Why do professional chefs always cook their beef to medium rare?

Well, @kerryk, if it's any consolation, the juices from the beef isn't blood at all. It's a combination of water, fat and myoglobin which is a protein found in muscles. This myoglobin is what causes the beef to be red in color.

Myoglobin, by the way, is what differentiates the white meat from dark meat in fowls. In fact, most of the blood is actually removed during the slaughter process. The liquid that is in the package of beef you purchased is not blood.

This is primarily water and the myoglobin. Since beef is a muscle, the toughness of the meat will be determined by how much that muscle is used. A shoulder roast is going to take longer to cook and is best cooked with a wet heat, whereas the rib meats will be more tender and can be cooked directly on a dry heat source, like on a grill.

With the more tender cuts, it's important to trap as much moister in the meat as possible. That's why so many chefs sear the meat to caramelize the outside of the steak. Another reason that chefs remove beefs from the heat source is because the meat will continue to cook for about five to ten minutes more.

The inner heat of the meat will rise up to 10 degrees. Great chefs are fully aware of the cooking techniques for preparing different cuts of beef. Eating a steak shouldn't result in a sore jaw.

Cooking is their occupation and it's important that they serve the best tasting and most tender beef dishes.

I understand what you mean. I used to dislike steak that was anything less than well done. However, over time I've now become used to steak that is significantly less cooked.

All things considered, I actually now prefer medium rare. The steak is just much more tender this way. If it's too well cooked, the quality of meat matters less and it becomes more like a hamburger.

Medium rare allows a fine cut of meat that's well prepared to truly stand out. I can handle medium rare, but I'm on exactly the same page as you in terms of blue rare. I just can't stand it.

I know that this is the accepted way of cooking beef steaks or roast beef, but like you I simply cannot stand it. I can accept a little pink in the middle, but anything more completely turns me off eating it. It looks raw and I'm squeamish!

I can remember several occasions in the past when I have been at a restaurant and ordered a steak, asked for it to be well cooked, (because they always cook it less than that) and have had to ask the waiter to return it to the kitchen for extra cooking. You can always tell that they think you are some kind of a nut job, but that is how I like it and I am the one paying. I agree that if good quality beef is overcooked, it can dry out and become tough, but I don't mean to that degree and I have never found a steak to be tough when cooked just pink in the middle.

I think the most revolting thing in the way of serving steak I can think of is steak tartar, where the raw steak is minced and mixed with tartar sauce, then served, Yuk!

Anything over medium rare makes the meat tough.

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