Why You Should Think Twice Before Ordering A Steak Between Temps

There's a lot of back-and-forth debate over a steak's ideal temperature. Is medium fine? Or is anything above rare a destruction of the steak's flavor? We won't even get into the topic of well-done steaks. Regardless of which temperature an expertly ordered steak should be, you might be tempted to customize your order even more by asking for a steak cooked in between medium-rare and rare, or between medium and well-done.

Should you do that? We here at The Takeout spoke to Russell Kook, the chef and culinary director at The Bellevue Chicago restaurant, which offers an extensive steak menu. When asked if he'd be annoyed by a customer ordering an steak in between temperatures, Kook explained how it's not always feasible. According to Kook: "Not annoyed, but I'll be honest — it's a tightrope to walk. That 'in-between' temperature requires laser focus, especially on a busy night."

Generally, it's considered a faux pas to ask for a steak in between temperatures (like "medium-rare plus," a trendy term which means slightly above medium-rare, but less than medium), and it's typically one of the things you should never say when ordering steak. However, Kook is also a seasoned professional, and will still try to honor those requests for a semi-medium rare or a nearly well-done steak. "If that's how the customer likes it, we do our best to hit the mark," he assured.

In case you never knew the specifics of what terms like medium-rare or well-done mean, they refer to the internal temperature to which a steak is cooked. Typically, rare steaks are cooked to 120 degrees Fahrenheit, medium steaks are 140 degrees Fahrenheit, and well-done is any steak above 160 degrees Fahrenheit. However, if a steak lands within a few degrees of that temperature, it's still usually considered properly cooked. It's hard to be that precise without a dedicated meat thermometer and vigilance, and a busy restaurant kitchen which is cooking steaks for a full house can't possibly devote that much attention to every steak.

If chefs anticipate finicky customers in the dining room, the restaurant may purposefully undercook a steak because it's much easier to cook a steak further, rather than un-cook an overdone steak (Plus, a resting steak is still cooking internally, too). If it's really important to you, you can try requesting an exact number in degrees Fahrenheit, but don't take it personally if the restaurant says they can't guarantee that. It certainly beats asking for a "medium rare plus" steak, which does not officially exist.