Which doneness level has a cool red center?

Which doneness level has a cool red center?

• A. Rare
• B. Medium Rare
• C. Medium
• D. Medium-well

Answer: (A)

Doneness relates to interior temperature and color. A cool red center signals rare, because the outside is browned from searing while the inside remains at a lower temperature, keeping the red myoglobin intact. That cool, red center is typically around 120–125°F (49–52°C), so the heat hasn’t fully denatured the proteins yet. As you cook longer, heat penetrates more and the center warms and changes color: medium-rare has a warm red center, medium becomes pink with less red, and medium-well to well-done have brown/gray centers with little or no pink. So the cool red center is characteristic of rare.

Doneness relates to interior temperature and color. A cool red center signals rare, because the outside is browned from searing while the inside remains at a lower temperature, keeping the red myoglobin intact. That cool, red center is typically around 120–125°F (49–52°C), so the heat hasn’t fully denatured the proteins yet. As you cook longer, heat penetrates more and the center warms and changes color: medium-rare has a warm red center, medium becomes pink with less red, and medium-well to well-done have brown/gray centers with little or no pink. So the cool red center is characteristic of rare.