You’ve planned a steak dinner, but when you open the fridge, the meat looks gray instead of bright red. This can be unsettling, but a color change alone doesn’t automatically mean the steak is unsafe. Understanding why steak changes color and how to properly assess its condition can help you decide whether it’s still suitable to cook or should be discarded.
Why Steak Changes Color
Fresh steak is red because of oxymyoglobin, a pigment created when myoglobin in the meat comes into contact with oxygen. Over time, and especially with
