A man took to Reddit to explain how he serves cheap, low-grade steak to his in-laws but buys expensive Wagyu beef for his parents to eat. This seriously angers his wife, who thinks he's treating her parents unequally.
The man claims he doesn't do this out of spite or malice. He even thinks his in-laws are "lovely people." However, he says, "...they refuse to eat steak that isn't well done."
He learned this when he bought some "beautiful prime steak" for his in-laws the first time they came to dinner after he'd moved in with their daughter. But having to cook these expensive cuts medium well made him "die a little" inside.
Still, he served the medium-done steak to his in-laws only to receive another shock. His wife's father took his piece of meat back to the grill to cook it all the way through.
Why ruin a pricey piece of steak by cooking it to a crisp? Now this man buys a lower grade of meat for when the in-laws come for dinner.
On the contrary, when his parents come to dine, he serves them high-quality Wagyu. This is because his parents are gourmands. He can serve his parents medium or even rare meat.
His wife is fed up though. She wants her husband to treat her parents like he does his own. But he simply doesn't want to waste money on meat that his in-laws won't appreciate because they'll only eat it over-cooked.
Think this man is being petty? Chefs who specialize in steaks don't disagree with how he's acting. The purpose of buying an expensive cut of beef is to taste the uniqueness and the quality of the steak. You can't taste that if you cook it too much.
When you do, it just ends up tasting the same as low-grade meat. So this man serving his in-laws cheap steaks isn't actually such a weird thing, seeing they need him to cook the meat so much it doesn't make a difference in flavor.
Sure, he may have a good reason for serving his in-laws bargain barrel meat. But does his wife have a reason to be angry about this?
Yes, she does.
According to Mieke Rivka Sidorsky, a couples therapist in Maryland, the key to having a good relationship with your in-laws is to focus on the good about them. "This is a long-term relationship, so it is likely worth investing in," says Sidorsky.
In short, this man's in-laws aren't going anywhere. He should be treating them the same as he does his parents. He should not be buying them cheap meat while splurging on his folks.
Arlin Cuncic, MA, also recommends being patient with one's in-laws and accepting them as they are. This is an important step in keeping your marriage happy.
If this man keeps up the poor treatment of his in-laws, this just might lead to divorce. And yet, he may want to have a heart-to-heart with his wife's parents about their opinions on how to cook their meat.
Believe it or not but there are health benefits to eating your steak medium or rare. According to The Healthy Journal, meat cooked till it's well done contains more potential carcinogens than meat cooked for a shorter time.
A 2018 study also found that well-done steak can cause high blood pressure. A study from New York's Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai even found that eating well-done steak is a risk factor for developing dementia.
Consuming thoroughly cooked meat just isn't good for his in-laws' health. He should hit the problem that way. Maybe that will get them to change their mind and start to eat their meat rare or medium. Then he won't feel so bad about serving them the good cuts.
Local News
