Poll: How do you like your meat cooked?

[HoneyVision]

Spoiler

I gather this thread is about beef steaks because a lot of meat has to ACTUALLY be cooked before it's edible. Even "Well done" isn't really 'cooked', it's just seared so that the outside is crispy while the inside is still raw and bloody. Which has its merits I guess but I find it lazy and gross to be honest. Still yum every once in a while though.

'Cooked' is when every grain of meat in the portion is heated so that it melts in your mouth. That's how us Mediterraneans cook meat. Now THAT'S an art.

Blue - Outside browned, inside is completely raw. Can barely see anything cooked in cross section.

Rare - Outside browned/seared, inside slightly pink, still mostly raw. All three stages of cooking visible in cross section.

Medium Rare - Rare, but less so. About 50% raw.

Medium - All meat cooked, inside still pink.

Medium Well - All meat cooked, slight hint of pinkness.

Well Done - Brown through and through.

Again, these are all only relevant to STEAKS, not meat in general. "Well done" in steaks is still mostly undercooked because the meat is still chewy as f*ck. Cooking beef in a grill or a pressure cooker...now THAT'S cooking it because that's when it just melts in your mouth.

Afraid you're wrong. Those terms refer to steaks, burgers, and roasts. Which basically encompasses the entire meat spectrum.

And, I'm afraid, you have no idea what you're talking about. Different cooking methods and different types of meat result in different types of textures. Well done is, in fact, cooked all the way through - However, when you're talking about burgers and steaks, you're usually using a high heat method. That results in a lot of lost moisture and fat, which results in a tough piece of meat.

When you use something like a slow cooker or pressure cooker, you're usually subjecting a larger quantity (Or portion) of meat to a far less severe source of heat, which doesn't drive moisture or fat out quite as violently. During these methods, you're also usually adding your own moisture into the pot, providing a replacement for anything that does leak out of the meat.

As for grilling, I'm assuming your talking about indirect grilling, which is essentially the same low heat environment. Of note is that typically, for this kind of grilling, you choose fatty types of meat (Brisket), as those kinds of meat have more moisture (Fat) to lose before they become dry. Also typically, one puts panned water in the grill as well to keep things moist.

Right, but the fact remains that the Western way of making steaks, they are always somewhat chewy. The meat never disintegrates in your mouth when you start to eat it.

 

[HybridChangeling]

Well Done all the way. I used to have a weak stomach and spent my teens learning what leftovers you cannot microwave and thus don't take many chances with meat anymore.

 

[DefunctTheory]

Spoiler

Spoiler

I gather this thread is about beef steaks because a lot of meat has to ACTUALLY be cooked before it's edible. Even "Well done" isn't really 'cooked', it's just seared so that the outside is crispy while the inside is still raw and bloody. Which has its merits I guess but I find it lazy and gross to be honest. Still yum every once in a while though.

'Cooked' is when every grain of meat in the portion is heated so that it melts in your mouth. That's how us Mediterraneans cook meat. Now THAT'S an art.

Blue - Outside browned, inside is completely raw. Can barely see anything cooked in cross section.

Rare - Outside browned/seared, inside slightly pink, still mostly raw. All three stages of cooking visible in cross section.

Medium Rare - Rare, but less so. About 50% raw.

Medium - All meat cooked, inside still pink.

Medium Well - All meat cooked, slight hint of pinkness.

Well Done - Brown through and through.

Again, these are all only relevant to STEAKS, not meat in general. "Well done" in steaks is still mostly undercooked because the meat is still chewy as f*ck. Cooking beef in a grill or a pressure cooker...now THAT'S cooking it because that's when it just melts in your mouth.

Afraid you're wrong. Those terms refer to steaks, burgers, and roasts. Which basically encompasses the entire meat spectrum.

And, I'm afraid, you have no idea what you're talking about. Different cooking methods and different types of meat result in different types of textures. Well done is, in fact, cooked all the way through - However, when you're talking about burgers and steaks, you're usually using a high heat method. That results in a lot of lost moisture and fat, which results in a tough piece of meat.

When you use something like a slow cooker or pressure cooker, you're usually subjecting a larger quantity (Or portion) of meat to a far less severe source of heat, which doesn't drive moisture or fat out quite as violently. During these methods, you're also usually adding your own moisture into the pot, providing a replacement for anything that does leak out of the meat.

As for grilling, I'm assuming your talking about indirect grilling, which is essentially the same low heat environment. Of note is that typically, for this kind of grilling, you choose fatty types of meat (Brisket), as those kinds of meat have more moisture (Fat) to lose before they become dry. Also typically, one puts panned water in the grill as well to keep things moist.

Right, but the fact remains that the Western way of making steaks, they are always somewhat chewy. The meat never disintegrates in your mouth when you start to eat it.

I don't really know what to say besides 'have you actually eaten beef before?'

So I'm just going to stop now. Because this is getting ridiculous.