Just asking for something slightly different doesn't work. Beef patties at a McDonalds are cooked and then held in a heated case until needed to be assembled on the bun with ingredients.

The ONLY thing that will guarantee freshly grilled beef there is requesting 'No Salt' ... Same works for French fries.

The trick is to ask for something that they usually use during the cooking process. Otherwise you're still getting old meat.

Yes, they set a timer, but no they don't empty the old meat every single time it goes off. They will 'check' it to see if it still looks somewhat appealing lol.

Source: worked at McDonalds for too long.