Ever ordered the perfect steak, only to cut into it and see blood ooze out which then gives you the ick?
Well, it's time to worry no more as it turns out that it actually isn't blood that comes out of a succulent rare steak - which perhaps makes those wild 'red meat only diets' now look a little less gruesome.
Let's get into it...
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Many are understandably a little put off by steaks when it comes to how they're cooked (something I cannot relate to, by the way), because not everyone fancies chowing down on a bit of meat that looks like it's barely hit the grill.
Yet all meat-eaters will know that the trick to cooking a perfect steak is actually having it on the grill for as little time as possible, as an overcooked steak can often result in a dry and unpleasant bit of meat.
However, the pinkish-red liquid that oozes out of them isn't at all a sign that they're too undercooked or completely raw.
This has been revealed by Steak School by Stankbroke, who have gone into the nitty gritty of how exactly a cut of steak should be prepared.
Did you know that even the rarest and 'bloodiest' looking cut of meat doesn't actually contain any blood? Pretty much all blood is taken out of meat during processing, long before it gets to your plate.
So, that liquid you see oozing out of your steak is a combination of water - which makes up about 75 percent of meat - and a protein found in muscle tissue called myoglobin.
This is a protein that stores oxygen in muscles, particularly in the heart and skeletal muscles.
The reason the myoglobin is so red and appears to be blood-like is because the iron it contains turns red when it is exposed to oxygen, which explains why muscle tissue is red.
Most mammals contain this protein, which explains why 'red meat' comes from animals like cows, lamb and pork, while on the other hand, animals that contain low myoglobin fall under the poultry and seafood bracket.
So, the next time you order your steak 'as bloody as possible', just remember that there's not actually any blood!
This comes after a chef revealed which cut of steak you should never order, and it may surprise you.
American chef David Burke told NJ.com that the cut of steak he'd avoid is the fancily-named filet mignon, saying that while he doesn't dislike it, 'it's certainly not the best cut of meat'.
He said that the cut of steak got famous in France and became popular among chefs because it didn't have a bone in it, and was thus easy to carve and clean.
The chef said it was a 'safe bet' for those working in the kitchen, because they could sauce it easily, but it pales in comparison to other cuts of steak. Who knew?
Topics: Food And Drink
Emily Puckering