About Steak cooking temperature.
How done is done?  Steak lovers all like their steak cooked a certain way, and why not ?  Having a great steak is part of enjoying the good life and our individual choices are what make us unique.  To accomodate everyones unique taste there are many different levels of cooking that all have their advantages.  So, cook it the way you like !   Here is a guide to common steak temperatures.


Raw:  Raw must be done with the highest quality of meat and although it is designated as Raw most dishes that call for raw beef use citris or some other acidic compound that actually does “cook” the meat a little bit.  Common dishes that may contain raw beef are steak tartare and carpaccio. 


Blue Rare/Very Rare (100 degrees F core temp):  When a steak is prepared “Blue” it is cooked very quickly.  The outside is seared over high head but the inside is cool or barely warmed.  Steaks prepared to this temperature are often very chewy and not as juicy since there has not been much heat applied to draw out the natural juices in the steak.


Rare (120 degrees F core temp):  Also cooked very quickly with a seared outside.  The inside is dark red and only slightly warm.  Often to get a truly rare steak a person would need to cook and monitor it themselves.  Many steakhouses will cook to medium rare as their minimum level of temperature.  Rare steaks can be very juicy and for alot of steak connoissours this is the only way to go.


Medium rare (126 degrees F core temp):  Cooked to a red warm center.  Many consider this to be the sweet spot for steaks.  No part of the steak is cold and very little of the steaks juices have been cooked away.  This is also the minimum level that most steak houses will cook to.  It is also the favorite of most of us here at Chicago Steak Company.


Medium (135 degrees F core temp): The center is hot and red surrounded by pink.  The outside is brown and fully cooked.  Medium is truly a great temperature because every part of the steak is piping hot when eaten.  Medium is probably the second most popular temperature for premium steaks.


Medium well (145 degrees core temp):  The center is pink and the outside is brown and fully cooked.  Medium well is probably the highest temperature anyone should consider cooking a premium steak.  As heat is increased moisture and flavor is decreased.  Medium well is still a great tasting steak but will not be as juicy as a Medium or Medium Rare.


Well Done (165 degree core temp):  The meat is brown throughout and slightly charred.   Why not just eat a piece of shoe leather.