534041 Mon Jun 30 08:06:44 -0700 2008 12 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 3826094 When several people order together and one person orders "Well Done" (steak, or meat on burger, or whatever), how much longer should it take? Is it in the 2-3 minute range? 5-6? 10-minute range? Mon Jun 30 08:06:55 -0700 2008 205200 cheeop 1 3826196 It would depend on what the others in the party ordered, how hot the cooking contraption is, and also what size of a piece of meat is being cooked. Also, if you are simply asking if everyone at a restaurant, (or at a home grilling with a cook who knows what he is doing) orders the exact same cut of meat, but one orders the cut of meat well done, and the others order it differently - how much longer should the well done cut of meat take to get to the table: The answer is no longer at all, since any cook should know that they should put the "well done" order on first for a while before putting the other orders on. Mon Jun 30 08:35:19 -0700 2008 3826094 111530 gordeaux 2 3826280 I agree 100% that the cook should put the steaks on in the reverse order of degrees of doneness. Now if only we can get all the cooks to agree . . . some places are massively disappointing with people finishing their entrees before some are served at the same table. (aside from extream variations in degrees of doneness the difference in cooking time should be within 10 minutes. Extream variations would be like a 16 oz porterhouse rare vs. very well done . . . if they are cooking over a lightbulb . . . all bets are off) Mon Jun 30 08:55:23 -0700 2008 3826196 182230 Alacrity59 2 3829697 Thanks for these replies. I have had a difficulty the last several months getting my plate to the table at the same time as others in my party. Every week my department goes out to lunch together, and there's 8-14 of us in a restaurant (like Applebee's, Marie Callendar's, Chili's, Elephant Bar, and other restaurants) and for some reason, my plate always arrives last. Not just 1-3 minutes, but in the 8-10 minute range. It doesn't matter where at the table I sit, what order the waitress takes our orders, or any other criteria suggested. My workmates think it must be some kind of restaurant karma I have. I always order my meat (be it a steak, a burger, or whatever) well-done, and people suggested that may be the reason that I get my food late consistently. I said, sure, maybe 1 or 2, maybe 3 minutes, but not 10 minutes. As you stated, gordeaux, the cooks should note the well done and begin its cooking time earlier, so that my food can arrive at the same time as everyone else's. Well, I do complain to management when this happens, and they almost always either comp the meal, or give me certificates for a future meal. Sometimes I call and talk to the manager, who sends me a letter assuring me this will never happen again. I've got two letters from General Managers at Chili's saying it won't happen again, for instance. The letters are almost identical. Tue Jul 01 09:13:51 -0700 2008 3826196 205200 cheeop 3 3829815 I now see the reason why you asked this question. I was kind of confused for a moment. That totally sucks that you don't get to eat with everybody else. It can be very awkward. I think the higher end restaurants are better about timing so that your meal would arrive with everybody else's. At the type restaurants your department goes to, they probably put it in the "special order" bin and probably won't be first priority. Tue Jul 01 09:49:45 -0700 2008 3829697 10763 Miss Needle 3 3829966 Let's try an experiment. Next time you order for another person, and that person orders for you. See if your order (which is for another person) still comes in 10 min. after the others. Or would your order (by the other person) comes in 10 min. later. Or maybe next time just order a salad. In any event I am guessing the restaurants you go to, the wait staff and cooks are not well trained. Tue Jul 01 10:33:09 -0700 2008 3829697 12082 PeterL 3 3830115 If it's a lunch, and no apps are ordered, they're probably going to fire them immediately. Ideally, it wouldn't work that way, but... Tue Jul 01 11:16:18 -0700 2008 3829697 79880 xanadude 3 3831591 Maybe you should try ordering it medium. You'll a) get it faster, if that's been your experience, and b) probably find it tastes better. But I agree with others here, in most restaurants your preference for well done would just mean your whole group would have to wait. Maybe the restaurant thought making 7-13 people wait for 1 well-done steak was unreasonable? I think if it's a thick cut of meat an extra 10 minutes cooking time is common (relative to, say med-rare). Tue Jul 01 18:33:09 -0700 2008 3829697 69044 hsk 3 3832172 If it's any comfort, this means they're cooking your meat correctly. Really nice places would also do so, and get the pacing right. A lot of restaurants in the middle would likely just toss the well-done steak in the deep fryer ... and it would come out at the same time as the others. Wed Jul 02 00:47:51 -0700 2008 3829697 177724 tmso 4 3832335 Or microwave or even stock pot.... Wed Jul 02 05:37:51 -0700 2008 3832172 176627 porker 3 3832566 jfood has seen restaurants butterfly a filet to cook well done and flap it back over to present. Wed Jul 02 07:04:49 -0700 2008 3829697 11290 jfood 1 3831675 Maybe the root of the problem is eating at Applebee's or Chilis? Whoa whoa, its a weak attempt at humor ;-') One question: is it only when you order steak? Or is it when you order anything? We have a friend who's guy ALWAYS gets served last. Once in awhile, he'll get served first, but then something is wrong with the plate. They take it back and he eventually gets the last plate on the table. For him, I think, its a karma thing. Tue Jul 01 19:16:57 -0700 2008 3826094 176627 porker 2 3839810 What Poker talks about is what sounds most like me - his friend who always gets served last no matter what - except for when he's served first, something's wrong, and they send it back. That's me. I don't "always" order steak - I was just trying to pinpoint how much longer a well-done steak takes to cook than a medium steak. The consensus seems to be that a competent wait staff will bring it out at the same time, as they will fire it first. About my karma, though, this happens whether or not I order steak, a burger, fajitas, a Monte Cristo, or just about anything off the menu. The well-done thing doesn't have any weight in those situations of course. And to hsk - I used to order my steaks medium. Then one time they brought mine well done, and I liked it better that way. I then ordered them medium sometimes and well done other times, and over the course of several years, decided I like the taste well done better than the taste medium. So, I'm not going to order a steak cooked the way I dn't like it. As far as a thick cut steak, they either have to fire it earlier, or butterfly it. I've had occasional waitresses who ask if I would like to either have it 1) Butterflied, or 2) Wait a few minutes for it. I always say to butterfly it. Fri Jul 04 16:22:36 -0700 2008 3831675 205200 cheeop