The blood that comes out of a bloody steak isn't blood at all, according to experts. Many people like a rare steak and some will refer to it as 'bloody', but experts say this isn't the case.
Almost all the blood in meat is removed during the preparation process, so the red liquid on your plate is actually water and a muscle protein called myoglobin - which carries oxygen through muscle, according to Steak School.
The experts say that the iron in myoglobin turns red when it is exposed to the air, making it look like blood - this is why the meat from beef and lamb is called 'red meat'.
And myoglobin is the reason older meat starts to turn brown as it changes colour with time. The myoglobin also changes colour with cooking - so steaks that are 'well done' don't have the same bloody appearance.
So the term "bloody" when referring to a steak is a misnomer. The red liquid often observed in a rare or medium-rare steak is not actually blood. The liquid primarily consists of water, along with some proteins, pigments, and other compounds.
In rare or medium-rare steak, the interior of the meat is cooked at a relatively low temperature, resulting in myoglobin retaining its red color. As a result, the cooked steak appears pink or red. However, as the steak is cooked further and reaches higher temperatures, the myoglobin undergoes further changes, resulting in a gradual shift to a brown color.
To ensure food safety, it is important to cook meat, including steak, to the appropriate internal temperature. This helps to destroy potential harmful bacteria that may be present, while also achieving the desired level of 'doneness'.
