Steak is one of the most versatile and customizable meat options available. With so many cut types and doneness levels to choose from, steakhouses can serve tailor-made steaks to satisfy every meat-lover’s palette. While different cuts of steak offer different flavors and textures, the doneness level of your steak determines the flavor, texture, temperature, and color of your steak.
“How would you like that cooked?”
This a question that every steak restaurant in Dallas will ask you following your order. Although many people answer this question confidently, others tend to be unsure what level of steak doneness matches their preference for color and texture. In fact, it happens all the time at steakhouses – someone orders a medium rare steak, then cuts into it and sees that it contains more red than they had anticipated. Other times, the steak may appear to suit your preferences until you reach the center, which could be more rare than you favor. If this has ever happened to you, it could indicate that you are not actually ordering your steak the way that you would like it to appear on your plate.
When you dine at Y.O. Ranch Steakhouse, we want to make sure that your order is just to your liking the first time it leaves our kitchen, from the first bite until the last. While our servers are always happy to guide you through your options, here is a closer look at the different ways to order your steak for lunch or dinner.
Raw
If you’re going to learn about the different ways a steak can be cooked, it’s helpful to know a thing or two about the meat before it hits the grill. After all, this can help give insight into how the state of the meat changes as it cooks. In its raw, uncooked form, a steak will feel squishy and soft while the fat surrounding the steak will be hard. As the steak sits on the grill, the meat will become firmer and the fat shrinks and softens.
Blue Rare
A blue steak is exactly what you would expect it to be – seasoned, browned, and warm just on the outside and bright red in the middle. It cooks for a very short amount of time and is soft to the touch. The center of blue rare steak is 50 – 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Rare
A rare cooked steak is cooked just a bit longer than a blue rare steak, enough to sear the outside while keeping a 75% red center. The center is still cool, about 86 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Medium Rare
For steak lovers who like a rare center with the thickest brown crust possible, a medium rare is the best option. The steak is warm throughout, with an internal temperature of 134 to 145 degrees Fahrenheit. The outside of the steak is firm and well-browned while the inside of the steak is 50% red and soft.
Medium
A medium cooked steak is the happy middle between rare and well-done. It is the favorite choice for those who like very little color, 25%, at the center of their steak while the rest is well charred to a rich brown. While it does contain a slightly spongy texture at its center, the steak is otherwise firm to the touch.
Medium Well
This level of doneness is the preferred choice for people that do not want any color in their meat, although it may contain a very light shade of pink at the center. Medium well steaks are stiff and are covered with a charred, dark brown crust.
Well Done
On the far right-hand side of the steak doneness scale are well done steaks. The steak is fully cooked throughout without the slightest hint of pink. It is also the most difficult way to cook a steak, as it must be browned through without burning the outside. However, the best Texas steakhouses have perfected techniques that result in a perfectly well done steak each time.
Our Dallas Steakhouse Will Cook The Steak of Your Dreams
We hope that while reading through this guide, you are able to find your match for steak doneness. Whether it’s rare, medium, or well done, Y.O. Steakhouse in Dallas, Texas is happy to cook and serve your steak exactly how you like it. For steak done right, make your Dallas restaurant reservations now. Perfect marbling, expert aging, precise grilling – we put our passion into every cut for a sublime steak experience
