This brought to mind a scene from a movie I probably saw about 40 years ago. "Cash McCall" with James Garner and Natalie Wood. If I remember correctly, he was in a restaurant and ordered steak. When he got it, he sent it back because it wasn't cooked enough with the instruction to "cook it til it's black and crunchy". When he got it he poured ketchup on it and at the end of the meal he sent his compliments to the chef. It's strange how memory works, I can't remember any other scenes from the movie.
My 86yr old father has always ordered his steaks and prime rib well-done—with only salt & pepper for accent. Eating choice cuts of beef transformed into grey shoe leather is an acquired taste, I must admit. As a boy, I ate steaks prepared the same way as my dad; my older brother liked them medium-rare (Yuck!, I thought). My tastes changed as I grew older and I began to see and taste the beauty of a seared, pink-in-the-middle prime cut of juicy, tender steak.
My parents like their steaks medium-medium well. I used to eat my steaks like that too. But then I started figuring out the differences between rare, medium rare etc... and then started grilling my own. At home, I don't let anyone grill my steak because I want it done my way...
I agree it is a learned thing, when I was young I couldnt even watch anyone eat a blood rare steak much less eat one myself.. I can eat them bloody now and really they don't taste bad, I just prefer them crispy(black on the outside and grey in the middle) .. My wife likes hers almost raw, they definately need to be bleeding for her to really enjoy them...
A tough cut of steak is best chicken fried, unfortunately that will give it about 3000 more calories than I should eat at a meal.
On the rare nights we ate steak when I was a kid, mom cooked the hell out of them and I remember slicing them as thin as possible so it was easier to chew them. Now I love to see a deep, deep pink in the center and a plate full of blood when I'm done eating and I've got one of my boys eating them the same way. he wants them bloody and on the bone. Good boy!
You should try your pork cooked a bit less. A good loin cut of pork, cooked medium rare, is a wonderful thing!! If it's not pink in the middle, you cooked it too long (IMO). Trichinosis is a thing of the past. I cook my loin cuts to 130°F to 135°F and enjoy the flavor of the meat.
I'll have to give it a shot. I never heard of the sickness being a thing of the past though. Not saying I don't believe you.
The USDA finally lowered their temperature recommendations about 2 or 3 years ago. I first came across porked served pink about 12 years ago at a restaurant in Denver. I tried to send it back but the chef assured me it was safe. It was the best piece of pork I had ever eaten up to that point and I've been cooking loins and chops that way ever since. Here's an article I just found: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/...1_cooking-pork-pork-chops-national-pork-board
I like my meat to be DEAD !!! "Medium - Well Done" is my Steak finish of choice. Should look damn near cremated on the outside and a nice light brown in the very center and not a trace of vampire juice ANYWHERE within a 3 block radius.
I'm a fan of medium rare, but however it's cook you have to get USDA choice, doesn't matter how you cook it a sickly emaciated cow won't taste good
Blue-rare to medium-rare is still in the tasty range, but in general, the redder the inside, the tastier.
