A fundamental decision when it comes to eating steak is to choose the desired cooking point. Although it is something that depends on the diner's taste, there are certain characteristics that are necessary to know in order to take a new path and expand our gastronomic horizons.
When choosing a cooking point, we’re deciding the time the meat will spend on the grill. What we must consider is that we are looking for the perfect balance between characteristics such as flavor, juiciness and texture, ranging from soft to tough and from juicy to dry.
The most popular terms worldwide are the following: red, medium or juicy, three-quarter and well-done. There is also one, which is not so common and is known as bleu, which involves a single turn on the grill and consists of leaving the meat on the grill for one minute on each side, which means that the cut will only have a brown coloring on the outside but will be raw on the inside. This point will leave the meat redder and juicier, with a soft and warm texture in the center.
Then we have the medium or juicy, which is characterized by having a more golden layer on the outside but pink inside. Some say that this is the point of perfect balance, since the meat has a higher internal temperature but retains its nutrients, is soft to the touch and only loses 20 percent of its volume. At this point the meat is more tender and has a higher concentration of proteins, in addition to the fact that its juices will give a special flavor we will not find in a more cooked cut.
In order to get the meat cooked to perfection, the meat spends four minutes per side on the grill. Its texture offers more resistance, but still retains a reddish juice that rises to the top.
Finally, the cooked end will be dark brown inside and out, have a drier, tougher consistency and retain very little juiciness. This is because it will spend about 10 minutes in total on the grill, which implies a loss of volume of between 40 and 50 percent.
It’s important to remember that the level of cooking depends on the preferences of the diner, so it is impossible to determine which is the best of all. And while the truth is, raw meat is juicier. In Latin America we are more used to the three-quarter and well-cooked points.
At Chambao Tulum you can enjoy the best beef cuts in town, and when you order any of our exclusive USDA Prime steaks, Kobe or Black Market beef cuts, we will recommend the ideal cooking point, however, the final choice is up to you. No matter which one you decide, we will always make sure you get the best quality meat to your table.
