I consider medium rare to be 130 - 135. I’ve been looking around the net, and meat doneness charts vary quite a bit. The USDA numbers seem high to me: 145 minimum. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376/92 "2012-07-26T18:39:24Z")
Well done. With ketchup to give it flavor. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376/93 "2012-07-26T18:46:33Z")
I prefer medium well - if it’s dark red on the inside, it’s undercooked. This has had its share of problems - when I try to cook something relatively thin, like a flatiron steak, there is a fine line between “still alive” and “shoe leather” ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376/94 "2012-07-26T19:02:38Z")
Well done. On something really on the thick side I go for medium well. The only exception to the nothing-red-or-pink is roast beef. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376/95 "2012-07-26T19:31:01Z")
Pick up the steak off the plate with a fork. Walk the steak through the warm kitchen. Put it back on the plate and hand it to me. That’s how I like my steak. And you can take your steak sauce and shove the bottle where the sun don’t shine. Steak sauce does not belong on a steak, for any reason. ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376/96 "2012-07-26T19:34:31Z")
Thanks to this thread I no longer care so much about how it’s cooked. I just want steak. Right flippin’ NOW!!! Stupid work. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376/97 "2012-07-26T19:48:36Z")
Medium. With a touch of steak sauce and some creamed spinach on the side…yum. ---
**Author:** ![Scubaqueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@Scubaqueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scubaqueen)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376/98 "2012-07-26T20:11:10Z")
I’m amazed at the number of R/MR fans in here. When I was younger I liked my steaks still moving when they were served to me, but as I’ve aged, my tastebuds have come to prefer MR. Chalk up another vote for R/MR in restaurants as well. The cooks are never the same between visits, so I also err on the side of rare because they almost always overcook them, regardless of the price of the restaurant. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376/99 "2012-07-26T20:17:56Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Well done, thank you. My ancestors didn’t spend thousands of years discovering and mastering fire so that I could eat raw meat. Same; no pink please. ---
**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, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376/100 "2012-07-26T20:30:04Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally Posted by \*\*Smapti \*\* > Well done, thank you. My ancestors didn’t spend thousands of years discovering and mastering fire so that I could eat raw meat. God created cows raw long before your pride and presumptuousness went and put them in your earthly ‘fire’. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-want-your-steak-cooked/629376.md?page=6)