Meat generally comes in 5 varieties: rare, medium rare, medium, medium well, well. Anything above a medium is a joke. Yet restaurants struggle with cooking meat to come out medium rare and rare. Rare is truly rare, an order of medium rare ends up medium well. E-coli scares aside, this shouldn't require this much thought. Given that e-coli is a concern, serve better quality meat.
Here is a comic strip that sums up my feelings (minus the sentiments about the cheese biscuits). Thanks to Brewster Rockit: Space Guy!
To all the chains who won't serve burgers medium rare or rare, take burgers off the menu. You do no favors to your customers in keeping them on the menu.
David Shaw from the Los Angeles Times had some excellent thoughts on this a while back. While Shaw likes his burgers rare, a bit much for me, he should get his wish.
"Maybe every place that serves hamburgers should also have a legal waiver available to customers. You want a rare burger, you get a rare burger. But first you have to sign a form acknowledging that you recognize the potential danger from E. coli and indemnifying the restaurant against any damages should you get sick."
He notes that he does order rare burgers, so it's possible. Shaw also points out California law defines thoroughly cooked as 155-157 degrees F, that requirement may be bypassed if "the consumer specifically orders that the food be individually prepared less than thoroughly cooked."
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