For years, many steak lovers (and skeptics) have believed that the reddish liquid oozing from a rare or medium-rare steak is blood. The color, after all, strongly resembles what we associate with blood. But what if we told you this assumption is completely false?
The Truth Behind the Red Liquid in Steak
That red juice you see on your plate when you cut into a rare steak isn’t blood at all. In fact, it’s something much less alarming — a combination of water and a protein called myoglobin. Understanding this is not only fascinating, but it also puts to rest one of the most common food myths out there.
Let’s break it down.
🧬 What Is Myoglobin, and Why Is It Red?
Myoglobin is a protein found in the muscle tissues of animals, including cows. Its primary job is to store oxygen in muscle cells, which is essential for muscle function. The oxygen binds to the iron in the myoglobin molecule, giving it a deep red color.
When a steak is cooked — especially at lower temperatures (as with rare or medium-rare steaks) — the myoglobin remains intact. As the meat is sliced or heated, the myoglobin is released from the muscle fibers and mixes with water in the tissue, creating that juicy red liquid.
Interestingly, the more myoglobin present in the muscle, the redder the meat appears. This is why beef, which has a high concentration of myoglobin, is considered “red meat,” while chicken and fish, which contain much less, are classified as “white meat.”
🩸 Is There Any Blood in Meat at All?
The answer is: very little — if any.
During the slaughtering and butchering process, most of the animal’s blood is drained. This is a standard step carried out in meat processing facilities to ensure that the final product is both safe and appealing. What remains in the muscle tissue isn’t blood, but mostly water and, again, myoglobin.
People often assume that red = blood, but the truth is that myoglobin and hemoglobin (the oxygen-carrying protein in blood) are completely different in structure and function, even if they look similar.
So, no — you’re not eating bloody meat when you enjoy a rare steak.
🔥 Why Rare Steaks Are Juicier and Redder
Ever notice how a rare steak looks juicy and red, while a well-done steak appears dry and brown? That’s all thanks to temperature’s effect on myoglobin.
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Rare steak: Cooked to a lower internal temperature (about 125–130°F or 52–54°C), the myoglobin doesn’t break down as much, so it retains its reddish color and leaks out when you cut the meat.
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Medium steak: With a slightly higher temperature, the myoglobin starts to denature (break down), turning pink and eventually light brown.
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Well-done steak: At temperatures above 160°F (71°C), the myoglobin is fully broken down and loses its red hue, resulting in brown, drier meat with far less visible liquid.
In essence, the “doneness” of your steak directly impacts how much of that red juice remains — and again, none of it is blood.
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