How do you like your steak done?

[L_B]

I know this question has been asked before but when I looked back it was quite some time ago and it was before I joined this group. When you are ordering a steak or preparing one how do you like it? My husband likes his medium rare but I prefer mine to be well done. I don't like any blood in my meat. There is nothing that grosses me out more then blood running into my mashed potatoes or veggies. Ewwww...

We don't have steak often but I am thinking we may have it today for dinner. I like it fried up with lots of mushrooms, onions and peppers. Also going to have a baked potato with broccoli and some of my sister's homemade pickles. I prefer my steak cooked on the grill outside but this time of year that isn't going to happen.

 

[purplepen88]

I love my steak medium rare and my kids and husband love their steaks rare. I find that going out to have a steak is so expensive that I'll wait until t-bones or strip loin steaks go on sale and we'll have a beautiful steak dinner at home for under $40. My husband has perfected grilling a steak to medium rare so he always gets it the way I like it. We love having mushrooms with steak as well. My oldest and husband will melt blue cheese on top of their steaks. Sometimes we'll have steak and eggs for breakfast and I like a fried egg on top of mine big old steak.

 

[Corzhens]

When my husband and I first had steak, we ordered one cooked well done... we ordered as if we were steak eaters. When the steak was served, we had difficulty slicing it in spite of the sharp steak knife. Talk of ignorance. When the steak is well cooked, it gets tougher, according to one who knows steaks. So now it is always medium well for our steak and we can bear with the reddish color of the meat but at least it is soft and easy to chew. But in buffet tables, we usually order well done when the steak is sliced in strips.

 

[cupcakechef]

Well done all the way! Everyone I know that loves steak always thinks I'm an abomination for liking mine with no trace of pink...I'm probably a rarity but I like a bit of char and not having blood oozing out of my meat! Even looking at the way my husband has his steak (very medium rare) is enough to make my stomach churn!

 

[MyExWasAChef]

I like my steak medium well which means it's a little pink inside and all the blood has cooked without being overdone because I like my meat soft. Having red wine is good to have with steak too.

 

[Bakemehappy]

If you use the right technique before searing it then there is no problem whether cooking it well done or medium rare. If I will be the one to prepare it then well done is preferred.

 

[sidevalve]

. When the steak is well cooked, it gets tougher,

Completely untrue, don't believe it. This is a story propounded by those who A - cannot cook or B - want to excuse a poor chef.
The mark of a capable chef is to be able to prepare a steak that is both well done AND tender.
Further it is not difficult to do
1 - seal the meat on all sides with a VERY VERY hot grill or grill pan [this is the only hard part when cooking at home - it is often difficult to get the pan, best if it's cast iron, hot enough]. It seals in the juices
2 - cook the steak at a much lower heat until cooked through. Ok it requires a little practice but as I said it is not difficult and any professional chef who can't do it is IMHO unworthy of the name.
I like my steaks well done and judge my restaurants on the result either 'boot leather' cooked by and idiot - won't go there again or juicy tender and tasty -- definitely worth another visit.
If you want well done demand it and don't accept any rubbish.

 

[kgord]

I usually get my steaks medium well, which translates to thoroughly cooked but with a bit of pink on the inside. I used to order them well done until I noticed the shoe leather phenomenon in restaurants. Medium well to me is the best of both worlds. That is how I cook it at home too. I don't eat steak often though...I always feel like I am going to choke on it., just a phobia of mine!

 

[cupcakechef]

Completely untrue, don't believe it. This is a story propounded by those who A - cannot cook or B - want to excuse a poor chef.
The mark of a capable chef is to be able to prepare a steak that is both well done AND tender.
Further it is not difficult to do
1 - seal the meat on all sides with a VERY VERY hot grill or grill pan [this is the only hard part when cooking at home - it is often difficult to get the pan, best if it's cast iron, hot enough]. It seals in the juices
2 - cook the steak at a much lower heat until cooked through. Ok it requires a little practice but as I said it is not difficult and any professional chef who can't do it is IMHO unworthy of the name.
I like my steaks well done and judge my restaurants on the result either 'boot leather' cooked by and idiot - won't go there again or juicy tender and tasty -- definitely worth another visit.
If you want well done demand it and don't accept any rubbish.

I'm so glad you said this! I've had really well cooked (and well done) steak and thoroughly enjoyed it before - I've also had shoe leather moments when at restaurants and it seems to be an excuse often by the restaurant that "you asked for it well done so that's just what happens". My hubby agrees to my well done steak requests when we have steak at home for dinner and it's always still very tender and tasty - just not oozing blood!

 

[Lullabelle]

I like my steak to bleed on my plate, medium rare.

 

[Berties]

Medium rare or au point ,sealed well and seasoned and well rested ,and preferably aged meat,not a big fan fillet like a bit of fat marbling

 

[MrsDangermouse]

My favourite steak is ribeye, cooked nice and rare (though it has to be well sealed on the outside).

Factoid of the day: the red juice which comes out of steak (and other red meats) is not blood.
Almost all the blood is removed during the slaughter process and the liquid which comes out of meat is actually mostly water mixed with a red coloured protein called myoglobin. It is myoglobin which causes the difference between what we call red and white meat. Meat from animals with high levels of myoglobin (such as beef and lamb) is described as "red meat", whereas animals with low levels of myoglobin (eg. chicken) is described as white meat.

 

[L_B]

My favourite steak is ribeye, cooked nice and rare (though it has to be well sealed on the outside).

Factoid of the day: the red juice which comes out of steak (and other red meats) is not blood.
Almost all the blood is removed during the slaughter process and the liquid which comes out of meat is actually mostly water mixed with a red coloured protein called myoglobin. It is myoglobin which causes the difference between what we call red and white meat. Meat from animals with high levels of myoglobin (such as beef and lamb) is described as "red meat", whereas animals with low levels of myoglobin (eg. chicken) is described as white meat.

Didn't know this. Thanks for sharing this bit of info. I think it is a mind set thing too. Just red stuff oozing out of meat is a bit too much for my stomach to handle. Everybody is different and have different tastes and likings when it comes to food.

 

[sidevalve]

Factoid of the day: the red juice which comes out of steak (and other red meats) is not blood.

True - [we've had a thread on this before] BUT much of the pleasure in food comes from it's presentation and if you don't like 'blood' then you shouldn't have to have it. Anybody can have a juicy steak by simply eating it raw - the skill lies in producing what the 'customer' wants and still giving a tasty juicy item. If you like a steak rare then fine but I wonder how many people have been fooled into thinking that this is the only way to get a good steak by lazy chefs who can't be bothered to take a little trouble and have never really had the chance to try a well cooked 'well done' steak.

 

[MrsDangermouse]

True - [we've had a thread on this before] BUT much of the pleasure in food comes from it's presentation and if you don't like 'blood' then you shouldn't have to have it. Anybody can have a juicy steak by simply eating it raw - the skill lies in producing what the 'customer' wants and still giving a tasty juicy item. If you like a steak rare then fine but I wonder how many people have been fooled into thinking that this is the only way to get a good steak by lazy chefs who can't be bothered to take a little trouble and have never really had the chance to try a well cooked 'well done' steak.

Very true! I guess cooking a good well done steak is probably one of the more difficult skills to learn so most of the well done steaks served probably aren't that well cooked. Though I disagree that you can have a juicy steak by eating it raw: I find raw steak, whilst definitely moist, is not "juicy" - for example steak tartare or carpaccio don't to give off much juice - probably the juice is released by the process of cooking it.

But talking about presentation and what people prefer to see on their plate....have you ever tried slow roasting a rib of beef for around 18 hours? The meat inside stays a deep pink and is very soft and tender - it almost looks like its rare. But there is no juice at all and the flavour is more like well done. I've served it someone who (I didn't know beforehand!) usually has their steaks well done - he tried it to be polite but he loved it - so much so that he went on to cook it himself