A server, frustrated with customers constantly sending back steaks, has turned to TikTok to teach restaurant-goers how to order them properly.
In a video posted on May 11, TikTok user Trevor (@trevorhubbards) starts off with a fiery declaration. “I’m a server, I’m going to teach you guys how to order a … steak. I’m sick of you … sending back this … food. Every damn time,” he says.
Armed with a steak doneness chart, Trevor starts ranting about various steak temperatures, airing his pet peeves about common customer complaints.
Well done
He first grills customers who order their steaks well done but complain about the chewiness. “You want to be chewing the whole damn time,” he asserts, adding, “Don’t expect to finish the … steak because you’re still working on the first damn bite.”
The Chicago Steak Company refers to well-done steak as tough, not chewy. As a matter of fact, the conception that more cooked steak is chewier than raw steak is a common one. But as the Chicago Steak Company explains, that’s actually the opposite. Due to “muscle proteins, which are usually tightly balled, begin to unwind” during the cooking process, “rawer steaks are chewier than more cooked ones.”
Medium well
Moving down the spectrum, Trevor makes fun of medium-well steak fans. He ridicules their panic at the first sight of pink. “’Why is it … bleeding? Oh my god,’” he mocks them saying. He says customers like this just need to “order well done.”
Trevor is correct. Medium-well steaks should, when properly cooked, still have some pink. However, they are cooked to an internal temperature of 150 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the Chicago Steak Company, and are drier than their rarer counterparts.
Medium
Medium, he explains, is the norm. “Medium—this is what most people get,” he says. “You’re normal.”
“OK you want a little bit of blood in there. You want a little bit of cook, too,” he says.
When cooked properly, medium-cooked steak should contain no red but pink throughout. They are cooked to an internal temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Since they lose more moisture than their rarer counterparts, they are slightly less juicy and tender, according to the Chicago Steak Company.
Medium Rare
But it’s medium rare that is his favorite. “I like that blood, but I like to make sure it’s not completely raw,” he remarks.
The Chicago Steak Company refers to this level of doneness as “the gold-standard.” It says medium rare is peak tender steak and that most chefs will prefer their steaks medium rare. This steak, when cooked properly, should be “red at the center, with a ring of pinkness between the center and the crust,” according to the Chicago Steak Company.
Rare
And for those who dare to go rare? “You’re a cannibal,” he jokes.
The Chicago Steak Company notes that for rare steaks, the “fats have not had a chance to melt properly.” It recommends cooking tenderloins and other low-fat steaks rare. On the flip side, some steaks you probably wouldn’t want to cook rare are rib-eyes, strips, and porterhouses.
Furthermore, rare steaks are supposed to be cooked to an internal temperature of 120 degrees Fahrenheit. And this goes against the USDA’s recommendation of cooking steak to an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees.
@trevorhubbards Plz god
♬ original sound – Trevor
Since its upload, the video has gone viral, accumulating over 1.4 million views. Many users are sharing their thoughts in the comments section.
“My mom does this. Every time I correct her she still chooses the wrong one then asks for a change,” one commenter admitted.
A second wrote, “If a person shows up to a steakhouse and they don’t know how to order a steak WHY ARE THEY THEREEEEE.”
“Honestly, every menu needs to have what you’re holding for the people that don’t understand how to order a steak. It needs visual and descriptions for them,” a third commenter remarked.
“Texas Roadhouse even has PHOTOS of their steaks on their menus,” one more added.
Trevor is not the first server to air his grievances about customers’ misconceptions when ordering steak.
In July, another TikToker went viral after acting out a scenario where a customer orders a steak medium-rare but expresses dismay at its appearance upon arrival.
In another instance, a TikToker filmed a restaurant’s menu that humorously suggested customers who prefer their steak well-done should opt for chicken instead.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Trevor via TikTok comment.
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