Meat Cooking: What Does Rare, Medium and Well Done Mean?

Cooking meat is a real art, whether in a pan, in the oven or on the barbecue , it is a very important step to avoid ruining a nice cut and, at the same time, to guarantee a safe product from a food point of view. When we talk about rare, medium or well done meat, we generally refer to beef, as for chicken and pork the advice is always to never eat them raw, in order to protect yourself from possible contamination. With beef, however, the opportunities multiply, so much so that in the restaurant it is practically obligatory for the waiter to ask the customer how he prefers a steak or a hamburger to be served. Let's see in detail what these different cooking methods mean for meat, which affect color, consistency and even flavor.

Rare Meat is For True Connoisseurs

This is one of the favorite cooking methods for many meat lovers and is particularly suitable for high-quality cuts, such as the fillet and sirloin of a Florentine steak, which maintain a bright red color on the inside while sealing perfectly on the outside, forming the characteristic crust. Once ready, before serving the meat whole or sliced, the advice is to let it rest for a few minutes, so that the juices can distribute evenly, thus ensuring a succulent and tasty result. In this category, two different variations can actually be recognized. Blue cooking, with the meat that is practically only seared for two minutes per side in order to obtain the Maillard reaction, and which maintains a temperature of between 104-113°F/40-45°C at the heart, and rare cooking, with the thermometer reaching 122-125°F/50-52°C and a couple of minutes more total spent in the pan than the beef. In short, not quite raw, but almost.

Medium Rare is The Most Popular

If you are looking for a good balance between soft consistency and moisture, this type of cooking is one of the most popular. The inside is pink and the outside browned. In this case the meat is cooked for a slightly longer period than the previous one, and is suitable for a wide range of cuts, giving tenderness and flavor: it is no coincidence, in fact, that it meets the approval of the majority of people. There are two options you can refer to; the medium rare one, with a temperature that is between 131°F/55°C and 136°F/58°C, cooking for 3 minutes per side and the medium one (ideal for hamburgers ) which at the heart is between 140°F/60 °C and 145°F/63°C, maximum 149°F/65°C, but not more, for 3-4 minutes. What is the best way to proceed? Keep the flame medium-high, turn every now and then and also here let it rest for 5 minutes before bringing to the table.

Well-Done Meat, Only If You Really Have To

Firm consistency, uniform color that turns gray-brown, no liquid leakage: well-cooked meat is perfect for those who do not like having droplets on the plate. It cooks for a longer period of time, about 6-7 minutes. Adjust the flame well, so as to avoid burning: the maximum temperature at the core is 158°F/70°C, do not go beyond, otherwise you risk producing the "shoe sole" effect, with completely dry and flavorless meat.

Cooking Meat Times Based On Doneness

• Bleu (104-113F): 1-2 minutes per side;
• Rare (122-125F): 2 minutes per side;
• Medium rare (131-136F): 3 minutes per side;
• Medium (140-145F): 3-4 minutes per side;
• Medium-well (150 F – 155 F ) (65.5 C to 68.3 C) ;
• Well done (max 158F): 6-7 minutes per side.