I can understand why people would say this though. Most of the time when you order a medium steak it comes out medium well. I've been so annoyed by this I just order mine medium rare now. Now I even prefer medium rare. I've gotten to the point where I'll order a medium rare steak and find it's over cooked.
I've noticed just the opposite. medium seems to get rarer and rarer. It doesn't matter much to me as I'll eat it straight off the cows ass if it's a good cut.
I find that it is a rare cook who can make eggs over-medium. Most can only do runny or solid. I like eggs over-medium, liquid but thick like cold syrup, and I swear, only about 10% of the time do I get one done right. I have no idea what over-medium/medium is or how one might achieve it. Solid with a soft center?
back on topic, I love a good rib eye or filet. One of the best I ever had, though, was a filet at Del Lago, medium rare, topped w/ sauteed crab meat, topped w/ bearnaise sauce. Unbelievable combination. When I am pulling out the stops for a dinner party, I cook this. Never disappoints.
Red, that's a perfect description of what over medium eggs are. another flaw is egg whites that are browning because the pan's too hot. I've seen a lot of over hard eggs come to the plate this way. It's all about time and temp and if you blow it, throw it out and start over. broken yolks are a pet peeve of mine. If I break a yolk, I'll do another one and sit it right on top of the broken one. As far as steaks go, I drive waiters crazy because I tell them that I like steaks rare to well (as long as they're not dry) so I order them however the chef feels like cooking it. I get a lot of variety that way, however most are afraid of the rare side and serve them to me more towards medium. I like getting surprised (pleasantly) at the table by not knowing how I'm gonna be served. When I get cheap (chewy) steaks on sale at home, I like to pan sear them rare, and then braise them in beef stock in the oven to well done...like a pot roast for about 20 to 40 minutes until they're fork tender. Then I re sear them in the cast iron pan and crisp up the outside that way. They're well done, but moist and tender. As far as rare, med, well goes there are internal temp guidelines, but I go by feel. either way for rare the middle is red, medium - pink, and well - cooked. The in between grades of doneness are debatable, but the customer is the real judge of doneness.
I like my steak as near to raw as the chef will do it. I want a cold red center, but will tolerate a cool red center.
you and my wife would get along well. The old "knock the horns off, slap it on the butt and call it done" is how she likes 'em. I have made steaks for her where I heated up a cast iron skillet really hot and just seared both sides - literally 30 seconds per side. She loves it.
