Is it safe that the medium-rare steak is cold in the middle

food-safetysteak

I do my steak in a heavy-bottomed pan on the stovetop for a couple of minutes a side on high heat and it comes out just as I like it – medium rare.

Before cooking, I usually remove the steak from the fridge and let it come up to room temperature. Yesterday I was in a hurry and didn't do that. The steak was done perfectly, but the middle was cold to the touch. Is it still safe to eat if the temperature in the middle is still cold?

It looked between Rare and Medium Rare on this image below:

Doneness - http://chicolockersausage.com/2012/01/27/fun-meat-fact-friday-internal-temperatures-and-meat-me-updates/

image source

Best Answer

Solid meat (such as a roast or steak) can be quite rare on the inside and still be considered safe by conservative government or academic standards. Solid meat is different from ground meat because bacteria (Salmonella and E. coli are of particular concern) get mixed into the meat from the surface when the meat is ground. When you sear a steak, you effectively clean the surface where the potential bacteria live.

Those same conservative standards don't recognize rare (as in cold) as safe. However, steak tartare and other raw beef is served in restaurants all over the world.

Source Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

According to the same extremely conservative source:

the meat needs to reach 145°F internally and stand for three or more minutes before cutting or consuming. Unfortunately, even if preferred by foodies, there's no way to guarantee the safety of rare meat. That also means raw meat delights, like steak tartare or beef carpaccio, are not considered safe.

I have many years of experience eating very rare and sometimes raw beef. If the meat is fresh and from a reliable source, I have no problem eating it very rare.

The standard caveat applies that extra care (and heat) is required for the immunocompromised or pregnant.

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