Cooked meat needs to be like a hockey puck, right? WRONG!

Have you ever had a steak that was SO over cooked you thought you could play hockey with it? That's the way meat should be cooked, right? Absolutely no red or pink, right? Because the red means there's blood still in there... you know, that red juice? Wrong, wrong, WRONG!

First of all, the red liquid that streams out of a properly cooked piece of beef is not blood. In fact, it is called myoglobin. Myoglobin is a protein found in almost every living being. It makes meat turn that beautiful red color, which is attributed to the iron and oxygen levels found within the myoglobin protein. Now that we know the red liquid is not blood, lets turn to how meat, specifically beef, should be cooked.

I was once of the school of thought that beef had to be at least medium-well in order for it to be edible. It wasn't until culinary school that I learned beef should be consumed medium-rare. I know, that sounds gross to those who don't know how to eat beef properly. But I assure you... if you want to know the true taste and flavor of a piece of beef, try it. For some, it's a textural thing. I understand that. If you are one who eats your steak medium well, try medium sometime! After your mouth and palate awaken from this new, delicious way to eat meat, take one step further by ordering medium rare. Even meats like pork and chicken can be eaten a little "underdone". I have not been eating my meats just a little "underdone" for 3 years now, and have never gotten food poisoning or a food-borne illness. Take a chance, let meat show you what you're missing out! And if you end up ordering the way I'm telling you, and you don't like it, you can always send it back and have it cooked a little longer. You can always cook something a little more, but you can never un-cook something. Keep that in mind :)