diff --git a/src/game/game.ts b/src/game/game.ts
index fc2322c..7ff7d99 100644
--- a/src/game/game.ts
+++ b/src/game/game.ts
@@ -491,6 +491,7 @@ export class Game {
     this.orderSeconds = 0;
     this.prepResult = null;
     this.juiceResult = null;
+    this.panIngredient = null; // a fetched-mushroom day's ingredient never leaks forward
     this.lastBruschetta = null;
     this.prepQueue = o.prep ? [...o.prep] : [];
     this.timing = true;
@@ -557,7 +558,7 @@ export class Game {
       this.pan.root.visible = false;
       // The two seared faces stand in for the interior doneness carried to the board.
       const cookDoneness = (panResult.downMean + panResult.upMean) / 2;
-      this.steakBoard.reset(cookDoneness, st.target, st.grain);
+      this.steakBoard.reset(cookDoneness, st.target, st.grain, panResult.sideGap);
       this.hideAllScenes();
       this.steakBoard.root.visible = true;
       this.app.setView(this.steakBoard);
diff --git a/src/scenes/steakboard.ts b/src/scenes/steakboard.ts
index a822774..30c2584 100644
--- a/src/scenes/steakboard.ts
+++ b/src/scenes/steakboard.ts
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ export class SteakBoardView implements View {
   private session: SteakSession | null = null;
   private steak!: THREE.Mesh;
   private grainLines: THREE.Line[] = [];
+  private grainMat: THREE.LineBasicMaterial | null = null;
   private seams: THREE.Mesh[] = [];
   private puddle!: THREE.Mesh;
   private knife!: THREE.Mesh;
@@ -114,10 +115,9 @@ export class SteakBoardView implements View {
 
   /** A steak fresh off the pan: its interior doneness, the ordered target, and
    *  a fibre direction to cut across. */
-  reset(cookDoneness: number, target: Doneness = 'medium', grainAxis = 0.35, askText = 'let it rest — then cut across the grain'): void {
-    this.session = newSteakSession(cookDoneness, target, grainAxis);
-    for (const l of this.grainLines) this.root.remove(l);
-    for (const s of this.seams) this.root.remove(s);
+  reset(cookDoneness: number, target: Doneness = 'medium', grainAxis = 0.35, sideGap = 0, askText = 'let it rest — then cut across the grain'): void {
+    this.session = newSteakSession(cookDoneness, target, grainAxis, sideGap);
+    this.disposeSlab();
     this.grainLines = [];
     this.seams = [];
     this.strokeStart = null;
@@ -127,6 +127,7 @@ export class SteakBoardView implements View {
     // Draw the grain: pale parallel fibre lines at grainAxis across the top face.
     const y = BOARD_Y * 2 + 0.23;
     const mat = new THREE.LineBasicMaterial({ color: 0x9a6a5a, transparent: true, opacity: 0.7 });
+    this.grainMat = mat;
     const dir = new THREE.Vector2(Math.cos(grainAxis), Math.sin(grainAxis));
     const perp = new THREE.Vector2(-dir.y, dir.x);
     for (let i = -6; i <= 6; i++) {
@@ -181,15 +182,16 @@ export class SteakBoardView implements View {
     }
     this.wasDown = inp.down;
 
-    // The puddle grows with the flood — capped for the eye.
-    const flood = Math.min(1, s.flood / 6);
+    // The puddle tracks the SCORE penalty — saturate as the rest is destroyed
+    // (same /1.1 reference the judge uses), so what you see is what he tastes.
+    const bled = 1 - steakResult(s).restScore;
     const pm = this.puddle.material as THREE.MeshBasicMaterial;
-    pm.opacity = Math.min(0.8, flood * 0.9);
-    this.puddle.scale.setScalar(0.4 + flood * 1.4);
-    // Knife tilts to the current stroke's implied angle when steady.
+    pm.opacity = Math.min(0.82, bled * 0.9);
+    this.puddle.scale.setScalar(0.4 + bled * 1.5);
     this.updateHud();
 
-    if (inp.justPressed('Enter')) {
+    // No serving an uncut steak — the nerve test has to actually be taken.
+    if (inp.justPressed('Enter') && s.cuts.length > 0) {
       finishSteak(s);
       const cb = this.onDone;
       this.onDone = null;
@@ -197,6 +199,22 @@ export class SteakBoardView implements View {
     }
   }
 
+  /** Free the round's grain lines and slice seams (removed on reset/teardown —
+   *  three.js only frees GPU buffers on an explicit dispose). */
+  private disposeSlab(): void {
+    for (const l of this.grainLines) {
+      this.root.remove(l);
+      l.geometry.dispose();
+    }
+    this.grainMat?.dispose();
+    this.grainMat = null;
+    for (const s of this.seams) {
+      this.root.remove(s);
+      s.geometry.dispose();
+      (s.material as THREE.Material).dispose();
+    }
+  }
+
   private commitStroke(): void {
     const s = this.session!;
     const start = this.strokeStart!;
@@ -232,22 +250,26 @@ export class SteakBoardView implements View {
   private updateHud(): void {
     const s = this.session!;
     const r = steakResult(s);
-    this.stateEl.textContent = `${s.cuts.length} slice${s.cuts.length === 1 ? '' : 's'}${s.flood > 0.5 ? ` · ${Math.round(Math.min(100, s.flood * 15))}% bled out` : ''}`;
+    // "% bled out" is the REST penalty the judge will read — 100% when the rest
+    // score is destroyed — not a raw flood number on a different scale.
+    const bled = Math.round((1 - r.restScore) * 100);
+    this.stateEl.textContent = `${s.cuts.length} slice${s.cuts.length === 1 ? '' : 's'}${s.cuts.length && bled > 5 ? ` · ${bled}% bled out` : ''}`;
     if (s.cuts.length === 0) {
       this.wordEl.textContent = restWord(s);
       this.wordEl.style.color = s.moisture > 0.72 ? '#e2603a' : s.moisture < 0.66 ? '#8fce8f' : '';
     } else {
-      const word = r.flood > 1.1 ? 'it bled — you cut it early' : r.meanAcross < 0.4 ? 'along the grain — chewy' : r.tears > 0 ? 'torn, not sliced' : 'across, clean, rested';
+      const word = r.restScore < 0.5 ? 'it bled — you cut it early' : r.meanAcross < 0.4 ? 'along the grain — chewy' : r.tears > 0 ? 'torn, not sliced' : 'across, clean, rested';
       this.wordEl.textContent = word;
       this.wordEl.style.color = r.cutScore > 0.7 && r.restScore > 0.7 ? '#8fce8f' : '#e2603a';
     }
   }
 
   result() {
-    return this.session ? steakResult(this.session) : { cookScore: 0, restScore: 0, cutScore: 0, doneness: 0, target: 'medium' as const, flood: 0, meanAcross: 0, tears: 0 };
+    return this.session ? steakResult(this.session) : { cookScore: 0, restScore: 0, cutScore: 0, doneness: 0, target: 'medium' as const, sideGap: 0, flood: 0, meanAcross: 0, tears: 0 };
   }
 
   dispose(): void {
+    this.disposeSlab();
     this.panel.dispose();
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/sim/steak.ts b/src/sim/steak.ts
index 0b59aeb..3f2fa1d 100644
--- a/src/sim/steak.ts
+++ b/src/sim/steak.ts
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ export interface SteakSession {
   /** Interior doneness the sear left (fed from the pan). */
   cookDoneness: number;
   target: Doneness;
+  /** |downMean − upMean| from the pan — one face burnt, one raw drags The Cook. */
+  sideGap: number;
   /** Fibre direction, radians. Cutting is scored against it. */
   grainAxis: number;
   /** 0.95 hot .. 0.6 rested. Only falls, on the rest clock. */
@@ -56,10 +58,11 @@ export interface SteakSession {
   phase: 'resting' | 'cutting' | 'done';
 }
 
-export function newSteakSession(cookDoneness: number, target: Doneness = 'medium', grainAxis = 0.4): SteakSession {
+export function newSteakSession(cookDoneness: number, target: Doneness = 'medium', grainAxis = 0.4, sideGap = 0): SteakSession {
   return {
     cookDoneness,
     target,
+    sideGap,
     grainAxis,
     moisture: HOT_MOISTURE,
     restedSeconds: 0,
@@ -99,14 +102,15 @@ export function finishSteak(s: SteakSession): void {
 }
 
 export interface SteakResult {
-  /** How close the interior came to the doneness asked. */
+  /** How close the interior came to the doneness asked (and how even the sear). */
   cookScore: number;
-  /** The nerve: 1 if you rested it, dropping with the flood. */
+  /** The nerve: 1 if you rested it, dropping the juicier you cut it. */
   restScore: number;
   /** Across the grain and clean, or a torn rope. */
   cutScore: number;
   doneness: number;
   target: Doneness;
+  sideGap: number;
   flood: number;
   meanAcross: number;
   tears: number;
@@ -116,14 +120,18 @@ const clamp01 = (v: number) => (v < 0 ? 0 : v > 1 ? 1 : v);
 
 export function steakResult(s: SteakSession): SteakResult {
   const tgt = DONENESS_TARGET[s.target];
-  const cookScore = clamp01(1 - Math.abs(s.cookDoneness - tgt) / 0.22);
-  // The rest is the flood: a whisper of juice is a well-rested steak; a puddle
-  // is a steak you couldn't wait for.
-  const restScore = clamp01(1 - s.flood / 1.1);
+  // The cook is the interior doneness AND the evenness — one face charred, one
+  // raw averages to the right number but isn't the right steak.
+  const cookScore = clamp01(1 - Math.abs(s.cookDoneness - tgt) / 0.22 - s.sideGap * 0.6);
+  // The rest reads the juice released PER CUT (i.e. the moisture at the moment you
+  // committed to cutting) — not the summed flood, so slicing more doesn't fake a
+  // worse rest, and an uncut steak earns no rest credit at all.
+  const perCut = s.cuts.length ? s.flood / s.cuts.length : 0;
+  const restScore = s.cuts.length ? clamp01(1 - perCut / 1.1) : 0;
   const meanAcross = s.cuts.length ? s.cuts.reduce((a, c) => a + c.across, 0) / s.cuts.length : 0;
   const tears = s.cuts.filter((c) => c.torn).length;
   const cutScore = clamp01(meanAcross - (s.cuts.length ? tears / s.cuts.length : 0) * 0.8);
-  return { cookScore, restScore, cutScore, doneness: s.cookDoneness, target: s.target, flood: s.flood, meanAcross, tears };
+  return { cookScore, restScore, cutScore, doneness: s.cookDoneness, target: s.target, sideGap: s.sideGap, flood: s.flood, meanAcross, tears };
 }
 
 /** The live tell for the resting steak — no timer, just the meat. */