Porterhouse Steak for Two: Cooked as the Chef Likes It

I had dinner last night with good friends at one of the hippest new restaurants in town. My host decided to order and share the house specialty: a three-pound Porterhouse steak for two people, cooked inside a thick crust of kosher salt mixed with herbs. He asked for it to be cooked "between medium-rare and medium, and more on the medium side."

A few minutes later, our waitress returned. "The chef says he won't cook that steak more than medium-rare." My host gave in.

When the steak arrived, it was closer to rare than medium-rare: nice and red in the center. Thanks to the salt crust and to the prime beef the restaurant used, it tasted sensational: rich, meaty, tender, and perfectly seasoned throughout.

But I could tell that my host would have preferred it cooked closer to medium--even if that had meant that the meat was less juicy, tender, and flavorful. It's just the way my friend likes it.

So, why did he have to eat it the way the chef thought it should be. On matters like steak, isn't the customer always right?