Medium-rare steak gets cooked to an internal temperature of 130-135 degrees, while medium gets cooked to 140-145 degrees. Both cooks have a slight amount of pink in the center that can be generally safe to eat when the steak has been handled and cooked properly.
The chef-recommended temperature will likely be medium-rare for steak choices in your typical restaurant. The filet mignon might be prepared somewhere between rare and medium-rare as it is a leaner cut. You would find that many other cuts of beef might be suited to different internal temperatures.
The main difference is that medium is cooked for longer than medium rare. I spent many hours in culinary school perfecting the exact degree of doneness for steaks. So, showing you the variations between these two points is a breeze!
The answer: When it comes to nutrients – protein, iron, zinc, etc. – there's no difference between steak that is cooked medium rare or well done. The concern is that meat cooked until it's well done contains more potential carcinogens called heterocyclic amines (HCAs) than meat cooked for a shorter time.
No risk of sickness
So eating that medium or rare steak isn't going to make you sick. More to the point, cooking a steak to rare – an internal temperature of 135°F is heating the meat hot enough to kill the bacteria that cause those ailments in the first place.
Most chefs regard beef cooked to medium-rare — with an internal temperature of 130 degrees off the grill and 135 degrees after resting — as the best way to bring out flavor and retain moisture in tender cuts such as rib-eye and top loin.
Certified Angus Beef says that a steak is considered rare when it is cooked to 125 degrees Fahrenheit. This falls short of the USDA's recommendations by 20 degrees, so it's still not considered safe to consume.
Medium-rare steak gets cooked to an internal temperature of 130-135 degrees, while medium gets cooked to 140-145 degrees. Both cooks have a slight amount of pink in the center that can be generally safe to eat when the steak has been handled and cooked properly.
“Officials say the internal temperature of a steak, or other solid cut of meat, is not a significant health concern because harmful bacteria that may be present would normally only be on the surface of the meat, and would be eliminated even if cooked “rare.””
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.
Undercooked. If a steak hasn't been cooked long enough, it can become chewy or tough as there hasn't been enough time for the heat to fully penetrate and melt the fat and any connective tissue.
If your medium rare steak has been cooked to a minimal internal temperature of 145°F and then allowed to sit for three minutes, it's safe even though its center is pink.
Rare: 2.5 percent. Medium-rare: 22.5 percent. Medium: 37.5 percent. Medium-well: 25.8 percent.
However, many chefs and steak connoisseurs will say that medium rare provides the best steak flavor. Medium rare also allows the steak to retain its juiciness, whereas a more cooked steak tends to be a drier piece of meat.
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.
Salmonella. Eating undercooked or raw poultry or red meat increases your risk for becoming infected with salmonella. Symptoms include abdominal cramps, fever and diarrhea and begin within 12 to 72 hours of consuming contaminated food.
The steak temperature that garnered the most votes was medium rare, with 223 of the votes — nearly 36%. The next favorite is medium, with 158 votes, or 25%. Medium well came in third with about 19%, or 118 votes. Fourth place is reserved for well-done, with nearly 15% of the respondents, or 93 votes.
Medium (or Medium-Rare) Meat
That means your steak or burger will be tender but well-cooked and provide just enough flavor. High-quality meat will be tasty at this temperature and tender enough to chew easily. The center of the meat will display a light pink color with charred brown outsides.
Leaner cuts — think tenderloin, flat iron, flank, strip, filet mignon, and hanger cuts — should be ordered rare or medium-rare, as less cook times let them stay tender, and cooking them well-done will cause the steak to toughen up. However, for marbled cuts, like ribeye and the Denver steak, medium tastes best.
The reason why you can't eat raw chicken, compared to other types of meat, is because bacteria can easily survive the processing procedure. Salmonella lives in the intestines of chickens and, due to the way the meat is processed, these parts can easily contaminate the rest of the chicken and remain there when sold.
Best cuts: Sirloin tip side steak, eye of round roast, top round steak and bottom round steak. Worst cuts: T-bone steak, rib-eye steak, filet mignon and porterhouse steak.
For those on a restricted calorie intake, chicken is the way to go. A serving of chicken provides less calories, as well as less cholesterol and saturated fat than beef. With chicken's lower calorie content, beef packs a hefty punch due to its higher fat content! Chicken is the most versatile and adaptable meat.
Dietary goal
If you eat red meat, limit consumption to no more than about three portions per week. Three portions is equivalent to about 350–500g (about 12–18oz) cooked weight.