Photo: rez-art (Getty Images)
They say that every time a restaurant patron orders a steak cooked medium rare, somebody’s heart explodes at PETA headquarters.
According to The Takeout, diners who make the bold choice to have their steaks cooked medium rare these days shouldn’t be surprised when that steak comes out “too rare.” The reason for that actually makes a lot of sense financially, as several restaurant owners recently pointed out to the New York Post.
Stephen Hanson is the owner of Henry at Life Hotel in Midtown NYC, and he said the reason for his cooks potentially preparing a slab of meat too rare for his patrons has to do with the fact that an overcooked steak “can only be thrown out.” Tony Fortuna, who owns TBar Steak & Lounge on 3rd Avenue in New York, agreed and added that he spends $34 to buy a 24-ounce, dry-aged cut of rib-eye, so if one customer believes their steak is overcooked, he’ll “lose money on the whole table.”
Plus there’s the whole “this shit is so cool right now” factor, and yes, a rarer steak is way more bitching than an overcooked one.
“Overcooking steak is regarded [by some] as a greater moral and aesthetic sin than undercooking it,” author Mark Schatzker said. “A rare steak is edgy … [but] an overcooked steak, on the other hand, is a criminal act, like putting ketchup on foie gras.”
Meanwhile, if you’re ordering your chicken medium rare, you’re still an idiot.
