TV Chefs and the Medium-Rare Myth: Is Bloody Meat Really Better?

Have you ever watched a television chef prepare steak, roast beef, or lamb and wondered if they forgot how to cook it properly? The process usually begins with dramatic flair — fancy marinades, rosemary sprigs, garlic rubs, imported pepper, and a flaming hotplate. The meat hits the grill, the flames rise, and seconds later they slice into it with a satisfied grin.

And what do we see? It is pink. Sometimes, not just pink — raw. Practically mooing. This, we are told, is “perfect medium-rare.” Any preference beyond that, especially “well-done,” is met with raised eyebrows and culinary judgment.

But here is the uncomfortable truth that never makes it to air: many celebrity chefs cannot cook a well-done steak and keep it tender. That takes real skill. Meanwhile, home cooks all over the world manage it just fine — producing thoroughly cooked meat that is still full of flavor, soft, and satisfying. No red juices. No guessing games.

Watch enough of these cooking shows and you will notice a pattern. Almost every roast or steak is served with that red center. It has become the television standard, not because it is what everyone wants, but because it photographs well and fits the image of “high-end” cuisine. But in real kitchens, many people still prefer their food well-cooked — not rare, not raw, just done.

Somewhere along the way, blood on the plate started getting confused with sophistication. But good cooking is not about undercooking meat and calling it gourmet. It is about flavor, texture, and knowing how to prepare food the way people actually enjoy it.

If you like your steak cooked through, you are not doing it wrong. You are not missing out. You are simply eating the way you prefer — and that is perfectly fine.

So let the TV chefs keep slicing into their pink-centered steaks. For the rest of us, there is no shame in asking for it well-done. Honest food, cooked properly, never needs defending.