When you cook a steak for a longer period of time, the temperature of the meat rises, which, in turn, causes the muscle fibers to become more compact and the fluids to evaporate. As a consequence of this, the inside of a steak that has been cooked to a well-done state is a consistent shade of gray, and the steak itself is tough, chewy, flavorless, and dry.
Is it bad to cook steak well done?
It seems that grilling a steak to a well-done temperature can actually be riskier than cooking it to a medium rare temperature (via The Globe and Mail ). A chemical process called the formation of heterocyclic amines, or HCAs, can be brought about by the high temperatures that are required for thorough cooking.
What exactly is wrong with well-done steak?
What exactly is the problem with a steak that is cooked to a medium-well doneness? According to The Spruce Eats, allowing the inside of a steak to reach that high of a temperature causes the muscle fibers to become more rigid and also causes the fluids to evaporate. There are some chefs who would tell you that medium rare is the optimal temperature to order.