How do you like steak cooked?

[Matt N]

Hi guys. In terms of favourite foods, I’ve noticed that many people very much like steak, and steak is also an interesting food in that people like it cooked differently. Some like their steak very rare, with blood oozing out of it, while others like it well done, with not a hint of rawness about it. So my question to you today is; how do you like steak cooked, if you eat it? From what I can tell, there are 5 widely accepted ways of cooking steak (rare, medium rare, medium, medium well and well done), but if there’s another one I haven’t mentioned, then I’d love to know!

Personally, I don’t actually like steak, in spite of being a meat-eater; I’ve tried it once or twice, and I find it a bit tough & gristly for my liking, personally. I also find that it has a bit of an odd taste compared to the meats I like. I know I’m in a minority there, though; steak seems very popular!

If I did eat steak, I’d have to have it well done, personally, as the thought of eating meat with the slightest hint of blood or rawness about it does put me off a bit…

I was interested to do this poll, however, because I know quite a number of steak lovers, and all of them seem to gravitate towards the rare end of the spectrum in terms how they like their steak cooked. No one I know likes their steak cooked to a greater degree than medium, with preferences ranging between rare and medium!

But how do you like your steak cooked, if you eat steak? Do you prefer your steak rarer, or more well done?

 

[Hixee]

I’ve tried it once or twice, and I find it a bit tough & gristly for my liking, personally. I also find that it has a bit of an odd taste compared to the meats I like. I know I’m in a minority there, though; steak seems very popular!

If I did eat steak, I’d have to have it well done, personally, as the thought of eating meat with the slightest hint of blood or rawness about it does put me off a bit…

Well, that's your problem right there...

But, I am a firm believer in "each to their own" and all that, so go for it.

I go for medium personally.

 

[Matt N]

Well, that's your problem right there...

But, I am a firm believer in "each to their own" and all that, so go for it.

I go for medium personally.

That might well be the case, as many in my family think the same about both steak and also roast beef, but I’ll admit that if you’re talking joints of meat, beef isn’t something I’d personally gravitate towards in general. It’s odd, as I absolutely love minced beef and am rather partial to a beef burger, but I’ve never really had beef that much as an actual joint of meat and would never choose it. The fact that my mum absolutely hates beef in any form may have limited my exposure to it whenever we have things like roast dinners, however…

With that in mind, I’m not sure my dislike of steak is too surprising.

 

[Jamesss]

Personally, I don’t actually like steak, in spite of being a meat-eater; I’ve tried it once or twice, and I find it a bit tough & gristly for my liking, personally.

Sounds like you've just never had a good one.

As for how I like it cooked, it depends on the steak.

I like Ribeye best, which I usually have medium.

If I'm having fillet I'll go rare or medium rare.

You could also include "Blue" in the poll, which I've never tried, but it is the preferred choice of one of my family members.

 

[MountedShooter]

As long as it doesn't moo when you stick it with a fork!

 

[furie]

You could also include "Blue" in the poll, which I've never tried, but it is the preferred choice of one of my family members.

I did blue steaks for a few of us once, just to try. It wasn't anything special. I think you need to cook it a bit just to enhance the steaky flavour.

If I did eat steak, I’d have to have it well done, personally, as the thought of eating meat with the slightest hint of blood or rawness about it does put me off a bit…

It isn't blood.

I prefer the steak to be warm right through, and it never feels "raw". It's softer though, and if you can work down from well done to medium, you'll find your liking of steak increases as it becomes juicier and softer.

if you’re talking joints of meat, beef isn’t something I’d personally gravitate towards in general.

And... I've never really liked roast beef because it tends to be too dry and overdone. It's really difficult to get right, and I'd always avoid cooking it for a meal because of that.

 

[JoshC.]

Depends where I'm eating it.

If I'm cooking steak myself, I admittedly go for some of the cheaper cuts. I aim for medium-rare, but don't mind if I accidentally go over and it comes medium.

If I'm ordering a steak at a cheaper restaurant, I usually ask for it medium-rare, because in my experiences the usually seem to overcook it (on more than one occasion, I've ordered medium steaks and they've come back much closer to well done).

If I'm at a fancier restaurant / steak house, there's usually a recommendation on how to have it (which varies between medium-rare and medium), and I'm fairly trusting and go with that.

Tried rare once (admittedly a long time ago), and it wasn't for me. Don't think I'd ever be tempted to try it again, or go to the realms of blue.

All of this probably makes me seem like a proper stuck up foodie guy. But I rarely have steak and I'm not that fussed with food 90% of the time. But even a cheaper steak is expensive, so if I'm paying out for it, I want it done right!

tl;dr - medium-rare or medium.

 

[Sandman]

Fillet steak, medium-rare with beef dripping.

 

[FarleyFlavors]

Ribeye medium rare, ta.

I've never really liked roast beef because it tends to be too dry and overdone. It's really difficult to get right, and I'd always avoid cooking it for a meal because of that.

It's actually really easy. All you need is a two quid meat thermometer.

If I did eat steak, I’d have to have it well done, personally, as the thought of eating meat with the slightest hint of blood or rawness about it does put me off a bit…

In that case, I'd avoid ordering it in a restaurant if I were you. According to the late, great Anthony Bourdain...

People who order their meat well-done perform a valuable service for those of us in the business who are cost-conscious: they pay for the privilege of eating our garbage. In many kitchens, there’s a time-honored practice called “save for well-done.” When one of the cooks finds a particularly unlovely piece of steak—tough, riddled with nerve and connective tissue, off the hip end of the loin, and maybe a little stinky from age—he’ll dangle it in the air and say, “Hey, Chef, whaddya want me to do with this?” “Save for well-done.”

 

[caffeine_demon]

I'm a medium guy - I like it to be a bit pink, but the fibres looking "blobby" rather than "stringy"..

I'm a big fan of rump myself - gab flavour, and if you get good stuff, still tender. Ideal thickness is about 2 cm/ just under an inch

I’ve tried it once or twice, and I find it a bit tough & gristly for my liking,

I think you may be eating gristle then...

 

[caffeine_demon]

That said, I'd happily scoff this medium rare one...

 

[Nitefly]

I’m happy to see that people are answering this depending on the cut of steak <3

Generally, the fattier the cut, the ‘more cooked’ it should be.

Fillet is relatively lean and therefore a steak that can be generally be enjoyed rarer. Rib-eye is a much juicier and fattier cut and cooking it more caramelises the fat - it may be tempting to go rarer but medium is the least cooked you should go for with rib-eye, I suggest.

Given the choice, those are the only two cuts I’d bother with as they are far superior to the other typical offerings of sirloin and rump (which to me always feel like ‘steak for the sake of steak’).

Rib-eye cooked medium is my choice. It’s also a steak where you have to enjoy the fat as part of the food. In other words, it would be counter-intuitive to obsessively remove ever tiny piece of fat from the meat and probably isn’t the choice for heretics that insist on dull chicken breast from a roast chicken (i.e. the most boring and bland part). Cooked well, the fat should be tasty and caramelised, leaving a nice juicy experience. Likewise, you don’t remove fat from streaky bacon! Undercooking a rib-eye is a sad thing.

Also, inedible gristle/fat is inedible gristle/fat, which should not be eaten regardless of how well cooked a steak is. An excellent steak may still have some small, inedible pieces as that’s just part of ‘the deal’ when it comes to steak.

 

[LiveForTheLaunch]

Blue rare or bust! I want mine to still moo.

 

[Screaming Coasters]

I have mine blue!

 

[Matt N]

My apologies; I’ll add blue to the poll!

 

[Hyde]

Weird, I didn't see my cauliflower option listed?

 

[Matt N]

Weird, I didn't see my cauliflower option listed?

Apologies @Hyde; I’ll add it!
EDIT: That should be in now! If anyone else has anything they’d like me to add to the poll, do just flag me up on its absence; not being a steak aficionado myself, I don’t really know too much about some of the more obscure ways of cooking it!

 

[caffeine_demon]

Sorry, but anyone who calls a slice of cauliflower a steak deserves at least 6 years!

 

[JackFish]

There is only one right answer, you get steak cooked medium rare, anything else and your a mad man

 

[RevolutionRuleZ]

Whatever i do, I have to cook the other halves for about three times as long or she will never let me live it down.

I'm with the majority here, as in it depends on the cut and I can be flexible. For her however it needs to be cremated or its being passed over to me (often not a bad deal!)