How rare is too rare for steak?

[ryuten]

Sometimes I get really impatient when I cook steak or I just don't have time to make sure it gets to medium. So I'll just cook the outside until it's brown/kinda burnt. But when I go and cut it open, it is SUPER rare. Am I absorbing the nutrients even if it is that rare?

[androyd]

Nutrient wise, I'm sure you'll be fine either way you eat it. Sounds like you just need to perfect the art of cooking steak, which can be tricky, but very beneficial to learn. The last thing you want to do is burn your steak on the outside due to possible carcinogens.

Here's a thread I wrote for cooking the perfect steak, which takes a very SHORT amount of time to do for medium steaks:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=106446031

[theoryTim]

You need to be careful cause some meats (not steak though) can have places where pathogens can get inside the meat. Steaks and chops and such are okay to serve raw cause of the pathogens are on the surface.

As for the nutrients, yes your still getting them.

[Marco90]

turn the heat down, that is what is causing it to burn on the outside but not cook on the inside

[solid_intensity]

Sometimes I get really impatient when I cook steak or I just don't have time to make sure it gets to medium. So I'll just cook the outside until it's brown/kinda burnt. But when I go and cut it open, it is SUPER rare. Am I absorbing the nutrients even if it is that rare?

You clearly just suck at cooking lol, two things you can do. A. cook it slowly so it cooks inside out.
Or B. since you're impatient, cut the meat in half showing off it's center/core more, the more pieces you cut it into the quicker it'll heat up, without being a black piece of char.

[WaistofSpace]

Is there really such a thing as too rare? I just rake mine accross the grill a couple times and bamn, ish is done.

[echelon101]

The classifications from uncooked to well done are

Uncooked
Blue (inside uncooked outside cooked)
Rare (red)
Medium Rare (juicy and red)
Medium (juicy)
Medium Well Done (bit of juice left)
Well Done (leather)

The most effective way of eating a steak is probably raw as nothing dissapears incl fat.

[Hotmoltenlava]

Sometimes I get really impatient when I cook steak or I just don't have time to make sure it gets to medium. So I'll just cook the outside until it's brown/kinda burnt. But when I go and cut it open, it is SUPER rare. Am I absorbing the nutrients even if it is that rare?

Buy a ThermoFork. They are only like $10 and you can cook a perfect steak every time. I always shoot for medium-rare. I believe steak is better for you, the less it is cooked. Well done eliminates some nutrients and is harder to digest.

[bseidl]

The most effective way of eating a steak is probably raw as nothing dissapears incl fat.

raw? I don't know if I'd want to eat raw steak. Besides I believe cooking helps break down the meat so it degests better. Plus it takes care of any bacteria.

[Jules Verne]

Too rare is when it's still on a live cow.

Actually depends totally on the cut - from a taste/texture/tenderness point of view.

[IraHays]

Some people like "Pittsburg" style, which seems to be the way you are cooking them.

Nothing wrong with eating raw steak, just make sure the outside gets cooked a bit, like several have mentioned.

[Dr. Horse]

Never too rare for me. I love it seared on the very outside. Barely warm center.

[The Raw Body]

raw? I don't know if I'd want to eat raw steak. Besides I believe cooking helps break down the meat so it degests better. Plus it takes care of any bacteria.

I eat all of my steaks raw, along with everything else. Digestion and absorption wise, there is no other way.

[Ke422azn]

Sometimes I get really impatient when I cook steak or I just don't have time to make sure it gets to medium. So I'll just cook the outside until it's brown/kinda burnt. But when I go and cut it open, it is SUPER rare. Am I absorbing the nutrients even if it is that rare?

Do you want a magical number? How do you expect people to answer this. Is there an International System of Units for the measurement of "rareness"? NO!

Some people eat raw meat, some people eat well done. Asking how rare is too rare is like asking "how poor is too poor". For some people 1 billion is too poor, for some its 10 bucks. Whats your take, nobody else knows.

[IraHays]

Asking how rare is too rare is like asking "how poor is too poor".

That wasn't what he asked.

[bookv]

Having the inside raw is fine. You'd still absorb the nutrients from it. if you don't want it so raw, cut the steak a little thinner so it cooks faster.

[Ilove2Huck]

Lots of people don't know what they are talking about. Overcooking steak is not good. You arn't going to die from eating rare steak. You only have to worry about cooking the outside (where the bacteria forms when they hang the racks of meat in the freezers) It doesnt penetrate deep into the steak and the only reason you cook a hamburger well-done is because when they grind the meat the outside (where bacteria forms) is mixed throughout the meat so it needs to reach a certain temp in the center to be safe, but even that is debatable seeing as the only cuts of meat with a lot of bacteria are the ones on the outside of the rack of cow when its hanging.

[LUCKY_13]

Here's the way I cook a steak which makes it perfect IMO:

1) Heat grill/fry plate (whatever) until it's really really hot.
2) Sprinkle ONE side of the steak with salt and pepper and put this side
face down on the grill plate. Avoid piercing the meat.
3) Cook, pressing down on the meat occassionally, until the down side is
crispy and brown.
4) Turn the steak over and cook for 1-2 minutes then turn the heat right
down to LOW setting.
5) Let it cook until the heat reaches the slow. Remove and serve.

FRIKIN BEAUTIFUL!

[2Burnt]

Some people like "Pittsburg" style, which seems to be the way you are cooking them.

Nothing wrong with eating raw steak, just make sure the outside gets cooked a bit, like several have mentioned.

That's exactly what the op is doing. Not my style, but I sale steak's Pittsburg every no and again at work. As far as time is concerned, it doesnt take long to perfect cooking a steak. Depending on temp you want it shouldnt take longer than 12 minutes unless your heat is low or your steak is thick. Even then we are talking 15 minutes.

[Andrew69]

Never too rare for me. I love it seared on the very outside. Barely warm center.

x2.

Nothing worse than wasting a perfectly good steak by burning it

[thepointman]

I take my meat well done and don't care what you blood sucking heathens say We invented fire for a reason!

[cabocoleman]

Sometimes I get really impatient when I cook steak or I just don't have time to make sure it gets to medium. So I'll just cook the outside until it's brown/kinda burnt. But when I go and cut it open, it is SUPER rare. Am I absorbing the nutrients even if it is that rare?

Here is an old restaurant trick. Poke your cheek (not your buttcheeks) and that is rare. Poke your chin and that's medium. Poke your forehead and thats well done. Poke your nose and thats medium rare.
BTW....when meat is still raw in the middle....thats called "blue".

[Ectotastic]

I take my meat well done and don't care what you blood sucking heathens say We invented fire for a reason!

You disgust me.

I eat a blue rare steak almost every day.

[Magnet Missle]

Barely cooked on the inside and well done on the outside? It sounds like you're not thawing it all the way or something.

That, or you are buying insanely thick cuts. Which sounds awesome.

Well, here's a few tips.

Make sure (if it was frozen) that it's thawed enough to easily bend in half.

Don't take the meat off the grill when you decide it's done. Take it off a little before it looks done, because when you take it off, the meat itself is still hot enough to continue cooking.

When you think you might be ready to take it off, cut it in half or cut a decent slice into it to see what color it is. Doesn't matter if it looks nice, right? Now, if you cut it in half and you think it's not done yet, DO NOT continue to judge by the exposed part. That part (where you cut it in half) will darken quickly because it's exposed. So if you cut it open and it's not done, if you want to check again, always cut a new slice.

As long as you have a decent, well-maintained grill, you only need to flip it once.

As long as it hasn't been sitting out or anything, blood will not make you sick.

^^^^ All of this goes for any animal you're cooking.

[fattony]

Don't worry about it. Food poisoning is pretty much a myth when it comes to red meat - I used to have a roommate who would eat his steaks raw. Not rare, RAW. He never got sick once.

It's better to eat meat as close to raw anyway, as that's how you retain most of its nutrients. Think about it, animals in the wild don't cook their meat. It takes some getting used to at first, and your digestive system needs some time to adjust, but try cooking all your meat rare and see if you don't notice a difference. Even chicken is surprisingly delicious when cooked medium rare.

[Turtle_Titan]

Nothing wrong with a nice rare steak. Only way I'll eat mine.

[chadwho]

Check about cooking the perfect steak on YouTube from chef Gordon Ramsay. In his video he shows ametuer butchers how to "feel" there steak for what they are looking for. He says your cheek softness would be rare, your chin softness would be medium, and the firmness of your forehead is well done. It's really the best way to tell how your steak is gonna turn out without having to buy a thermometer and stab your steak. There is no set cooking time for the right steak since every steak has a different thickness, size, and cooking temps vary. Also he mentions leaving your steak out of the fridge for at the very least 20 minutes before actually cooking it. If not, you could end up with a burnt outside and a rare inside.

[Robosco]

Steak is expensive. If you're going to cook one, cook it right. Cook it based on how it taste best, not for nutritional info. If you're just going to consume beef for protein then you can do it cheaper and faster using other protein source.

However, if you really want to cook the steak fast and don't care much for tasting its best then I suggest cutting up the meat in strips and stir fry it.

[chemo29]

almost 9 years

[Ripper908]

not sure if anyone mentioned this yet but let the steak sit at room temperate for 20 - 30 mins before cooking and itll cook alot more evenly