Is the red liquid in raw beef blood?

“Make mine bloody!” says the guy ordering a rare steak for dinner.  But the pinkish hue of that undercooked slab of beef does not come from blood at all.

The pink liquid that seeps out of steak is actually “myoglobin” (and water), not blood.  Even completely raw meat contains no blood at all.

Myoglobin is a protein that delivers oxygen to muscle tissues.  Myoglobin turns reddish in color when exposed to air, and exposure to heat causes this protein to darken.  So, uncooked or lightly cooked meat still looks red, but well-done meat turns a grayish color.

Rare meat is cooked to an internal temperature of no more than 140 degrees.  Medium-Rare (145 degrees) and Medium (160 degrees) will maintain some pink, while Well-Done meat (170 degrees) will be grayish-brown.

Bonus Fact: Hot dogs, ham and other cured meats are treated with nitric oxide, which prevents the myoglobin from browning during cooking.