# Why the problem with ordering medium rare? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 12, 2005, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-problem-with-ordering-medium-rare/294144 "2005-03-12T04:19:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2005, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-problem-with-ordering-medium-rare/294144/1 "2005-03-12T04:19:47Z")
Typically when I order a steak in a restaurant I order it cooked medium rare or medium. I prefer it be cooked medium rare, but some restaurants I frequent think medium rare = uncooked, so at those restaurants I order it medium. But in any case anytime I order my steak this way I invariably get the remark, “that means the steak will be pink in the center, is that alright?” It’s kind of demeaning, and no one tells my dinner companions (who almost always get theirs medium-well or well done, yuck) these things when they order their steaks. I think that people (read servers) should assume that in civilized society the average person know what medium rare means, or what medium means. It’s not rocket science, it’s not like these people are working at NASA and should be trying to explain things down to people. Anyone else ever get this? ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2005, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-problem-with-ordering-medium-rare/294144/2 "2005-03-12T04:28:01Z")
It might seem pedantic to you, but different restaurants, chefs, or customers sometimes have different ideas about what “medium rare” means. Wastage of food and time can be avoided by ensuring in advance that everyone’s talking about the same thing. Don’t complain, they’re only trying to get your order right. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2005, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-problem-with-ordering-medium-rare/294144/3 "2005-03-12T04:30:10Z")
Complaining is the foundation of this country. I’ve never seen anyone try to clarify a medium-well or well-done order. ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2005, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-problem-with-ordering-medium-rare/294144/4 "2005-03-12T04:34:20Z")
You’ve probably never seen someone order a medium rare steak, then when it comes start freaking out because it’s undercooked and is still bleeding. Unfortunately, some people don’t know what it means. I think the list of ‘this is what we mean by this’ near the steaks in a menu come in handy, but IME only the fancier places have that. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2005, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-problem-with-ordering-medium-rare/294144/5 "2005-03-12T12:50:15Z")
I always order my steak medium rare, and I’ve never had a waitperson clarify or ask for clarification. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2005, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-problem-with-ordering-medium-rare/294144/6 "2005-03-12T15:07:03Z")
I’ve gotten it, but usually it’s with an air of, “I have to ask for CYA purposes and I’m sorry to do this, but…” So, since I like to hear my steak mooo, I smile and tell 'em that. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2005, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-problem-with-ordering-medium-rare/294144/7 "2005-03-12T15:41:14Z")
I always order mine well-done, but my dad likes his medium-rare. On family outings we invariably get the :o look and “I’m so sorry to ask, but you do know it’ll be…” He doesn’t seem to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2005, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-problem-with-ordering-medium-rare/294144/8 "2005-03-12T15:48:55Z")
I tell them that I’d prefer it raw but since they have to cook it make it as rare as they dare. That solves my problem from the get-go. ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2005, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-problem-with-ordering-medium-rare/294144/9 "2005-03-12T19:21:17Z")
> [@Martin Hyde](#): > > I think that people (read servers) should assume that in civilized society the average person know what medium rare means, or what medium means. I think that the fact that the server asks indicates that a significant fraction of people _don’t_, in fact, know what it means. I imagine they’ve had many customers send medium-rare steaks back because they were pink in the middle, and are just trying to head off the problem. Or their managers make the servers ask, because I doubt very much that health codes would let them slap a steak back on the grill after its gone to the table, so they’d have to throw away perfectly good meat and cook another one. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2005, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-problem-with-ordering-medium-rare/294144/10 "2005-03-12T19:22:58Z")
I wish they would ask. I order medium rare and get medium to medium well. Obviously the kitchen is assuming I don’t know what I’m asking. ---
**Author:** ![Monstre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Monstre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstre)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2005, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-problem-with-ordering-medium-rare/294144/11 "2005-03-12T19:27:11Z")
> [@This Year's Model](#): > > I wish they would ask. I order medium rare and get medium to medium well. Obviously the kitchen is assuming I don’t know what I’m asking. For me, it’s usually the opposite. I order medium rare and it comes out VERY rare. I often have to say, “between medium rare and medium” for them to get it right. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2005, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-problem-with-ordering-medium-rare/294144/12 "2005-03-12T19:33:06Z")
The number one thing about that that pisses me off about when serves say that, is that medium rare should not ‘pink’ in the center. Medium rare should still be ‘red’ in the center, medium should be ‘pink’ in center. Rare should be purple-ish. ---
**Author:** ![kimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f0a364/32.png) [@kimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kimera)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2005, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-problem-with-ordering-medium-rare/294144/13 "2005-03-12T20:33:24Z")
Medium rare should, IMHO, bleed when you cut it. Too many times I have gone to a restaurant and ordered medium rare and had it be medium instead. There have also been many times where the steak was cooked perfectly medium rare and the customer returned it because they actually ment medium. Tip the server extra if the steak comes out right. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2005, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-problem-with-ordering-medium-rare/294144/14 "2005-03-12T20:33:41Z")
I order medium rare, and half the time it’s still struggling, and the other half it’s grey all the way through. I don’t want to have to kill it myself! I want it dark pink (some people call it red, but it’s really dark pink, with a different texture than “pink”) but hot in the middle, medium rare. Not that light “medium” pink, not brown, not cold and red all over. Not shivering and still mostly covered with hair. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2005, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-problem-with-ordering-medium-rare/294144/15 "2005-03-12T20:59:59Z")
I started a Pit thread about this very same subject last year. Or was it the year before that? Either way, I agree it’s no easy task to get a properly cooked, medium-rare steak. ---
**Author:** ![zagloba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/977dab/32.png) [@zagloba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zagloba)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2005, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-problem-with-ordering-medium-rare/294144/16 "2005-03-12T21:19:38Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > The number one thing about that that pisses me off about when serves say that, is that medium rare should not ‘pink’ in the center. Medium rare should still be ‘red’ in the center, medium should be ‘pink’ in center. Rare should be purple-ish. At least when the server says that, you know what the restaurant means by medium rare, and can adjust your order accordingly. I like that better than when I order medium rare and it comes out medium well. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2005, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-problem-with-ordering-medium-rare/294144/17 "2005-03-12T22:07:32Z")
> [@OtakuLoki](#): > > So, since I like to hear my steak mooo, I smile and tell 'em that. Yeah, me too! My husband always tells the server that I want my steak so that a good veterinarian could bring it back. He’s warped that way. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2005, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-problem-with-ordering-medium-rare/294144/18 "2005-03-12T22:42:23Z")
I think the best description I ever heard was from the TV mini-series, _The Stand_. “Just run it through a warm room!” I like medium. Medium rare is a little underdone for me. (I wonder how many vegetarians are reading this, shaking and trying not to vomit? 😃 ) ---
**Author:** ![Flamsterette\_X](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/41988e/32.png) [@Flamsterette\_X](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flamsterette_X)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2005, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-problem-with-ordering-medium-rare/294144/19 "2005-03-12T23:01:36Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > I always order my steak medium rare, and I’ve never had a waitperson clarify or ask for clarification. x2 ---
**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:** [March 13, 2005, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-problem-with-ordering-medium-rare/294144/20 "2005-03-13T00:47:25Z")
IIRC, there is a law in California that states restaurants are not allowed to serve any meat that is not thoroughly cooked (I think that means “medium”) without notifying the customer in advance and receiving their permission. I believe it’s meant to prevent the spread of disease from food-borne pathogens. It would explain why every time I order an ahi tuna steak, the waiter has to say to me “that will be cooked rare, is that ok?” Just once I’d like to say “no, please make mine well done” just to see their reaction. \*\*Rhiannon8404 \*\* has been known to tell waiters that she wants her steak “as rare as the chef is allowed to serve it”. That usually works. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-problem-with-ordering-medium-rare/294144.md?page=2)