Beef staying pinky red inside?? Cooked?

[ParisJeTadore]

I made rouladen tonight for dinner. It's thinly sliced flank steak that is rolled up with a piece of bacon and onion inside. It cooked on the stove for approx. 50 minutes, I checked with a meat thermometer for doneness and it tested, in the middle, at 180F. Despite that, when I cut into it it was pinky red inside. Is this normal?? I know I'm being super paranoid because "I know" it tested done...I just hate seeing meat red or pink when it should be brown.

Anyone know why this would be? I'm already fretting because I'm pregnant AND my 15 month old and three year old ate it too. I microwaved theirs to be on the safe side but it still stayed pink.

 

[KayKe]

I'd say don't worry. A lot of people have steak tartare and nothing happens (completely raw meat).

The probability something would be wrong with the meat is fairly low.

 

[ChickenMommy]

I wouldn't worry about it. If tested internally at 180 then it should have been fine. From your description of it just being pink, it sounds pretty good to me honestly. I've always eaten steaks cooked to "medium" even while pregnant, and my kids have always eaten pieces of my steaks like this. We've never gotten sick. Ground beef is something I don't mess with though, that gets cooked all the way through every time.

 

[Pne1985]

The bacon contains nitrates which will turn the beef pink if it touches it and will stay pink so I wouldn't worry!

But I do know in the US, they are allowed to inject the meat with carbon monoxide to give it that "red" color so it looks more appealing to the eye days after it has been cut. Sometimes when cooked, you can't get rid of the color which makes it stay pink.
The only reason I know this is because my husband's family, whom he works for, has a butcher shop and they slaughter and kill their own cattle and pigs do their meat is fresh and turns brown/greyish after days from being cut, which is normal. So buy from your local butcher if possible!! It tastes soo much better and where we live, is actually cheaper than supermarket prices.

 

[ParisJeTadore]

Thanks so much guys. Feeling a little better about it this morning. We eat beef so rarely that I'm pretty clueless about it....just seems to be one of the few things I can stomach right now oddly! And yes, it was delicious!

Pne1985, I bought from my local butcher's shop. As far as I know they are really good about adding no nitrates, preservatives, etc. to their meat so I don't know why it was red. Maybe the bacon?? It was really weird. After cooking for a long period of time even the juices were bright red and so was the meat (even the outside of it).

 

[Pne1985]

Thanks so much guys. Feeling a little better about it this morning. We eat beef so rarely that I'm pretty clueless about it....just seems to be one of the few things I can stomach right now oddly! And yes, it was delicious!

Pne1985, I bought from my local butcher's shop. As far as I know they are really good about adding no nitrates, preservatives, etc. to their meat so I don't know why it was red. Maybe the bacon?? It was really weird. After cooking for a long period of time even the juices were bright red and so was the meat (even the outside of it).

Yea it was probably the bacon. I'm sure it's fine. And that is extremely odd that beef is one thing you can stomach while being pregnant. Usually it is opposite! Maybe your body is craving the iron?

 

[ParisJeTadore]

Thanks so much guys. Feeling a little better about it this morning. We eat beef so rarely that I'm pretty clueless about it....just seems to be one of the few things I can stomach right now oddly! And yes, it was delicious!

Pne1985, I bought from my local butcher's shop. As far as I know they are really good about adding no nitrates, preservatives, etc. to their meat so I don't know why it was red. Maybe the bacon?? It was really weird. After cooking for a long period of time even the juices were bright red and so was the meat (even the outside of it).

Yea it was probably the bacon. I'm sure it's fine. And that is extremely odd that beef is one thing you can stomach while being pregnant. Usually it is opposite! Maybe your body is craving the iron?

Ha! Yeah, I've been craving broccoli too so there might be something to that. That said,the meat I normally eat (chicken and ground turkey) I hate with a passion right now. Pregnancy does such weird things to our minds and bodies.