Heard a customer at the counter ask for 'no pink' in their ground beef

I was wrapping up an order at my shop in Boise when a guy pointed at the fresh grind and said, 'Make sure there's no pink in it, I can't stand that.' It made me think about how we talk about meat color with people. I explained that a little pink is normal because of the myoglobin, and it doesn't mean it's undercooked. He seemed surprised but listened. How do you all handle questions about color from customers who might not know?

3 comments

3 Comments

ellis.diana2mo ago

Honestly, just tell them it's the meat juice.

burns.phoenix2mo ago

@ellis.diana is right, the simple answer is often the best one. I tried over-explaining the whole braising process once and just confused everyone. Now I just call it the good stuff from the bottom of the pan. People get it way faster when you keep it basic. They just want to know it tastes good, not the science behind it. Calling it meat juice gets straight to the point.

evan_morgan811mo ago

Wait, did burns.phoenix really call it "the good stuff from the bottom of the pan"? That's the whole point of the dish. It's not just juice, it's everything that cooked down for hours. Meat juice makes it sound like you just squeezed a steak.