When serving steak

[SuperMartianRobotGirl]

Just curious. I've always wondered about this.

Are you expected to ask each person how they like it cooked? If not, do you cook all of it to medium and hope everyone is OK with that as it's medium? What if you like it very well done? Can you cook it all to very well done? What if you think it's sacrilegious to cook steak any way but rare? Can you cook it all to rare?

I've always been afraid to serve steak for this reason. I've gone to dinner parties where various things have been done and I've never known if there is a right answer at all about this.

[Rivaini]

I generally do about half of them rare, and half of them medium rare.

If someone likes their steak well done they usually mention it, so I do those by request.

[Amara]

I think it's important to ask how people like it done. Steaks (and hamburgers) are foods that can be served in various states, and most of us have specific preferences. (Well done for me, please.) I would find it hard to eat even one bite of a rare, medium-rare, or even medium steak. I just can't. And I think others might find my well done steak to be  .... inedible.

[Nika]

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This.

[NyaChan]

Personally, I would tell people how I planned to cook it and ask if anyone had a preference other than that.  As in, "I am planning on cooking this medium, but if you'd like yours more or less done, please just let me know when to get it out of the oven/grill/etc."  I think it is inhospitable to cook all the steaks rare when you know or suspect that the people present may not be able to eat it at that level.  It is better to check.  If I overcook it, people may not like the taste/texture, but they don't have to worry about it being ok to eat.  However, my mom for example can't eat undercooked meat and always needs medium well+ (which I can't stand, I like things bloody ) 

[sparksals]

Telling people how you plan to cook it may make them feel awkward asking for it a different way.   When cooking steak, the polite and proper thing for a host to do is ask their guest how they enjoy their steak and cook it that way to the best of their ability.  I would not dream of making steaks, spending the money on them and then taking the chance of them being inedible for my guests.   I cannot eat well done.  I can only eat rare or medium rare.  I would feel badly not being able to eat a steak presented to me. 


Not asking puts both the host and guest in awkward position.  The simple thing to do is ask.  That avoids any problems.

[jpcher]

Telling people how you plan to cook it may make them feel awkward asking for it a different way.   When cooking steak, the polite and proper thing for a host to do is ask their guest how they enjoy their steak and cook it that way to the best of their ability.  I would not dream of making steaks, spending the money on them and then taking the chance of them being inedible for my guests.   I cannot eat well done.  I can only eat rare or medium rare.  I would feel badly not being able to eat a steak presented to me. 


Not asking puts both the host and guest in awkward position.  The simple thing to do is ask.  That avoids any problems.

I agree with this. I think steak is one of those meals that people are especially particular about. The other thing that people are particular about is the cut of the steak. That's why I avoid serving them at large parties*.

If it's a foursome dinner party, nothing wrong with asking. If there are more guests? It could turn into a chef's nightmare, keeping all the orders straight.


*If you're talking about something like a London Broil or a Prime Rib, something that serves the masses with one cut of steak then you should cook them to recipe specification. If your talking about individual rib-eye, porterhouse, or T-bone, then you should ask how the guests like them done.

[DavidH]

For a relatively small group, I'd ask guests how they prefer their steak.  For a very large group, if I were serving steak, I might make a few medium rare, a few medium and a few medium well and hope the proportions worked out.

I don't think people expect the same level of precision as in a restaurant and can be somewhat flexible. For example, I like medium rare, but rare or medium at a dinner party would work for me.  I'd manage to eat well done, but it would not be the most pleasant thing for me. 

[Outdoor Girl]

For a relatively small group, I'd ask guests how they prefer their steak.  For a very large group, if I were serving steak, I might make a few medium rare, a few medium and a few medium well and hope the proportions worked out.

Yup.   

[Perfect Circle]

I would always ask. I think it's pretty important when it comes to steak.

[buvezdevin]

An option picked up from Alton Brown which works well for us with the very thick cut steaks we generally use (we get them cut to order at Publix when porterhouse, etc. are on sale, and freeze) is to grill the steaks, then cut off the bone into several ounce pieces, and allow guests to select their pieces, from a passed plate or buffet.

We cook a bit more than expected will be eaten, and have found this worked well among our friends - where some may eat more than a single steak, and others are not likely to eat a full steak.  Also, it is evident to what degree each piece is cooked.

[Sharnita]

I would tend to cook more of it rare and offer to throw it back on the grill if it is not done to their taste. You can cook it a bit longer if needed but you can't uncook it.

[Zilla]

It's the reason why i do it whole roast instead of steaks.  That way you get some well done pieces on the outside of the roast, and medium well and rare in the center.


I prefer it warm red in the center and I won't eat well done steaks.  It's inedible to me and prefer not to be chewing for hours on dry overcooked meat which my husband favors.  For a small party, I might make steaks and ask everyone.  But for anything larger, I would make anything but steaks.

[Outdoor Girl]

The other option is to get one really big, thick steak.  Marinate it and then throw it on the grill.  You then slice it like a roast.  The outside pieces are well done and the inside is increasingly rare.

We do this with top sirloin all the time - we call it a London broil but I'm not sure that's the right term.

[amylouky]

I think it would be best to ask, as well.
We usually just get a count.. say, 3 well done, 3 medium, 2 rare.. we'll throw 3 on the grill first, wait a few minutes, throw three more on, wait a few, then throw the last two on. That way they're all done at the same time. It'd not as chaotic as it might sound.