When I was in the KARL program quite a number of years ago we toured an Excel boxed beef facility. Many restaurants use boxed beef that already is seared and frozen. Has perfect grill marks and is medium rare. All the restaurants have to do is slap it on some heat and heat it up or continue cooking if desired medium or medium well.

They served us a steak from such boxed beef that evening and it was excellent. We were in their testing facility where they do such testing as taste testing  (they hire taste testers), beef aging, shelf life testing, etc.

So some of the steaks you get in some restaurants may not start out as a piece of fresh red meat. It may be already pre cooked to some degree and have came out of a freezer into a thawing source. The food service is about throughput.

That has been quite a few years ago now so maybe they don't even do that now. I don't know.       #mce_temp_url# 

 Just as an aside, during a presentation they said nearly all the sphincter muscles got exported to China. Guess they like ass holes.