A Guide to Steak Doneness

At DC STEAKHOUSE, we serve deliciously fresh steaks in a wide variety of cuts. Whether you’re craving a juicy ribeye, a hefty porterhouse, or a tender New York strip, we’ve got just the right steak for you. Not exactly sure how well done you like your steak? We put together this guide on the varying degrees of steak doneness so that you can order the perfect steak every time you eat at DC Steak House.

1. Rare

When you order a rare steak, you’ll easily cut into its bright center and find it red from edge to edge. Rare steaks have a cool-to-warm center with a texture that is tender and soft. Leaner cuts are best to order rare because they have less fat to melt, giving them a better taste. Filet mignon is a great cut to order rare.

2. Medium-Rare

The rich flavor of a medium-rare steak makes it a popular option. A medium-rare steak has a warm red texture at its center that is surrounded by a brown crust. While cooking, the fat in the steak has ample time to melt and absorb into the muscle without losing too much moisture. When you order medium-rare, you’ll get a rich, juicy cut of steak. Medium-rare is the ideal degree of steak doneness for fattier steaks like ribeye.

3. Medium

Cooking a steak to medium degree means the center has gone from red to pink, still retaining that richness of flavor, but without quite as much juice. Steaks cooked to medium lose some moisture while cooking, which gives them more texture. Porterhouse steaks are an excellent choice to order medium or medium-rare.

4. Medium-Well

If you order a steak cooked at degrees outside of rare to medium-rare, you might start missing out on flavor. A medium-well steak is mostly brown at its center and the texture is firm and dry. Steak cuts with a lot of marbling—or high fat content—stand a better chance at retaining flavor when cooked medium-well.

5. Well-Done

Ordering a steak well-done sucks out just about all of a steak’s juice and flavor.  A steak cooked to this degree of doneness ends up extremely dry and tough in texture with an entirely brown center. We do not recommend ordering a steak well-done at DC Steak House and cannot be responsible for the outcome of a well-done steak.

Our Steaks Are Always Made to Order

At DC STEAKHOUSE in Chandler, we will cook your steak to whatever degree you like, we’ll also have your steak cooked for longer if you are not satisfied with the level of doneness. Keep in mind that bone-in steaks always come out a little less done around the bone. We serve all of our steaks with sautéed mushrooms, a salad, and your choice of select sides from our menu. Call us at 480-899-4400 today to make a reservation.

Images used under creative commons license (Commercial Use) 4/22/21. Photo by Justus Menke on Unsplash