Full service with no burger temp choices?

Not sure how you get more rare than rare. Maybe they bring the cow to the table and you just take a bite out of the side?

What the XXX is extra rare?

I've always heard and used in the term "Pittsburgh Rare" for an extremely rare steak burger others call it "Black and Red". To cook a piece of meat that way you place it on a Red Hot griddle to blacken the outside while leaving the inside cold blood red! You are certainly correct, the inside is basically steak tartare when cooked like that.

I grew up in a suburb of Pittsburgh. It is called Pittsburgh Sear, usually for steaks. The perfect one is "black as coal" on the outside and blood red on the inside. When I was a kid, I was told it represented coal and red hot steel. I still eat most beef rare due to being raised on it.

I grew up in a suburb of Pittsburgh. It is called Pittsburgh Sear, usually for steaks. The perfect one is "black as coal" on the outside and blood red on the inside. When I was a kid, I was told it represented coal and red hot steel. I still eat most beef rare due to being raised on it.

I certainly agree is normally a term and method used for steaks but I do know at least one place locally that will do it for a burger!

Couldn't resist adding this. Last night at very nice restaurant , one of the diners at our table ordered his burger extra rare. I am still trying to determine why he just didn't order Tartare!. But the order was taken without question and delivered rare. What the XXX is extra rare?

Also called "Pittsburgh" or the French "blue" . . . char the outside and leave the inside virtually raw . . . those of us that like it that way love it; others don't understand.

What the XXX is extra rare?

E.Coli with a side of angus?

I've had plenty of bleu steak outside of the US. though my preference is usually for saignant.

I'd have to be pretty assured of the restaurant here to go rare-ish.

a guide to french steak done-ness:

http://behind-the-french-menu.blogspot. ... -menu.html

http://www.frenchentree.com/france-food ... sp?id=2195

You might want to think twice about eating rare burgers. I don't think some people realize that is isn't the same as eating a rare steak. Bacteria can't penetrate a steak, but a ground burger has all that bacteria mixed in and if you don't cook it well enough, then you're just eating it.

Granted I've eaten plenty of them and never gotten sick, but its perfectly understandable why a restaurant would want to avoid the liability.

In Canada you don't get a choice due to the mad cow disease scare. What was that a decade ago?
So all burgers are dressed up like meatloaf to keep them moist (er).
Add egg, breadcrumbs, and all sorts of binders to keep it from being dry. Blah.
And yet the beef is mostly grass fed and just the way we would want it.
I remember an American, being a stereotype, happened to come into the restaurant. Orders steak. (These aren't under the same guidelines as ground beef), server says "how do you want it done?" American says,"it doesn't matter what I say. YOU all cook it the same way. Well f$&@ng done".
Had to keep American hubby from going out and shiving the guy to prove we weren't all jerks. Tried to get the server to only speak French to him the rest of the night. She was too professional.

Couldn't resist adding this. Last night at very nice restaurant , one of the diners at our table ordered his burger extra rare. I am still trying to determine why he just didn't order Tartare!. But the order was taken without question and delivered rare. What the XXX is extra rare?

Also called "Pittsburgh" or the French "blue" . . . char the outside and leave the inside virtually raw . . . those of us that like it that way love it; others don't understand.

A lot of people don't understand. When I was cooking in some finer places in the past, usually about once a month some moneyed douchbag would order "Pittsburgh Style" well done.

Dan, In the i can top that situation, I ordered Steak Tartare at a very renown restaurant in louisville for take out and was asked" How do you want that cooked". I said I believe the Chef knows me well enough that he will get it right!
He did but the Caesar Salad came sans croutons and dressing. Ah well, most of our restaurants do great things. Varanese had a Bourbon tasting last night and everything was excellent, the salad being superb.

In Canada you don't get a choice due to the mad cow disease scare.

Weird. Are prions deactivated by cooking?

In Canada you don't get a choice due to the mad cow disease scare.

Weird. Are prions deactivated by cooking?

No. A prion is a protein molecule and not a living organism like a bacteria. As such it can take temperatures of 1,100 to 1,800 degrees to completely break down the protein molecule and render the prion ineffective. ie it would be charcoal that you couldnt eat.

Edit: The only thing you can do is hope none of the infected brain or spinal tissue from an infected cow got on your meat. There is no cure.

Thanks. I didn't think so, that's why I was surprised that rare burgers were outlawed in response to mad cow disease.

Thanks. I didn't think so, that's why I was surprised that rare burgers were outlawed in response to mad cow disease.

The rule doesn't have to make sense, it was made by government officials! They did something so in their mind it has to be the right thing.