CALUMET CITY, Ill. — Like your steak well-done? Don’t be surprised if your date never returns your call! A new survey finds that Americans are very particular about how they like their meat cooked — and even more judgmental about how others like their steak.
In a poll of more than 1,000 adults across the U.S., commissioned by Meats by Linz, 70 percent consider themselves meat-lovers, with steak being one of their favorite foods. Three in four men love a good steak, compared to 65 percent of women. Americans love beef so much that 64 percent would request it as their final meal.
However, don’t walk up to the dinner table carrying an overdone steak! More than four in 10 people (41%) would be critical of anyone ordering or cooking a steak until it’s well-done. More men (45%) than women (37%) say they would frown on someone roasting a steak that much. It’s even worse if you’re enjoying a steak dinner on a date! One in three Americans say they’d judge a date if they order their steak well-done. Nearly the same number of men (37%) and women (32%) feel this is a dating faux pas.
Meanwhile, 57 percent say they prefer their steak medium or medium-rare and a whopping 78 percent prefer you fire that steak up on a grill instead of in a pan, an oven, or air fryer.
Hold the ketchup, seriously!
If cooking a steak until it’s bone-dry isn’t bad enough, daters also don’t want to see a potential partner reach for the ketchup! Another 42 percent say they’d be critical of a date who slathers a steak in ketchup. Exactly the same number of men and women (42%) believe this is a steak-eating no-no.
If you’re looking for a safe choice, four in 10 respondents say their favorite steak sauce is A.1. Thirteen percent opt for barbeque sauce and 10 percent like a little Worcestershire sauce on the side.
Regardless of what their date may think, one in 20 people still say, “pass the ketchup!” — the same number who prefer fancier options like a wine reduction or a béarnaise sauce.
Do you get an A+ for your steak knowledge?
When it comes to what America’s favorite cut of steak is, the ribeye comes in as the most popular (61%), followed by the filet (47%), and the T-bone (43%).
Unfortunately, not many people know all the different intricacies that come along with ordering beef. Over half the poll (53%) say they don’t know the difference in the various beef grades, such as USDA Prime, USDA Choice, USDA Select. While more men (54%) claim they know the difference, just 40 percent of women say the same.
Only four in 10 Americans say they understand the differences in cattle breeds such as Angus, Charolais, and Holstein. Meanwhile, 53 percent claim they know what a Wagyu steak is, but only 34 percent have actually eaten one.
