wanted to lay out some actual data on temperature versus
eating quality. So I cooked five Prime-grade New York
strips to temperatures ranging from 120° to 160°F and fed
them to a group of a dozen tasters. The chart below
represents percentage of overall weight loss (i.e., moisture
loss) that each steak experienced while cooking.
From left: 120°, 130°, 140°, 150°, and 160°F internal
temperature.- 120°F (rare): Bright red and slippery in the interior. At
this stage, the meat fibrils (which resemble bundles of
juice-filled straws) have yet to expel much moisture, so, in
theory, this should be the juiciest steak. However, because
of the softness of the meat, chewing causes the fibrils to
push past each other instead of bursting and releasing their
moisture, giving the sensation of slipperiness, or
mushiness, rather than juiciness. Additionally, the
abundant intramuscular fat has yet to soften and render.