Miller and Carter tell customers why they are served half a lettuce with their steak

Picture this - you've decided to treat yourself with a trip to a fancy steak house and, after deciding which cut of meat to go for, you're now patiently waiting for your meal to arrive.

And when the waiter finally arrives, they only bring over a bunch of lettuce leafs instead of your 12oz Ribeye.

For diners at Miller & Carter steakhouses, being greeted with a complimentary bowl of lettuce is common occurrence.

But have you ever wondered why there's so much focus on bland vegetable at a specialist meat restaurant?

Turns out the inoffensive salad item is stepped in steakhouse history, with Miller & Carter often sharing 'Wedgucation' posts with their meat-loving audiences.

Taking to social media, Miller & Carter recently revealed the long history behind the bowl of lettuce, writing: "What is the history of our signature lettuce wedge?"

It turns out the idea of serving up a slice of iceberg lettuce dates all the way back to the 1950's, with the initial idea being to use the wedge as a palate cleanser before your main meal.

"The lettuce wedge is derived from 1950's steakhouses and is traditionally given just before your meal. Back then it was offered to you plain, with no dressings," the post continued.

The 'Masters of Steak' have certainly upgraded the tradition as well, with their lettuce bowls including delicious toppings such as avocado, caesar salad and crispy bacon.

Miller & Carter)

Expanding further on the tradition, Miller & Carter revealed via their website that they don't consider their take on the dish to be a palate cleanser but instead a 'refreshing accompaniment' to the main meal.

"It’s a refreshing accompaniment that is meant to complement the rich flavours of our steak with its cold, crisp texture and fresh taste," they wrote.

It turns out there are also benefits to eating the vegetable with such a meat heavy meal, with Miller & Carter adding that iceberg lettuce is 'shown to support digestion' by helping your body 'break down heavy carbohydrates and proteins'.

Cool, right?

Keith Mayhew/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

There's also plenty of debate on what's the best way to consume the lettuce amongst customers, with one diner recently taking to Reddit to ask others whether they eat the wedge prior to their main meal or with their steak.

"I've just been to Miller and Carter for the boxing day set menu and was shocked and appalled when the table next to us immediately tucked into their lettuce wedges as a little starter. Psychopaths, the lot of them," they declared.

"I then had a thought, is this commonplace? Am I the odd one out, eating it with the main as a side to the steak and fries?" they then asked.

The responses were pretty mixed, with some users calling the lettuce 'a silly gimmick' while others ate the dish as a 'pre main'.

So there you go, every day is a school day.