I used to stand by medium all my life.
Getting used to grilling and cast iron steak cooking, I've had many successes and failures in getting "the right cook". I've both burned, undercooked, and when discovered it was undercooked, threw back on the heat and ended up going past what I wanted.
I've had to choke down some dry steak and chicken due to my learning adventures.
Recently though, I managed to find a good time on some tenderloin filets on the cast iron that led to what appeared to be a nearly perfect med-rare for bacon-wrapped filets (about 2" thick?). I also experimented with a steakhouse seasoning grinder (three varieties of peppercorn, red pepper, sea salt, and garlic and onion powders) and some high-heat quality canola oil (not supposed to smoke/polymerize until 450ºF). And no, I did not butterfly it. D:
It was beyond dripping with delicious juicyness, was nice and red right in the middle, cut with ease and chewed most especially NOT like slime but rather like butter. I mean, I really didn't need to chew. I could have mashed it down just fine without teeth.
That's my kind of steak. I'll work in the prep - I don't want to work my jaw during the eating session. If my jaw is tired from chewing when eating cooked food, something isn't right.
Well done steak... I need some water thinking of it.
[Yes, anyone who is good at searing can create a well-done steak that's not dry - but it will never match the tender juiciness of a steak not cooked to hell and back.]
I'm actually going to hopefully repeat this performance tonight with 2x 6oz filets. So excited.
Hell, I'm mainly just excited to get the oven going. It's absolutely frigid in the apartment (terribly insulated), and the furnace can't get the temperature anywhere close to where we want it (it's set above 75ºF currently, and is roughly 62ºF in here).
I'm going to see if keeping the oven a touch under 450 will help prevent the smoke alarms going off. I'm not opening the door and propping a fan in there to prevent that shrieking this time - I'll put up with that, I just want the added heat in the apartment.
and then good eats while I enjoy said heat.
I'm a wimp, I don't care - I cannot stand shivering, but I can't quit.