Most chefs regard beef cooked to medium-rare — with an internal temperature of 130-135F (55-57C) — as the best way to bring out flavour and retain moisture in tender cuts such as rib eye and top loin. Unlike rare, medium-rare allows time for the outside to caramelise and develop a sear.
The Chef's Way of Cooking A Steak
Just let it go. Once your steak is on your pan, let it sear and simmer down. It is very tempting to constantly check it and/or flip it – but don't. This is how a nice dark char is formed, and this is the correct pathway to your chef's steak.
According to the research, 22% of Aussies prefer a well-done steak, 33% prefer a medium-rare, 5% prefer a rare steak, and just 1% prefer blue.
By a small margin, the most popular way to have your steak prepared is… Well done!
Why Medium Rare is Always the Perfect Steak Temperature When it comes to the pursuit of the perfect steak, enthusiasts and amateur carnivorous connoisseurs alike will tell you that medium-rare beef is best. Here at Steak University, we couldn't agree more!
There is a reason that medium-rare is the most popular way to cook a steak. A medium-rare steak is juicy, tender, and packed with flavor. When you cut a medium-rare steak, you'll see that the meat is pinkish on the outside and a deeper red inside, but not so red that it looks like raw beef.
Most chefs regard beef cooked to medium-rare — with an internal temperature of 130-135F (55-57C) — as the best way to bring out flavour and retain moisture in tender cuts such as rib eye and top loin. Unlike rare, medium-rare allows time for the outside to caramelise and develop a sear.
They asked people how they order their steak and they found that most people prefer their steak cooked medium-rare, followed by medium, and then medium-well.
You should hold the knife in your right hand with your index finger extended down the back of the utensil. Then, holding the fork in your left hand, pin down the meat and cut a single bite in a zigzag motion. Finally, place the knife on the plate and transfer to fork to your right hand to take the bite. Psst!
Chef Michael Lomonaco says the best way to order steak is rare to medium rare. Medium rare is the most ideal because it provides the best and truest flavor of the beef, and allows for a charred outside and cool interior. Anything above medium-rare starts to take away from the texture and flavor of the beef.
Much of the beef's nutritional and flavor profile is contributed to how the cattle were raised. Australian beef is leaner by virtue of the All-Grass diet with a much more distinct fresh Grass-Fed flavor and sweeter aroma.
T-Bone. The T-Bone steak is an Australian favourite, especially for summer BBQs. It is very similar to the tenderloin steak, but with less tenderloin muscle.
2/ Australian beef is packed full of flavour (and nutrition)
In Australia, around 97% of cattle is grass fed thanks to our plentiful grazing pastures. Many steak aficionados prefer the taste of grass-fed beef as it tends to be more flavoursome and has a classic “meaty” profile.
Most fine restaurants age their beef to intensify the flavor and improve the tenderness of the cut. Aging is done by letting the meat sit (in very controlled conditions) for several days or weeks.
The method is basically “3-3-3-3.” That means: grill steak side 1 over direct heat for 3 minutes. grill steak side 2 over direct heat for 3 minutes. Flip steak and grill on side 1 over indirect heat for 3 minutes.
As a rule of thumb, when cooking steaks that are 1-1/2 inch thick, you want to go by the 3-4 rule. That is, three minutes per side on direct heat, then four minutes per side on indirect heat.
Have you ever wondered what they are doing? Here's the answer: they're feeling for the state of doneness. With just a touch, a skilled cook can judge if a piece of meat is done or if it needs more cooking. They're feeling for a degree of softness or firmness in the meat.
If you want an easy-to-eat but robust flavor cut, medium is the ideal temperature for your steak. Well-done meat is the “most cooked” on the menu. In general, it's fairly tough to chew through and has no pink in the center, although an excellent chef will make ordering well-done a flavorful and enjoyable experience.
It's Dangerous To Eat Well-Done Steak
coli or Salmonella. However, the high temperature it takes to cook your steak well done can cause a reaction that produces chemicals called heterocyclic amines (HCA). Studies show that people who eat well-done steak over a long period are more prone to bladder cancer.
Most chefs DGAF about "well" orders.
According to one Reddit user and chef, most chefs can't be bothered to pay attention to steaks that were ordered well done. Why? They look at it this way: whether they mind it on then grill or not, it's going to get ruined.
Anthony Bourdain's scoffing aside, most chefs capitulate to a customer's requests, even if it makes them squirm. It comes down to personal preference, after all, and they realize that overcooked steak is often part of a generational divide.
Depending on your preference, for a 2-cm thick steak, to cook to: blue, 1 min per side; rare, 1½ mins per side; medium-rare, 2 mins per side; medium, about 2¼ mins per side; well-done, about 4-5 mins per side. Let it rest on a board or warm plate for about 10 mins.
So when that filet or T-bone reaches the restaurant and you order it medium-rare, the bacteria on the outside will be killed when the steak is seared, but anything living on the inside will continue to thrive.