Most people have strong opinions about how steak should be cooked. Some like it rare with a cool red center, while others prefer it somewhere in the middle. Then there’s the way Donald Trump orders his steak, which has become one of the most talked-about food preferences in presidential history. His former butler at Mar-a-Lago once described Trump’s steak as so well done that it “would rock on the plate.” Add ketchup to the mix, and you’ve got a combination that makes professional chefs shudder. But here’s the interesting part: Trump isn’t nearly as alone in these preferences as you might think.
Well done steak is more popular than people admit
Walk into any steakhouse and order your meat well done, and you’ll probably notice a subtle change in your server’s expression. There’s a widespread belief that well-done steak is somehow wrong or shows you don’t know what you’re doing. Food snobs love to describe it as “shoe leather” and act like anyone who orders it this way has no taste. The criticism can get pretty intense, with some chefs openly admitting they’ll give you their worst cuts if you ask for well done. Despite all this judgment, a lot of people still order their steaks cooked all the way through.
A poll from YouGov in 2019 found that 24% of Americans actually prefer their steaks well done. That made it the most popular cooking level in the entire survey, beating out medium rare which came in second at 23%. So despite all the sneering and criticism from fancy food people, nearly a quarter of the country agrees with Trump’s preference. The 2022-23 Consumer Steak Report from Meats by Linz showed that over 40% of people said they have criticized or would criticize someone for ordering well-done steak, but clearly those critics are in the minority when it comes to actual preferences.
Trump takes his steak with ketchup every time
If the well-done thing wasn’t controversial enough, Trump adds another layer that really gets people worked up. He drowns his steak in ketchup. During his first restaurant meal in Washington D.C. after becoming president, a reporter watched from a balcony as Trump ate a $54 dry-aged New York strip at BLT Prime, a steakhouse that was in his own hotel at the time. The steak came out well done, and Trump promptly covered it with his favorite condiment. For many steak lovers, this is where things go from questionable to completely unacceptable.
The practice of putting ketchup on steak has been called everything from a crime against food to downright sacrilege. Critics argue that the sweet, tangy sauce completely covers up the taste of the beef, which seems especially wasteful when you’re eating an expensive cut. It also seems a bit ironic to cook a steak until all the juices are gone, then add moisture back with squirts of ketchup. Still, Trump isn’t completely alone here either. The same Consumer Steak Report found that 5% of people named ketchup as their preferred steak condiment. That’s a small group, but it exists.
His regular order at BLT Prime never changed
During his four years in office, Trump ate at exactly one restaurant in Washington D.C., according to The Washingtonian. That restaurant was BLT Prime, located in what was then his own Trump International Hotel. Every single time he went there, he ordered the same thing: a well-done bone-in ribeye or filet mignon with fries on the side. The restaurant even created a detailed manual called the “Standard Operating Procedure” specifically for serving him. The instructions were incredibly specific about every aspect of his meal.
The manual explained exactly how staff should open and pour his Diet Coke in front of him so he could watch. Trump reportedly has concerns about being poisoned, so brand-new miniature bottles of Heinz ketchup had to be opened at the table where he could hear the caps “pop.” At one point, Trump complained that a guest received a larger steak than his, so the restaurant started serving him 40-ounce tomahawks. These massive ribeyes have an extra long piece of bone left attached, making them look even bigger on the plate. BLT Prime eventually closed its doors in 2022.
Other presidents had similar steak preferences
Trump isn’t the first president to prefer his steak cooked all the way through. Ulysses S. Grant had an aversion to blood and would only eat meat that was completely charred. Harry S. Truman once said that “only coyotes and predatory animals eat raw beef,” making his stance on rare steak pretty clear. Ronald Reagan also liked his steaks well done, though he served his with chili instead of ketchup. So this preference has a long history in the White House, even if it goes against what food experts recommend.
On the flip side, Barack Obama represented a more moderate approach. He’s known for loving food and trying different local restaurants during his time in office, which was the complete opposite of Trump’s single-restaurant habit. Obama’s favorite thing to order was a classic cheeseburger, and while he did like his steak on the longer-cooked side, he preferred medium-well rather than going all the way to well done. That’s still more cooked than most food experts would recommend, but it’s not quite as extreme as Trump’s completely well-done preference.
Why some people actually prefer well-done steak
There are legitimate reasons why people order their steaks well done, even if chefs hate it. The biggest factor is usually what you grew up eating. If your parents always cooked meat all the way through when you were a kid, that’s probably how you’ll want it as an adult. Food preferences get set early in life, and it’s hard to change them later. Some people also just don’t like the texture or appearance of meat that’s still pink or red in the middle. They find it unappetizing or think it looks undercooked.
Supporters of well-done steak argue that it actually has more taste because the longer cooking time makes water in the meat evaporate, creating a concentrated beef flavor. They also point out that well-done steaks get more caramelization from spending extra time on the heat. The outside develops a deeper crust and browning that medium-rare steaks don’t have. Of course, plenty of people would argue against these points, saying the dryness and toughness outweigh any benefits. But taste is personal, and what seems like a ruined steak to one person might be perfect for someone else.
The science behind why chefs hate it
From a scientific standpoint, cooking steak well done does change its texture and moisture content. The longer meat stays on heat, the more its juices and fat leak out of the muscle fibers. This is just basic physics and chemistry at work. As the internal temperature rises past medium and into well-done territory, the proteins squeeze together tighter and push out moisture. What you end up with is meat that’s drier and chewier than steak cooked to lower temperatures. This is why the “shoe leather” comparison comes up so often.
Professional chefs spend years learning how to cook meat to specific temperatures that they believe bring out the best qualities. When someone orders well done, it goes against everything they’ve been trained to do. Some chefs see it as a rejection of their expertise and skill. There’s also a practical concern: if you’re paying good money for a quality cut of beef, cooking it well done eliminates many of the characteristics that made it worth the price in the first place. The marbling and tenderness that you’re paying for mostly disappear when you cook it that long.
Diet Coke instead of wine with dinner
Trump’s steak order isn’t the only unusual thing about his dining habits. While most people ordering an expensive steak dinner might pair it with a nice red wine, Trump always drinks Diet Coke. He’s a well-known teetotaler who doesn’t drink alcohol at all, which is actually pretty rare among presidents and politicians in general. So instead of a sommelier carefully selecting a wine to complement his meal, Trump has servers bring him his favorite soda. The contrast between a fancy steakhouse setting and a can of Diet Coke is pretty striking.
This preference extends to all his meals, not just steak dinners. Trump is famous for loving Diet Coke and reportedly drinks several cans throughout the day. At the White House, he even had a button installed on his desk that would summon a staff member to bring him a Diet Coke whenever he wanted one. For someone who owns restaurants and hotels known for fine dining, his personal food and drink choices are remarkably simple and consistent. He knows what he likes and sticks with it, regardless of what anyone else thinks is appropriate or sophisticated.
Restaurant staff had special procedures for serving him
The Standard Operating Procedure manual that BLT Prime created for Trump goes way beyond just cooking his steak well done. Every detail of his dining experience was mapped out in specific instructions for the staff. The way his Diet Coke was opened had to happen right in front of him where he could see it. The ketchup bottles had to be brand new, miniature-sized Heinz bottles, and staff had to open them at the table so Trump could hear the safety seal pop. These weren’t just preferences – they were requirements that everyone had to follow exactly.
The tomahawk steak situation shows just how specific things got. After Trump noticed that someone else at his table received what looked like a bigger steak than his, the restaurant immediately changed their protocol. From that point on, they served him 40-ounce tomahawks, which are enormous steaks with the long rib bone still attached. The bone makes the steak look even more impressive on the plate, even though it doesn’t add any actual meat. This kind of detailed attention to keeping one customer happy is unusual, though it makes sense given that he owned the hotel where the restaurant was located.
Food critics called it a crime against steak
When news of Trump’s steak preferences first became public, food critics didn’t hold back their opinions. Many of them described the combination of well-done meat and ketchup as a “crime against food.” The criticism was harsh and immediate, with articles and social media posts mocking the way he ate. Some critics saw it as proof that Trump, despite his wealth and access to the finest restaurants, had no appreciation for good food. Others used it as an example of how money can’t buy taste or sophistication.
The late Anthony Bourdain, a chef and food writer known for his strong opinions, once said that people who order well-done steak get served the restaurant’s worst cuts of meat. His point was that if you’re going to cook something that long anyway, it doesn’t matter if you start with a prime cut or a lower-quality piece. The extended cooking time will make them end up pretty similar. Whether restaurants actually do this is debatable, but it shows the level of disdain that some food professionals have for well-done steak orders. Despite all this criticism, Trump has never shown any sign of changing his preferences or caring what food experts think.
Ordering steak well done with ketchup might get you judged at fancy restaurants, but the numbers show that plenty of regular people share similar preferences. Whether it’s based on how you grew up eating, personal texture preferences, or just liking what you like, there’s no actual law that says you have to eat steak the way chefs recommend. Trump’s dining habits might be controversial, but at least he’s consistent about what he enjoys, even if it makes food critics cringe every single time.
