PSA: The Red 'Juice' In Your Steak Isn’t Blood—Here’s What It Really Is
Taylor Ann Spencer
Tue, July 15, 2025 at 1:13 PM CDT
172
Have you been ordering your steaks and burgers well-done because you don’t like the idea of bloody meat? What if I told you that that pool of red juice at the bottom of your plate isn’t blood at all? And in fact, that it can’t be blood because there’s no blood left in the meat by the time you start cooking with it? I know it seems counterintuitive, but read below to open your world up to the joy of juicy, medium-rare meat, no blood to be seen. Here’s what you need to know:
What Makes That Juice Red
The liquid that comes out of a piece of freshly-cooked steak is actually water mixed with myoglobin. Myoglobin is a protein that’s rich in iron that turns red when exposed to oxygen. All proteins, from chicken to pork to beef, contain myoglobin to some degree: the higher the level, the redder the meat appears. Red meat, such as beef, contains by far the most, and that’s the reason it appears so red when you buy it in the grocery store. That’s also why that the water coming from a freshly-cooked steak is such a deep red color and appears “bloody.”
Okay, But Then Where Is the Blood?
Most consumers don’t think about it, but by the time a piece of beef, pork, or chicken reaches the store—let alone your kitchen—all the blood has been removed from that meat. When any animal is slaughtered, it undergoes a specific blood-draining process called exsanguination. The blood is removed to help keep the meat safe for consumption (blood can be a breeding ground for bacteria), and also to make the product more appealing for consumers. This step is not optional: it’s a key part of meat processing. Trust me (and if not me, millions of slaughter houses and meat processors): any animal protein that you’ve bought at the grocery store cannot possibly be leaching blood, before or after cooking.
Regardless...
Your steak might not be bleeding onto your plate, but you still want to avoid a situation where any protein is releasing lots of liquid when it’s cut into. First, it will flood anything else currently on that plate—not ideal—and second, all that liquid should really be staying inside the meat to keep it juicy. If all that juice is on your plate, chances are the meat itself will taste really dry.
To avoid this, make sure you’re letting any just-cooked piece of protein (other than fish!) rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting into it. If it’s a larger piece of meat, such as roast beef or an entire roast chicken, it’s wise to wait even longer. This will allow the muscle fibers in the protein to relax so they can retain the maximum amount of moisture, preventing that flood of liquid and helping to ensure a juicy piece of meat.
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XCR1250 · Posted
