Most folks who love a good steak (beef, venison or otherwise) agree that the best way to eat it is seared over open coals and slightly pink in the middle. There’s a good portion of folks who like it “more alive” than that — stating that “bloody” is the best.
However, herein lies the question: Is that really blood on my plate from my steak? Does blood really seep out of meat while it’s cooking?
The short answer is no.
According to research published by Michigan State University Meat Lab, the red liquid on the plate when eating a rare steak is not blood. It is a protein called myoglobin, which distributes oxygen to the muscles.
The Medina County Farm Bureau adds, “All blood has been removed from the carcass during the slaughtering process. There is no such thing as a bloody steak.”
Myoglobin in meat works in similar fashion as hemoglobin. Its job is to transport oxygen through the muscles. It appears red (blood-like) because it contains iron that causes it to turn red when exposed to oxygen. That is the same reason why meat is red.
So, the next time you grill up a backstrap, just cook it to your liking and don’t worry about “eating blood,” because … you’re not!