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Rare Steak is the right way

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What a convenient example to ignore the fact that people who prefer well done were the ones incited by others in this thread, first and foremost.

Yea, the well done people definitely started calling people snobs for solely preferring medium or less.

What?

The first two posts in this thread that weren't about rare/medium rare steak were implying that rare steak has a high risk of food-borne disease (a very common fallacy for people who don't like anything that isn't well done), and a maniac talking about fucking ketchup in a steak thread.

It is clear who cast the first stone.
 
Do you guys have these same conversations about BBQ? Like, "well I like it on my grill for 30 minutes better than anything that was smoked for half a day, that's my opinion, you are just a SNOB"

That's totally dependent on your preference of texture. At least with steak you have the luxury of being able to sear the exterior and keep the interior moist. But the aim of the game is to achieve a palatable texture.
 
I do butter, salt, pepper rubbed on the steaks an hour or two before I cook them. Then, hot cast iron pan, 2 minutes to sear the first side, flip, sear other side for one minute. Finally, put the pan and the steak in a 500-degree oven for 5 minutes. Take out, let rest for 10 minutes. So good, usually lands at either a medium rare or medium. I'd like to try using more butter and basting it as it cooks.

Well-done steaks aren't gross or anything, but all of the delicious fat has run out of them by the time they're done, which kind of defeats the purpose of buying a well-marbled ribeye or new york strip or something. You've got to eat a well-done steak pretty much right away or they dry out and become shoe leather five minutes later.
 
That's what this conversation is. Some people saying "these are some optimal ways to cook this" and some other people calling them snobs.

No, the people calling others snobs are doing so because they are being responded to with silly criticism over their preference for well done. We did not just start calling people snobs from the get-go. As far as I can tell, most people simply accepted the preference of people eating medium or less, whereas those people could not accept theirs.

It's not a big deal and in the grand scheme of things, this is a very stupid discussion. But if people are going to make drama of a non-issue, then I'll gladly reciprocate.
 
Food preferences are a very personal, subjective thing, so declaring a right or wrong way does not make sense.

Personally, I find the flavor of rare steak to be disgusting. I can't go below medium.
 
To what extent is any of this policing? It's a conversation. Some people reading this might try something new, others will double down. I can call them silly. I have good reasons to call them silly. It isn't the end of the world if someone who does something minor in poor taste gets called silly sometimes.

"policing" might be a bit of an overstatement; you're right. But it's obviously the kind of thing people get defensive about – these threads are always the same – and putting people on the defensive doesn't really help educate, if that's your goal.

But yes, it's ultimately not a big deal.
 
Only one way? I'm pretty sure the decent moments of steak talk involved things like people discussion which cuts are better with more time. Things like that.

Really, it's just the one method (or lack of method really) that isn't really seen as sensible. The one that involves applying heat long enough that it doesn't really have the flavors that inspired butchers to create these specific cuts, or for animals to be raised certain ways.

And herein lies a concern that you shouldn't have for anyone but yourself. We do not care what inspired these butchers or how the animals were raised to be eaten in a certain way, because at the end of the day a person is going to prefer well done, no matter what the hell your intentions are. Taunting a person for their subjective preference is stupid (which I don't think you've done, but simply throwing that out there).

This thread starts off with someone dismissively going on about enjoying your E. Coli. C'mon, man. And I still gave that guy a reasonable and polite response.

Okay, and? The guy clearly has an uninformed opinion, which is probably why he prefers a higher temperature. But it's only one comment versus the many comments that followed in response to well done and ketchup guy.
 
Food preferences are a very personal, subjective thing, so declaring a right or wrong way does not make sense.

Personally, I find the flavor of rare steak to be disgusting. I can't go below medium.

Preferences are subjective, cooking methods to achieve optimal results for a dish are objective.

Like, I can make a level in Super Mario Maker that's nothing but blind death traps if I prefer, but that's not the best level design.
 
so an expensive steak tastes literally the same as a cheap one if its well done?

No, they both taste bad in different ways.

I'm kidding. I was a well done with ketchup person as a child. I still like ketchup on almost everything but steak. And also steak.
 
This thread starts off with someone dismissively going on about enjoying your E. Coli. C'mon, man. And I still gave that guy a reasonable and polite response.

Go back up, I got accused of indulging in "the height of snobbery" for saying that intentionally overcooking the fat out of meat downgrades the cut. And before that I openly declared a love for cheap, overcooked diner steak and eggs with some A1.

It's absurd to be called a snob for just saying what happens to meat. If you like well done all the time, fine, just don't shut down discussion of cooking that you don't want to hear.

Well, I can't speak for that person, but at no point did I try to shut down discussion of different ways to cook meat. I was simply responding to others who reveled in pointing out the error of people who enjoy well done steaks. I don't mind having a discussion about cooking meats in general, no matter if it's a preference of mine or not.
 
Well, it also sucks when you buy steaks to cook for others and they want to waste one on well done. Or if you pay for their meal at a restaurant. It's a waste of money, not in some pretentious sense; you are burning out the defining feature that makes the meat cost that much.

Amen brother.
 
As someone born and raised in Nebraska, you just gotta eat it the way you want it, though Medium Rare is the best choice.

Unless you go with well-done, then don't even bother.
 
Medium actually tastes like meat though, not like animal.

If cooked properly with the right amount of scoring and butter or whatnot, medium can be exceedingly delectable, and just as soft and juicy as quasi-raw.
 
Food preferences are a very personal, subjective thing, so declaring a right or wrong way does not make sense.

Personally, I find the flavor of rare steak to be disgusting. I can't go below medium.

Medium means I will not go out of my way to hit you with my car if I see you at a crosswalk but be aware that you are walking a dangerous line.

I'm just gonna go ahead and say it: people who eat steak well-done should be sent to reeducation camps.
 
I'm rare at home and restaurants I've been to more than once.

First time restaurants I usually go medium rare. See how they can do that.

But yeah well done steaks are awful
 
No, the people calling others snobs are doing so because they are being responded to with silly criticism over their preference for well done. We did not just start calling people snobs from the get-go. As far as I can tell, most people simply accepted the preference of people eating medium or less, whereas those people could not accept theirs.

It's not a big deal and in the grand scheme of things, this is a very stupid discussion. But if people are going to make drama of a non-issue, then I'll gladly reciprocate.

Exactly. Thank you for this.
 
Medium means I will not go out of my way to hit you with my car if I see you at a crosswalk but be aware that you are walking a dangerous line.

I'm just gonna go ahead and say it: people who eat steak well-done should be sent to reeducation camps.

Well... that's a bit... extreme.
 
Hello all,

It has occurred to me today that rare steak is simply the best way to eat your steak
Correct. Glad that you finally saw the light.

The juices

6wM8QM.gif


The softness

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The way the steak just melts in your mouth
B-but... those aren't rare. They're medium. :(

Still edible, but far from perfection.

Now we're talking!

have fun with the E. Coli
OMG, you can't possibly be this ignorant, right? Please tell me you are joking.
 
Medium means I will not go out of my way to hit you with my car if I see you at a crosswalk but be aware that you are walking a dangerous line.

I'm just gonna go ahead and say it: people who eat steak well-done should be sent to reeducation camps.

Lol

I like them frozen. Like a meat popsicle.

I see no lies here tbh

Correct. Glad that you finally saw the light.


B-but... those aren't rare. They're medium. :(

Still edible, but far from perfection.


Now we're talking!.

Yeah lol I couldn't find any rare steak gifs so I compromised :/
 
Medium means I will not go out of my way to hit you with my car if I see you at a crosswalk but be aware that you are walking a dangerous line.

I'm just gonna go ahead and say it: people who eat steak well-done should be sent to reeducation camps.

Seriously, Whats wrong with you?
 
I can't eat anything rarer than medium. I don't know what it is with me but if i try to eat a rare or medium-rare steak it triggers my gag reflex. I can't seem to get over the idea of eating meat raw on the inside, which is odd because I have no problem eating raw fish in sushi. I'm aware that eating medium or medium-well steak is frowned upon and I personally don't bother going to expensive steakhouses because of this. Regardless, I love a steak cooked so that there is only pink on the inside, no red no grey, but I often order medium-well just because most places can't cook a medium steak and it always turns out too raw for me to enjoy. I have nothing against people who eat rare steak, but it isn't for me.
 
Whilst we're on a steak subject, how does it go with barbecue sauce?

Barbecue or steak sauce is good on burgers. You don't need it for a good steak. It's a really overpowering molasses/vinegar/sugar taste that takes away from the beefy fatty goodness.
 
Rare or med-rare.

Med-well or well is kind of gross to be honest. Unless it's barbequed or covered in sauce I guess to hide the taste.
 
I believe the steak-doneness elitism comes from most of us having come across someone that will refuse to eat a steak that's pink. It's not that they have a problem with flavor or texture, they just have a preconceived notion about the color that they can't get past. It can be frustrating, but I'm a picky eater in other areas so I can't really complain about it.

And well-done steaks aren't shoe leather. I've screwed up and overcooked my share of steaks, and they weren't awful. Disappointing? Sure. Robbed of their potential? Absolutely. A tough hunk of meat that I have to gnaw at? Not at all.

Damn I'd love to have a steak tonight...
 
I went rare years ago and never looked back.

The really hard part is not getting a cold, rare steak.

Most steak places are shit enough that they put all the steaks for a table on at the same time and pull them as they are done, meaning my steak sat there for as long at it took the nob-end across from me to get his well done monstrosity cooked.
 
Preferences are subjective, cooking methods to achieve optimal results for a dish are objective..
I agree in concept here, but applying this to how well done a steak is, is nonsensical. To me a rare steak is inedible, full stop. There's no "correct" way to tell me it's the mathematically, objectively right way to eat a steak when I find medium well to be delicious and rare utterly disgusting. And for many, vice versa. That, by definition, is subjective.
 
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