My wife's 13 year old nephew stayed over with us on the weekend. He was playing in a volleyball championship at the Aquatic Centre and we are a lot closer than where he lives. As the event is over a couple of days, M wouldn't have to get up quite so early.

I went to Gruner's Butcher & Smallgoods to buy some well aged rump steak about 1.5" (4 cm) thick. Whenever we go to M's place, if I want to eat meat that is still pink or rare, I have to do it myself. M's parents consider any colour at all in meat a sign of incomplete cooking, so M has never had a rare or medium steak in his life.

But that was about to change.

We were watching sport on telly together and I casually asked M if he had ever had meat with a bit of pink colour, to which he replied no, so I explained to him all about meat cookery and why people cook meat the way they do and how it affects the taste. Then very innocently I asked if he would consider trying meat that was still pink (medium) and assured him that it would not be red raw. He thought about it for a moment and then agreed after I said we could always cook it some more if he didn't like it.

It wasn't necessary, he tucked away half a kilo (1 lb) of prime rump steak. Told his mum too.