Food for Thought.

 

Over the years I have encountered erroneous, though well meaning people, who think that we need to make sure our steak is well done, because this is biblical. Or as one of my friends says, "Do you want your steak Levitical?" By which he means as burnt as the side of an unfortunate victim of a seatbelt clip in an Aussie summer. 

Both the Old and the New Testaments commands that we should stay away from consuming blood, which is incredibly good health advice. 

Leviticus 17:10-11 –

"10 If any one of the house of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn among them eats any blood, I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from among his people. 11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.

Acts 15:28-29 –

“28 For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: 29 that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”

There is nothing wrong with someone’s conscience telling them they should only eat well done steak if they believe that they are doing this to avoid blood. But all of the blood is drained out of the animal while it is being slaughtered, and hung up. So, there is no need to cook your steak "Levitical". If your conscience is still more comfortable with doing so, then of course you are free to ruin every bit of streak you ever come across. Cook it till it has the consistency of rubber and the taste of fibre, dry fibre, if you so desire. But there is no requirement, because a red steak is not bloody, it is simply cooked well.