I’ve finally had enough of the internet failing to give me an answer to how to cook a blue steak and have decided to do my own step by step instructions.
First off: What is a Blue Steak?
If you think about the difference between well done and rare, well there is just as much difference between rare and blue. It’s way beyond Very Rare. I’ve seen “blue steak” variously described as: take a cow, rip off any horns, wipe it’s arse, and throw a match on it; or my personal favourite: steak so rare, a good vet could bring it back to life! 
Don’t get me wrong, a blue steak is not Steak Tartare (which is completely raw), it is cooked though of course definitions vary as to what “cooked” means when it comes to a blue steak. When I left home as a teenager, I believed a simple idiom: If it’s not brown, it’s not cooked. So whenever I had steak, I always had it Well Done. So guess what: I hated steak! I rarely (haha) ate it, as it was tough, chewy and tasteless. I couldn’t see why everyone seemed to rate a “good steak”. It all tasted the same to me: like boot leather.
Over the years though, I figured that as half the population hadn’t died by eating rare steak, maybe it didn’t kill you on contact after all! Perhaps people were right that rare steaks were “cooked”. So I looked into it, and here’s what I found.
Here’s my take on it (disclaimer – I know nothing, and the advice here is worth what you paid for it: nothing! If you change your eating habits as a result of this post and die, not my fault, though you may have had a great last meal, lol!): anyway, as I understand it, germs on a piece of steak only grow where they come into contact with air. Therefore, the germs are only ever on the outside surface. This is why you never get even medium burgers, because the mincing process mixes up all the aerated surface bits through out. Burgers have to be well done, to kill the germs in the middle, steak isn’t like this. If you sear the outside surface, you kill the germs.
But eating even medium well done (i.e. a slight hint of pink) was what my mother had taught me was “raw meat” and it made me gag. However I implemented mind over matter and slowly went from well done, to medium well done, to medium, to medium rare, to rare, to very rare and finally to our destination: blue steak. I’ll admit, that simple sentence has taken me 10 years of my life and no small amount of “encouragement” from the missus!
And now: I love steak! Gone are the minutes of endless chewing a hunk of leather that required copious amounts of beer to make palatable enough to wash down. Blue steak is tender, juicy, full of rich flavour and best of all, melts in the mouth. This is a great picture of some blue steak:
See how only the outside is dark brown, followed about a few millimetres of light brown, then the middle is as red and bloody as the day it was born. Yummy! 
But anyway, back to the point of this post: how to cook the perfect blue steak! Here’s how I do it:
- Get the best bit of steak you can: go for fillet steak if you can get it, or sirloin steak, or if you must rump steak.
- However, also try to get the thickest cut possible.
- If you can, leave it out of the fridge for a few hours before cooking. This is to bring the steak up to room temperature, which will help the middle become warm, considering the quick cooking time (2-3 minutes).
- Salt and Pepper the steak to taste, I like a bit of sea salt and a lot of cracked black pepper corns. You can also add some herbs if you like, a sprinkling of rosemary is my favourite.
- Heat some (extra virgin) olive oil in a large frying pan. Set the heat to HIGH, you want it HOT.
- Pop in a small nob of butter, which should bubble immediately.
- Now carefully place your soon to be blue steak in the frying pan. Try to leave it alone, don’t fuss over it. No stirring or prodding, no weighing it down or pressing, the occassional shake of the pan should be all that’s required to alleviate your worries that it might be sticking.
- Make sure the heat is still on high.
- If your steak is thin, after 1 minute, that side will be done so turn it over.
- If your steak is thick, you might be inclined to stretch to 1.5 mins per side.
- After the 2nd side is done, you should ensure that no part of the surface of the steak is still uncooked. If you have a particularly thick steak, it’s possible the sides aren’t cooked, so manipulate the steak to slowly roll it round on its side.
And we’re done! Your newly cooked blue steak is ready for eating. The one I had for tea tonight was a nice Zone Diet friendly version, so I had it with a simple side salad and a black pepper sauce made from the liquor left in the frying pan, I simply added some beef stock, some red wine, and a dash of single cream. Zone diet experts will notice that this is probably a bit short on carbs for a properly balanced zone meal, but ask yourself this: where did the wine for the sauce come from, and what do you think happened to the rest of the bottle! 
EDIT March I’ve finally got round to making a Cooking a Blue Steak Video
Azz June 30, 2007 at 6:11 pm
About time somone did this, i always ask for Very, very very very rare, i have mine about 45 seconds per side and its done! yum
Colin McNulty July 1, 2007 at 11:13 am
I have a slight adaptation on the above, if you don’t like it cold in the middle (some people do, some don’t), which is after the cooking above, stick it in the oven on just 100C for 10 minutes to make sure it’s warmed through thoroughly, but not so hot that it turns the insides brown.
Nicky Brown December 3, 2007 at 7:23 pm
I leave my boyfriends under the grill while i grill mine – not actually “under” the grill but under under the grill – hope you’re with me there!
This means that when i cook his blue, as he likes it, it is warm in the middle without compromising the blue part.
Colin McNulty December 4, 2007 at 9:10 am
Thanks Nicky, that’s a good tip. Feel free to post an image of your blue steak up here.
Sherry December 22, 2007 at 9:46 am
I always head it called “blood rare” but it is the best way to eat it. I will take a Ribeye about a inch and a half thick lightly sear both sides wrap in foil with mushrooms and place in a 200F oven for 15 min.
sam nelson January 7, 2008 at 4:38 am
Im a big fan of a correctly done blue steak.
sorry Colin but IMO that pic you posted is a little overdone for me, but thats just me i guess
a few tips/tricks i have learned over the last few years of loving meat.
use an oil that has a high “burn temp” i.e. safflower oil
as you have said, leave the meat out of the fridge covered for a while to bring the temp back up a little to help with making the middle nice.
season with a small amount of fresh cracked pepper and kosher salt and some thin oil
cook in a thick HEAVY HOT!! pan
only turn the meat once and move it as little as possible
after you have cooked it, put it on a warmed plate and cover it with aluminum foil and let it sit for atleast 3 mins… the juices run out then soak back up in
then serve it on another heated plate.
sorry didnt mean to tell you how to do it those are just my ideas/tips.
i love to eat my steak no sauces but with mash potato and add a good size dollip of wholegrain mustard in the mash
Colin McNulty January 7, 2008 at 9:14 am
Hi Sam,
Don’t apologise please. It’s always good to hear someone else’s view point. How about you post up a picture of the way you like it?
Colin
sam nelson January 7, 2008 at 8:46 pm
ok will see what i can do… might go and select a nice cut today and see how it comes out.
fingers crossed pics to follow tomorrow
Sam nelson January 23, 2008 at 2:06 am
Very sorry about the delay,
here is a quick photo of how i like it, i guess its not too far off yours
Colin McNulty January 23, 2008 at 7:30 am
Ooh Sam that’s a lovely steak you have there! Good quality meat too, you can see the fat marbling. How’s the inside, warm or cold?
Sam nelson January 24, 2008 at 2:19 am
the inside was perfect, nice and warm.
the meat was from our local butcher a nice cut of his $45/kg fillet steak
should have taken a photo of the rest of the plate, nice fresh broccoli from the garden, steamed beans and mashed potato (with wholegrain mustard)
was indeed a nice meal
ali May 21, 2008 at 10:50 am
Great info, did one last night in our pbu for a customer, but why I chewed my nails while they ate I don’t know. I did it as you have described and it was surely ok, they paid!!
Colin McNulty May 25, 2008 at 2:15 pm
That’s great ali, thanks for letting me know!
Paul Leslie July 3, 2008 at 6:07 am
Colin,
magnificent – spread the word.
I wholeheartedly agree that one of the easiest ways is to just sear the steak and put it in a very hot oven for 10 minutes (while you fry the onions & garlic).
With the availability & reasonable price of Wagyu nowdays, this is an excellent meat to eat blue.
Colin McNulty July 5, 2008 at 4:08 am
What’s Wagyu?
Lol July 11, 2008 at 10:21 am
Interesting reading. I may try this soon.
Do you ever get steak that has come from a well hung carcass? (if you’ll pardon the expression!) Rather than looking bright pink, it tends to look a little brown even though it hasn’t been cooked. From what I have heard, a good butcher will recommend that the meat is hung a lot longer than any of the bright red meat you will see in a supermarket.
Also, how long do you keep a steak hanging around in the fridge before you eat it?
I didn’t know what Wagyu was either:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wagyu
Colin McNulty July 13, 2008 at 8:49 am
Well hung steak is great and it should look a dull brown colour and dry to the touch. The bright red stuff you get in most supermarkets is actually abnormal.
The easiest way of telling the quality of meat (in terms of how well it’s been hung) is its water content. Hanging meat makes it lose water through evaporation, that’s why supermarket meat is usually cling film wrapped, to artificially maintain it’s weight through water retention. You buy meat priced by weight right?
You can tell the difference before you even taste the difference by seeing how much water is released into the pan when you fry meat.
Ian July 25, 2008 at 2:31 am
Um, sorry to both of you, but neither of those steaks are blue rare, they are just plain rare. I’m not saying this to pick on you, just to point out that if that’s how you prepare your steaks, then you guys have never actually had a blue rare steak, and are missing out. I don’t have a photo of how I cook my steak, at hand, but check out the photos on this website, they demonstrate what a real blue rare steak looks like. Incidentally Sam, the inside of your steak should be nice and cool – if it’s warm, you’re eating rare.
http://www.thehealthybutcher.com/livetoeat/volume18/LiveToEat-Volume18-ThePerfectSteak.html
Scroll down to the section on “judging doneness”
Hope you enjoy the experience of real blue.
Colin McNulty July 25, 2008 at 9:02 am
Hmmm interesting, here’s the pictures Ian referring too:
I’m not convinced that they’re right and that blue should be cold in the middle. But by those definitions Ian is right, the pics above are not blue steaks. What I can say is that if you ask for “Rare” in any English restaurant, you won’t get a steak that looks like the Rare one in that picture!
Robert Young October 10, 2008 at 3:41 pm
I was just in Florence, Italy and had a steak Forence Style. It turned out to be a BLUE steak. No juices whatsoever, and, oh so tender! I wonder if my ribeye steaks I love,cooked this way, will also be tender? Sometimes they turn out to be more chewy when too rare…but that steak in Florence was the best steak I have ever had! and I love steak! and Prime Rib!
steakmonster November 29, 2008 at 5:40 pm
Man i love a good steak… Once had a Fiorentina steak in Rome, 32Oz of T-bone steak… did not ask how i would like it cooked, came perfect RARE/Blue
if you’re ever in Rome check out “Dal Toscano”
we liked it so much, we visited again, and the second time, call me a fatty, but i had to have second serving of their fillet steak….Mmmmm
Thanks for the Info here on cooking the perfect steak…
Vive la Blue-steak revolution!!!
mark December 18, 2008 at 10:22 pm
the way i was taught to do a blue steak was to let the meat come to room temperture heat a griddle pan bit of oil till it smoking 5-10 seconds each side deliscious
sean January 2, 2009 at 1:59 am
actually, you do NOT want to use olive oil when searing steak
the smoking point is too low and causes it to impart a foul taste to a seared steak when the heat is too hot
you want an oil with a high smoking point
mark January 8, 2009 at 6:06 pm
well thats just ur opion i no what i like
Colin McNulty January 8, 2009 at 10:00 pm
Thanks for joining the debate Mark, very useful. lol
Lauren Graves January 18, 2009 at 6:29 pm
I agree with the posters saying that the pics posted aren’t really blue rare. I eat my steak blue rare and it is cold in the middle.
*Super super hot pan, just use canola oil, it’s smoke point is one of the highest. I cook it about 10 seconds per side, I think. Hell, once I was making sirloin kabobs and one of the raw cubes of meat looked so gorgeous, juicy with a fantastic color, so I just sprinkled some salt and pepper on it and popped it in my mouth! Ah.. This was last summer and I’m still alive, who cares.
*I only salt my steak before cooking it. I find that all the cracked black pepper I like on it tends to burn a bit.
I’m going to pick up a filet in a bit and cook it up right, in honor of the Steelers playing tonight. Woo hoo!
chuck January 19, 2009 at 9:05 am
Well mate you got it right . very good . i will come looking on how to when i need it.
but vampires !! hmm
sophie February 3, 2009 at 5:57 pm
i went out for a steak and i carnt find any were which will serve blue steak in newcastle i am gutted on this matter as that is how i love it cooked. does any one know any were i can go out for a steak in newcastle. thank you
Colin McNulty February 3, 2009 at 8:26 pm
It’s often hard to find somewhere that:
A) Has ever heard of a blue steak.
B) Understands that “blue” does not equal “rare”. (I got into an argument with a waitress once, when I ordered a blue steak and then saw her write down rare!!)
C) Can actually cook it.
You need to look for an independent, family run, old fashioned steakhouse.
Polly Pierce March 2, 2009 at 5:54 pm
Regarding your last post I couldn’t agree more. I came across your blog during a search for images of blue steak for my blog. I hope you don’t mind if I copy them and link them back to this blog. Also I will reference you as my source of information.
It is difficult, as you say, to find anyone who knows what a blue steak is and how it differs from rare. In the eventuality of being served a blue steak unintentionally, it can be incredibly difficult to persuade the waitress of the fact that it isn’t rare, but raw! More often than not the replacement is even more likely to break for the door…
Regarding Sam Nelson’s photo of blue steak, I would have to agree with his comment that yours does resemble my preferred rare steak. The chart that you included is great and describes the different types of steak perfectly.
During my recent outing to a local hotel restaurant my steak was served blue, this was obvious before I even cut into it due to the lack of bounce. Rather the surface gave way too easily when touched with the flat of the knife and didn’t bounce back as I would have expected for a rare steak.
Sadly, I don’t have steak for dinner tonight, merely some really nice spicy sausages from Tesco’s which will go nicely with mashed potatoes, swede/rutabaga & carrot and some onion gravy. Funny enough, with sausages they have to be cooked like a well done steak NOT pink!
Colin McNulty March 2, 2009 at 8:41 pm
Hi Polly, thanks for the great comment. Feel free to use the images, you can just link to them if you prefer and a link back is always appreciated, thank you.
I must say I’ve never had a blue steak when ordering a rare one (when I used to order rare that is), usually the cooks (for that is what most are really) err on the side of caution and over cook steak.
Re your rare sausage comment, I was surprised to be watching a cooking program the other day, and notice that they deliberately cooked a rare burger!
matt March 11, 2009 at 9:11 am
Hey colin, this has really opened my eyes up to the world of steak.
Thankyou, this is really interesting. I was also taught that a bit of red in your steak means that it is raw, mainly due to my mum being a vegetarian.
I am trying to currently go down from medium well to medium. I just hope that one day i might find myself at blue rare like yourself haha.
Colin McNulty March 12, 2009 at 11:12 pm
Glad to hear it Matt. You won’t look back!
Elisha April 2, 2009 at 9:05 pm
Hello,
My boyfriend loves his steak, the rarer the better. I would say I would go for the rare option in the chart myself.
With regard to the Newcastle question – I’m not there exactly, a little further south in Darlington but there is a small restaurant called Oven. They are a little pricey but will serve your steak blue if you ask for it.
I think that blue can be “warm in the middle” this is what you get when you let it rise to room temperature. I can cook a steak that is the same as the blue pic but warm, it’s just what happens when you don’t cook it straight from the fridge (in my opinion).
Thanks for the tips, just wanted to gauge everyone elses opinion, just bought some fillet that looks pretty tasty, from ASDA of all places. 28 day aged. d-lish, it is Friday tomorrow after all! Happy weekend x
Naomi April 6, 2009 at 6:47 am
Just a quick note – If you get someone who knows how to cook a Well Done Steak – it is not tough and chewy. They charge quite a bit, though for people like me who cant stand the pink yet, you can get a lovely inch-thick bit of steak and when cooked properly, cuts with a butter knife…. not chewy or tough….. try it! It doesnt lose the flavour – just a totally different one to blue. If you’ve had a well done steak that was tough chewy and flavourless – it wasnt cooked. right. sometimes cooks will ruin a well done steak just to get you to order the way they want you to next time.
Colin McNulty April 6, 2009 at 9:04 pm
Ok Naomi, I’ll bite (haha). How do you cook a Well Done steak “properly” and be able to cut it with a butter knife?
John Roan April 16, 2009 at 1:42 am
Right now, I wish I hadn’t found this page. It’s 2am here and I’ve had a few ciders so I can’t even drive to a 24hr tesco and get a mediocre bit of meat. This page has to be the definition of teasing. However, come the afternoon when I’m fit to drive to the butchers, I’m quite sure I’ll be loving the many tips I’ve found here and I’ll suddenly be glad I found this page!
Thanks to all!
I’m one of the slowly converted variety. I started out around medium-well as a child and worked my way down the scale. I think I first tried blue about 2 years ago when I would have been around 23. Never looked back. Just a shame that as someone pointed out in an earlier post, that in England, it’s hard to eat out and get blue. They almost always serve rare and sometimes medium-rare, and try to pass it off as acceptable. Whenever I send meals back I just get given “looks” like I’m being unreasonable for expecting my food cooked the way I asked it to be. Sadly, I’ve grown so used to it now I’ve kind of given up and just accept it rare and sometimes even medium-rare. I guess it’s too much to ask for a chef to spend less time preparing my food. Must be so much harder for them!
Homerjay April 16, 2009 at 7:48 pm
This is my way….
Get your old,large,seasoned,thick based frying pan and cremate it till its smoking.Hold your sea salted rump steak which has not been trimmed on its edge so the fat bubbles off the rind for a couple of minutes.Flop it over and cook for one minute each side.Turn the gas off and cover with foil for as long as it takes you to find a plate,knife,fork and good old english mustard.Serve and enjoy steak heaven!!!
Colin McNulty April 16, 2009 at 9:15 pm
Hmmmm stop it, it’s making me think of steak!
I keep thinking of doing a video of how to cook a blue steak, perhaps if I ever get round to buying myself that FlipVideo HD that’s just come out. If anyone has any video footage, let me know and I’ll post it up here.
Jim Van Vleck May 2, 2009 at 7:30 pm
You know folks, for me, I want a crusty fat burned cracked peppered garlic salted exterior and warm red interior. I only grill steaks. Wouldn’t go near a stove with a good steak. My coals are about an inch from the grill which makes for flare ups sometimes and i just let them rip. When i take my steak off the grill it is a black pepper burned rare piece of heaven for carnivores….
in my humble opinion, of course. Burned fat, to me, is a delicacy. When I am at the butcher the first thing out of my mouth is “Don’t trim the fat.” I always get a a knowing smile from any butcher worth his salt when i make that request.
I want to thank you all for confirming my belief that to not love rare steak is to say “No” to life.
John May 5, 2009 at 12:08 am
Great article. I have not reached the blue level yet but getting there.
I used to be a well done steak man until about 15 years ago when I went to a steak restaurant and when I asked for a well done steak they refused. After a bit of discussion I said ‘just do it as well done as you can then’. Looking at pictures above it came delivered half way between the medium and medium rare (medium medium rare :0) . Well I at the end of the meal I had to tell the waiter that was the best steak I had ever had, and in fact the first I had enjoyed. My life was changed. To make it better the owner came over and told me he was so happy that I was now starting to appreciate what a good steak was really like that my steak was on him.
This was in Harare, Zimbabwe of all places.
rob May 13, 2009 at 5:29 pm
Hi guys,
Love steak, this is how i cook it. I buy Welsh (best beef here in the UK) sirloin from local butchers, as thick as i can.
I leave it out over night ready to cook the next day, i also give it a sprinkle of black pepper and salt. I heat the pan up for 20mins, it’s got to be so hot you can’t hold your hand above it. I then spread oil over the streak on both sides, i dont put the oil in the pan. I place the steak in the very hot pan, turning it over after one min, then give it a minute on that side then seal the edges.
Whilst cooking i will heat a plate in the over, after cooking the steak i leave it to settle on the plate for about 5-7mins. The result is a rare (for blue cook for 30secs each side) steak of the highest order!
Rob – Wales, UK – husband of a vegeterian!
Colin McNulty May 13, 2009 at 8:21 pm
> I then spread oil over the streak on both sides, i dont put the oil in the pan.
Oooh that’s an interesting twist, I may have to try that one!
Sam May 25, 2009 at 5:38 pm
Great, great read! I’m in Iraq right now and as I’m sure you can imagine, a good steak is nowhere to be found. They do serve “ribeyes”, a term used very loosely, every Sunday in the chow hall but they’re boiled and have the texture of canned tuna. To the poster who said he only grills his steak: I couldn’t agree more! The one thing I’m looking forward to more than anything else is eating a steak grilled by my dad and washing it down with some cognac and a nice cigar.
Nice blog Colin, the steak post gave me something to think about!
P.S. I’m starting Cross Fit tomorrow.
Colin McNulty May 25, 2009 at 7:59 pm
> I’m starting Cross Fit tomorrow.
Hi Sam, well you’ll do well with Crossfit on a good steak inside you that’s for sure. Take care out there won’t you?
Nick July 23, 2009 at 3:47 pm
I recently stayed in the Europa Hotel in Belfast which is expensive and well renowned. I had a blue steak in the restaraunt there and it was appalling.. it honestly looked barely medium. Not a hint or red in it at all. The next night we went to a wee pub/restaraunt called The Basement just beside City Hall and the blue steak was fantastic. Best steak I’ve ever had. Thoroughly recommend it if anyone if they’re in Belfast. It’s the first proper blue steak I’ve ever had. No juices flowing at all and beautiful tender meat.
Mary August 15, 2009 at 7:16 am
Thank you Colin for your very useful tips. I am trying it out tonight. Fingers crossed!
Colin McNulty August 15, 2009 at 8:57 am
That’s great Mary. Take a photo and post it up when you’re done!
Super Jamie August 31, 2009 at 10:30 am
Great post here Colin, you seem to have successfully gathered all the blue steak lovers on the net in one place
I like mine a tad rarer than your picture, but that’s definitely a very nice cut. Kitchen-cooking on a pan never works too well for me, electrics only ever get hot enough for a good rare. A gas stove may be different. Interesting tip about using Canola Oil above tho, I’ll try that!
I like a nice hot BBQ with an inch-thick piece of good butcher steak, done 30 seconds a side. Oh, it just melts when you press it against the roof of your mouth. No spices or condiments, I live for that fresh meat taste.
It’s so hard to find a restaurant that does a decent blue steak, most of my blue meals have been cooked by a friend who is an ex-chef. Although a place called The Moon in Perth, Western Australia definitely gets a good wrap from me!
Colin McNulty August 31, 2009 at 8:24 pm
Hehe, it does look like that doesn’t it Jamie. I’d rather hope there was more than the 20-30 or so that have posted though.
Mike September 16, 2009 at 10:24 am
Hi Colin, I was always told that salting a steak before cooking would make it tough, now im going to have to go to my butchers get me a steak and try it your way tonight. I’ll let you know.
I’m glad I found this blog
Colin McNulty September 16, 2009 at 4:41 pm
Hi Mike, it’s purely a taste thing. I don’t use nearly as much salt as the TV chefs do, and to be honest, I try not to use salt on or in much of anything any more. I can see how salting and leaving for a day could make a steak tough, as it sucks all the moisture out, but for a couple of minutes, I doubt it. Anyway, do report back you findings!
jonna jonson September 23, 2009 at 1:30 am
u guyz are all krazy tha only way to eat stake is to atleast have it cooked personnaly i lik my steak well donewen it is actually cookd all tah way through
Colin McNulty September 23, 2009 at 5:17 am
Jonna, you are where I was 15 years ago: mistakenly believing that “cooked” = “brown”. Look up to cook in a dictionary, and you simply get: “to prepare food by the use of heat”. By that definition, all the photo’s you see here are of cooked steak.
jonna jonson September 23, 2009 at 11:42 pm
get yor head out of tha clouds or u might as well just eat a cows arse no kooking
jonna jonson September 23, 2009 at 11:42 pm
one question do u eat everything raw
Simeon September 24, 2009 at 11:24 pm
It’s a very familiar tale, but I too started out in the well done school. I think it is, indeed, a waste of a truly glorious piece of meat.
I was converted about 9 years ago, when I went to a steakhouse and ordered a meal which comprised of two 12oz steaks, and decided to try one of the steaks medium, to see what all the fuss was about. From that very moment I was a changed man.
There is simply no other way to have steak than blue/very rare. I dont often use any seasoning at all, as I love the pure taste of the meat, although creamy peppercorn sauce is always difficult to resist if I’m in a good country pub!
One thing I’ve always wondered – is it actually healthier to eat a steak blue compared to well done? Would it not be easier to digest, as the fibres arent as tough? Hmmmm….
Does anyone else love the aroma of a fresh raw cut of steak…I simply LOVE the smell of the meat just before cooking…mmmmmmmmmm….Had a lovely steak this evening, might just have to have another this weekend!
Colin McNulty September 25, 2009 at 8:02 pm
Lol, great post Simeon. That’s a good question about what is easier to digest? Sadly I expect that “heating excessively” breaks down the fibres more, even if it does dry the meat out, remove the taste and make it physically tougher to eat.
jonna jonson September 30, 2009 at 11:43 pm
u guyz i went to a steak house ordered a rare steak and i almost puked all over how do u eat that
Colin McNulty October 2, 2009 at 9:13 am
If you normally eat well done Jonna, then moving straight to rare is too much too soon. Ultimately it’s simply mind over matter. Your mind has told you that it’s raw and bad, you have to retrain your mind to not be constrained by your upbringing. Start with medium / well done, then medium, then medium / rare, etc etc. It took me 10 years to go from well done to blue.
derek H October 22, 2009 at 2:22 am
hi im a chef in a hotel in scotland and for the many years ive been working ive never had the pleasure of selling a blue steak!! im sick of ruining good quality meat by “cremating” it for the people who want it well done, why even have a steak if you dont want the flavour?? it bewilders me.
Colin McNulty October 22, 2009 at 9:59 am
Hi Derek. That’s a sad story. Where is your hotel? I may be visiting Scotland shortly and would love to give you the chance of selling me a blue steak! I’d be interested in your opinion on how exactly to cook it too, if you’re willing?
Henry F November 25, 2009 at 1:59 pm
I love blue
It took me a little less than a year to go from rare to blue as a friend intro’d me and I had to pick up the balls to try it. I gotta say, blue is beautiful, the juices, the way it melts in the mouth, the disgusted looks from your friends – absolutely worth it.
The only problem I see is in this, if you are out and getting a blue steak – make sure its from somewhere reputable – a) the steak might be crap and make u sick b) they would need to know what blue is.. the amount of times ive went to a place, asked for blue and got rare or medium rare is insurmountable.
Bryon G November 27, 2009 at 3:24 pm
I have been eating blue steaks for more years than I care to remember
I disagree with a couple of the post above – a blue steak should be warm in the middle. My son is a head chef and when asked he said he does it by placing the steak on a rack above the cooking pan to let it warm through before searing both sides of the steak.
I think the most important part is to have properly matured steak ( see last paragraph )
I went out for a meal on Wed, had an 18oz T-Bone steak – when asked how I wanted it I replied – Still with a pulse
I used to say ” still able to give milk” but that never went down too well – I want the arteries still to spurt when the knife goes in.
I went to a very select restaurant on Islay a number of years ago and had a fillet steak that was absolutely gorgeous called a drunken bullock and I wanted it blue.
It was served to perfection and I commented to the owner how great it was to ask for a blue steak and actually get one – he replied yes it is down to our butcher who hangs the meat until the maggots are running out of it – Exit the wife looking for somewhere to puke
Colin McNulty November 27, 2009 at 8:38 pm
Great post Bryon, thanks. I agree that I like my steak warm in the middle, not too sure about the maggots though!!
Bill December 28, 2009 at 3:50 am
I am so happy to have run across this page….most people I eat with think I’m nuts.
I learned about the term Blue steak in Germany many years ago. Most resturants there would serve a rump steak, at least 1″ thick, hot grilled for about 45 seconds to a minute on each side, then covered with a garlic herb butter, and left room temp. or cooler inside.
I have since been preparing my own the same way and my 18 year old son refuses to eat his any other way. If its plank steak you prefer, I recommend trying the broiler. But since the plank steak is a much thinner cut, season your steak, and set in the freezer for about 1-2 hours prior to preparing. When your ready, place your semi-frozen steak on the broiler pan and broil…keep your eye on it, it only takes about 2-3 minutes start to finish. Freezing the steak prior to preparing slowed the inner cooking time, which will give you a beautifully prepared blue plank steak.
Thanks again for making americans more aware of BLUE STEAKS…I just hope resturants are reading this!!!!!!!!
Asian Andy January 14, 2010 at 8:18 am
Greetings fellow steak lovers! As my name implies I am from Asia where quality meat comes at a very high price. Meat handling by butchers here is of main consideration so people tend to shy away from blue steak (a very sad truth). =( I was born a steak lover so who cares about the price hehe. I learned cooking steak over the years by having someone criticize my steak cooking skills. Seeing my brother having a chunk of beef for a chewing gum challenged me to aim for the perfect steak.
I have tasted and eaten beef from raw (like what lions eat, roar!) to charred beyond recognition. I would say the more uncooked or undercooked it is the better the taste. This is just my opinion.
And yes.. I hate your site because it is making me think of steak which I can’t have right now. hehe
This site is great! I have learned so many things and got so many ideas from all of you. If only we could change the world…through one blue steak at a time…
Peace! Keep steakin!
Aaron February 1, 2010 at 3:44 am
I myself do not cook Blue Rare Steak… on purpose that is. I am a grill man not a pan man. Some may disagree, but well to each their own. Everytime I have cooked steak I pull off and let rest these great seared charbroiled steaks. I cut them open and its totally rare on the inside. Everyone gets mad and says they are not done. So I ruin an apparently great steak for family and friends. When I am able I will post a perfectly GRILLED Blue Rare Steak.
Dutts February 19, 2010 at 10:24 am
i love blue steaks and am struggleing to find out how to cook them, i have tried many of the ways mentioned here with no real joy i think i will try hanging the meat longer, but i have to mention the photos and coments. none of the pictures look blue to me when i have had a good blue steak (usually abroad) it is a deep purple and it melts in your mouth not chewie at all. sorry about the grammer
chelsea April 13, 2010 at 4:53 am
I love ur website. Hardly any of the resturants know what Blue rare steak is, my husband got me hooked on it 5 years ago and I have not gone back since, its soo tender and juicy and I love that you posted how to cook it so I can now enjoy it at home, I am making Steak tonight and treating my roommate to Blue Rare steak, she has never tried it. Thanks agian for posting the info I really appricated it.
Laur April 13, 2010 at 7:52 pm
Everyone thinks I’m nuts for liking blue rare steak, but I ADORE it. If it’s not still mooing, it’s not edible. Probably my favorite food. I prefer garlic and roasted red pepper seasoning on mine, Montreal Steak Spice does in a pinch.
Lynne April 17, 2010 at 5:58 pm
Very interesting comments. My partner, who is a head chef has a penchant for blue steak and as his assistant chef I have always been nervous of cooking one for him. However, tonight’s the night!! Following your directions, I’m going to give it a go!! Also, would like to say, that a lot of the “hangover” of eating well done meat comes from wartime – no fridges, meat in short quantity which had to be padded out and kept for days – peoples fear of keeping meat, undercooked, in a larder etc., etc. It’s good that we are all becoming slowly educated. – guess modern technology is helping heh?? Keep up the good work Colin!
Colin McNulty April 18, 2010 at 6:51 pm
That’s interesting Lynne, thanks. How did your head chef like it?
Lynne April 18, 2010 at 7:10 pm
Well, I seem to have cracked it – he was in 7th heaven, thanks to your help!!! Until now, I’ve been of the old school too – well done or medium! Cooked myself a steak this evening and it was rare to pulsating and it was smashing! So, maybe you’ll have another “blue” convert yet!…… Can I ask a question? Can you cook a Venison steak “blue” and is the process the same? Where we live, in the wilds of Scotland, Venison is abundant and popular but we don’t know if we could offer it “blue”. Ta!
Colin McNulty April 18, 2010 at 7:18 pm
That’s excellent Lynne!
I love venison blue and am very jealous that it is so abundant for you up there. Venison is tricky to get hold of and typically expensive in the shops round here. I’m not aware of any reason you shouldn’t cook it blue (like the parasites in pork for example).
As a head chef, surely your partner knows the answer to this? I’m interested too in how he was taught to cook (blue) steak and venison?
Lynne April 18, 2010 at 9:01 pm
Like Nick Nairn, he is self taught and learned through experience. I think the first taste of a blue steak was on a trip we had to Paris and he learned I guess through trial and error how to do that himself. Though we have Venison in plenty – especially after the stalking season later in the year – neither of us have heard of it being cooked “blue”. However, this will now be experimented with and we’ll let you know how it turns out!! We have Venison burgers a-plenty served with a home-made cranberry chutney which is very popular – so here’s hoping the steaks will go down as well!!
Colin McNulty April 19, 2010 at 6:10 pm
Sounds great Lynne. Let me know how you like blue Venison. Where abouts in Scotland are you?
Lynne Jenkins April 19, 2010 at 7:10 pm
Will let you know if the blue venison sells!!! We’re on the most westerly point of the UK – Ardnamurchan peninsula. Fairly remote and quiet – one guest complained of the noise – the deer walking past his window in the night! Well you can’t please all of the people all of the time ………….!
Colin McNulty April 19, 2010 at 7:16 pm
> Driving directions to Ardnamurchan:
> 521 miles – about 9 hours 37 mins
Hoho!
Lynne Jenkins April 19, 2010 at 9:48 pm
So, you must be “down south” as they say! Check out our hotel – we even have the “electric” ……. And a damn good beer …. to go with the “blue” of course!!! http://www.benviewhotel.co.uk!
spood April 22, 2010 at 5:09 am
i guess im the only one here thats trying to keep my lunch down when i look at a blue steak?
chef thirunilam May 6, 2010 at 6:21 pm
thank u very much now i got it .
I Want to Break Free May 8, 2010 at 9:31 pm
that steak still has the cow’s hair on it!
jakie May 10, 2010 at 4:20 pm
food porn! ^_________^ *drool*
Alex May 23, 2010 at 6:06 pm
Enjoy your toxoplasmosis, you pseudo-French namby-pamby foodie tosser.
Colin McNulty May 24, 2010 at 7:52 am
> Enjoy your toxoplasmosis, you pseudo-French namby-pamby foodie tosser.
Wow! Normally I simply delete vitriolic comments like this as I long ago realised that trying to engage with or educate the kind of people you find on the internet is a futile exercise. But actually I think I’ll keep this one, as a shining example of a rather interesting fact that I’ve discovered in recent years: it’s harder to change someone’s religion, than it is to change their diet.
There is really something about food that completely polarises people’s views and it’s very common to find utter intransigence to any other point of view. An intolerance that far outweighs the kind of thing we see in the various religions of the world, despite the fundamentalist opinions that pervade them.
Ever met someone you could describe as a fundamentalist vegetarian for example? Ho ho.
Anyway, thank you at least for taking the time to pass an opinion Alex. I wonder why you were searching for / reading a post on how to cook a blue steak when you clearly have no intention of ever doing so, or indeed what you felt would be gained by your post, but only for a second or two. I hope one day, you reach a point in your life where you’re somewhat less angry at the world.
Bloodorange May 27, 2010 at 4:42 pm
The meat needs to be room temperature.
Leave out over night or at least 6 hours covered.
Oil a heavy very hot pan.
Add steak so it’s on it’s side.
Roll the steak along it’s side until it’s turned a grey/ BLUE colour.
Then sear 10 secs on each side or until grey/BLUE colour.
You won’t get a blue steak from nearly all restaurants because they refridgerate there meat..
Season after.
No resting needed.
Rachel July 9, 2010 at 11:12 pm
Hiya,
I used to be a person who burns steak!! Until the other week, I asked for medium well and got rare-med rare!! Was a bit of a struggle to eat!!
Anyway I couldnt get over it tasted so much better than tough chewy burnt steak, so tried your methods with a little more cooking time.
Oil and season nice sirloin…. heat pan very high…. cook 1min 45 seconds either side, steak came out med – med rare!! Very nice, although still getting my head round it!! Other half loved it!!
So no pan frying a steak for 30 mins and burning it to hell anymore for us!!
)
Not sure about eating blue yet, one thing at a time!!
Colin McNulty July 11, 2010 at 7:59 am
> pan frying a steak for 30 mins
OMG, are you serious?!? No wonder you’re amazed at how nice steak can be. Great to see another convert though. At the end of the day, it’s all about mind over matter. Your palette is pretty good at determining what’s good for you and what isn’t, so it should be self evident, that if it tastes better when it’s rarer, that can’t be bad.
Nick July 31, 2010 at 4:46 pm
Hi
I’m not sure if there are many of these cows in any other parts of the world but here goes.
Welsh black beef, it’s a dark coloured meat and not like supermarket stuff. The butcher I get it from hangs it for at least thirty days as a whole side of beef. I agree the meat to sear well should be at room temprature, for how long I think depends on the room. I suppose that the warmer the better as it gets closer to the time of cooking it. If is already warm it won’t take much to heat it through … By the way I do the same to pidgeon breasts, sear them whole in a red hot pan …. leave to rest in a heated oven wrapped in tinfoil… Mmm .. I’n hungry now ……
dallas August 4, 2010 at 4:42 pm
Not sure if this has been said or noted within the previous posts, there is quite a lot to read there, but the steak should be left to rest after the steak is cooked not before. This allows the steak centre to become warm but also allows the steak to relax and become more tendor.
Just leaving my 2 cents as i surf the web.
obi August 13, 2010 at 2:55 am
Very interesting read. My mom ALWAYS chars her steaks.
Until a year or so ago, I ate mine like that. Then I accidentally received a steak that was medium-well and it was love at first bite. I’ve never wanted to go rarer than that, though. Maybe just plain medium would do. But never will I order a well done steak again.
Bravo on your blog post, though.
P.Gadd August 18, 2010 at 9:55 pm
**DANGER**
Everyone here needs to realize that you are putting yourself at risk of food poisoning, let alone the carsonagenic effect of searing meat.
Beef is only correctly cooked when it is a uniform brown throughout.
You wouldn’t eat chicken raw, so why eat beef that way?
Colin McNulty August 19, 2010 at 10:22 am
P. Gadd, are you sure you’re not my mother? That’s what I was taught as a kid. Fortunately I grew past that and understood that “cooked” and “brown” aren’t the same thing.
JohnR August 19, 2010 at 8:38 pm
P.Gadd, you just made me laugh out loud.
Fair enough if it was a blue chicken breast – your innards would be annihilated by weapons-grade salmonella in no time. But the bugs don’t run through beef, like they do in chicken or pork.
But, as you are certain that I will get cancer in 30 years time, who cares – I’ll have enjoyed a lifetime of chargrilled, medium-rare (can’t quite stretch to blue yet!) chunks of delicious, juicy matured beef. Hmm, just made my mouth water then.
And anyway, it’s rather difficult to cook beef to be ‘uniform brown throughout’ without burning it…?
Trevor Morris August 19, 2010 at 10:45 pm
Good post colin…just had my first blue steak today and loved it.
I also grew up thinking that brown was cooked and that any red was raw, but a few months ago i decided to go for a medium-well steak and loved it. ever since then i’ve worked my way down to rare until last week when after i finished my rare steak, i left the restraunt and noticed a poster on the wall showing different styles of cooked steak from cremated to blue. This was the first time i encountered a place in Widnes (north-west of England) that did blue steak.
so tonight i went to another restraunt called Damons in Liverpool and ordered blue steak. came out really nice and tender, so much so that i could use a butter knife to cut through it.
I’m 19 and it only taken me a couple months to go from well done to blue and now i wont turn back!
Daniel Carroll August 25, 2010 at 4:19 pm
WELL DONE, Mr McNulty! (I’m here all week)
While sitting on my rump in work today (get it, rump?…I’ll stop now) I came across this page. I take great comfort in knowing that I am not the only person who struggles to get a blue steak when I order one. I couldnt possibly guess how many times I have left a restaurant overwhelmed by despair and wondered, what’s wrong with everyone else?
When ordering a blue steak I find that two things inevitably follow; a) the waiter/waitress will stare at me as though I have ordered a detailed analysis of quantum electrodynamics; then, after carefully explaining myself, b) the waiter/waitress in question brings me a rare steak.
Friends have commented on my “irrational” responses in this situation and dismiss me as a little bit odd or perhaps worse!
The bottom line is I know how to eat bloody meat. You quite clearly know how to eat meat as does the majority of those who have taken the time to share their love of undercooking on your wonderful webpage.
To be honest, when I order a steak, I EXPECT to be disappointed! What a sorry state of affairs that is. Something has to be done about it.
I would like to open the floor to suggestions….
Colin McNulty August 28, 2010 at 1:27 pm
Oooh very good Daniel.
Your experience isn’t uncommon sadly.
Kieran bilginer August 28, 2010 at 5:09 pm
mygawd I WAS drooling over this page for days thinking about some lovely blue steak.
Since am on a diet now, i dont eat red meats. but i thought i would have some Sirloin and vegtables.
So i trimed all the fat off so its all good
300calories and veg
this is how i like my Steak to look.
Colin McNulty August 28, 2010 at 6:09 pm
Nice one Kieran. Just for the record, I don’t believe that red meat should be excluded from any diet. And carbs make you fat, not fat.
Kieran bilginer August 28, 2010 at 6:17 pm
Steve September 7, 2010 at 6:56 pm
Can i just give the majority of you a bit of advice about seasoning your steak……
I like to leave it at room temp for 20-30 mins as most do. However ive been taught to rub it with olive oil and then season with pepper , DO NOT add salt until you are just away to cook it as salt draws a lot of moisture from the meat. i.e. dont leave it for 30min salted.
Hope this helps.
Steve
Steve September 7, 2010 at 6:57 pm
Oh and almost forgot, cook in a hot dry pan.
Colin McNulty September 7, 2010 at 8:00 pm
Thanks for the tips Steve. Interesting to oil the steak not the pan. You said you were taught that, who by? I’m not normally organised enough to season and then leave for 1/2 an hour, so the pepper (mostly) and salt (sparingly, if at all) goes on immediately before cooking.
Zak September 9, 2010 at 12:06 am
I just throw the salt and pepper on the steak after I cooked it.
http://img413.imageshack.us/i/steakrare.jpg/
Zak September 9, 2010 at 12:11 am
Meh, dont know how to direct post pics. Had this one 20 sec on each side, and some seconds on the edges. Put some aluminium foil over it and let it rest for 2 minutes, turned it, let it rest for another 2 and ready to eat.
Kieran bilginer September 12, 2010 at 5:41 am
Hey Zak
That peice of meat looks pretty dam good
salt enchances the flavour of any meat.
But i also Rub the room tempture steak with olive oil and with Salt abd pepper at the last seconds prior to searing.
Shadus September 14, 2010 at 1:50 am
I prefer between medium and medium rare, but it’s hard to get steak houses to cook it like that so if I know they over cook i aim for medium rare, if i know they under cook (few do) I aim for medium… there’s a select few that can get the steak the way I want it. I can tolerate down to medium rare and up to medium well, but well or rare/blue I can’t hack.
Tee October 6, 2010 at 4:18 pm
Hey,
I just started experimenting with steaks too, I have tried medium and loved it. Wanna go rarer I was just wondering can u taste the blood in blue steak? It looks good but that is the only thing putting me off at the moment.
Tee
Colin McNulty October 6, 2010 at 6:10 pm
What a great question Tee. Errrr I dunno, what does blood taste like?
Seriously though, I don’t think so. Sure blue steak tastes different (read much better) but not once have I ever thought: “This tastes like when I cut my finger.”
Tee October 7, 2010 at 6:27 pm
Cool thanks that was the only hang up I had… I know what im having for dinner tomorrow
Bleacher Dave October 23, 2010 at 5:11 pm
Wow – what a great site! I came here from a blog called Beef Afficianado. Great pics there of the top 10 Black and Blue steak restaurants in NYC. I;m a grill man and know that a steak needs a nice crust to bring out its best, not just a grey or brown exterior. You’ll never get that on a home stove in 1 minute. The black and blue steaks charred black on the outside and blue on the inside – it looks fantastic. Probably need 1800 degree restaurant grade stove.
Keep up the good work!
Katie October 24, 2010 at 2:38 pm
I love rare steak!!!!!!!!!! I love that taste of blood…
Frazer October 25, 2010 at 2:37 am
Try this one.
Get a nice rib eye steak, coat the edges with cracked black pepper, heat your oil in the fry pan till very hot, cook your steak (however you like it) but I prefer Blue or if I have to rare.
Once your steak is cooked put it on your warmed plate to rest.
Splash some nice scotch or whisky in the fry pan (be careful as it will flare up) then a small splash of beef stock and some single cream, these will all combine with the pepper that has fallen off your steak whilst cooking.
Poor this deicious gravy over your steak and serve with mash.
Trust me, this will be one of the best steak meals you have ever had. Well it is certainly my favourite way to have it.
Alex Nagy October 30, 2010 at 12:28 am
I regularly eat rare steak, and what you have shown isn’t blue, but rare. Blue is just barely cooked on the outside and that’s it. Basically it’s seared and it’s done.
Alex October 30, 2010 at 9:37 pm
I like my steak cremated
Gwenn November 3, 2010 at 8:26 pm
I have been eating blue steak now for about two years . My boyfriend converted me & it is so lovely. My son is now eating it blue. I have a question tho , I have started cooking it blue at home it is always warm in the middle , dont mind that but it it tough. How can i cook it so it is not ?
Frazer November 4, 2010 at 12:46 am
Gwenn, I would suggest a hotter pan, and a shorter cooking time. You do of course need to have a good quality cut of meat to start with.
Shree November 7, 2010 at 9:28 am
Hi,
The pics are absolutely drool-worthy. I have never had steak before. I stumbled onto this blog by accident but now that I am here, what do you suggest I start with?
Shree November 7, 2010 at 9:30 am
Oh by the way, I would like to prepare it at home. I live in India, so any recommendations regarding the selection of meat would be very helpful.
Thankyou
Tee November 9, 2010 at 2:05 pm
so I had blue steak tonight mainly because I was really hungry and could not be bothered waiting for it to cook to medium… must say im impressed and will never have my steaks any other way!
Kieran bilginer November 11, 2010 at 5:26 pm
Well its that time of year agian.
After my post post. i have lost 4 stone! and still going
here is an update on yet another meal enjoy!
Colin McNulty November 11, 2010 at 5:36 pm
4 stone! That’s amazing Kieran, well done. What’s your secret (apart from great steak of course)? Actually I think I can tell, it’s eating a low carb diet, from the looks of that plate anyway.
Ian November 15, 2010 at 4:17 am
Hi Colin,
Well done.
(JK). I like your thread here.
I, personally, and in favour of blue to rare steaks. I started to like ‘rare’ steaks, but found whenever I went to a restaurant I would get it medium-rare to medium. Little-no pink and juice which was clear with little or no blood in it. So, I started to force the issue a little. “How would you like your steak sir?”. “Rare please. And can you get them to make it rare, not medium?”. When I found out about Blue, I started ordering Blue, and occasionally got ‘we don’t do that here sir’.
Most frustrating.
Anyway – so long as it’s fairly rare I don’t mind so much, but I CANNOT cook a stead well done. I honestly don’t know how to do it. When friends come over and want ‘well done’ I try… which usually means leaving it on the grill for about 5 minutes a side. Either which way they get what they get. A steak as you described – old boot leather.
Zareth January 9, 2011 at 1:23 am
Just as Sam Nelson said, you want to use an oil with a high burn temp. Olive oil is notorious for its low smoke point (I kind of chuckled when I saw you were using olive oil for searing)
Colin McNulty January 9, 2011 at 8:21 am
I know Zareth, but to be honest I find it hard to justify buying a different oil just for cooking steak. As a matter of interest, which oil would you recommend?
Frazer January 10, 2011 at 12:36 am
I would stick with using the olive oil, as long as you add the butter as well. I like the flavour of the olive oil/butter combination, and adding the butter stops the oil from burning.
melanie February 8, 2011 at 5:37 pm
If red meat didn’t make me ill id consider trying it but think the juice would make me heave think id rather lick a cow.
MIke February 16, 2011 at 7:58 pm
Great site!!
Of course love the blue steak always wondered where all the other fans were ; ) I find it odd it took so long for most to get to the stage where they liked blue. Going to restruants I just ordered different every time as I loved steak, I stuck with rare for ages as i didnt know about blue and rare was the best, as soon as I was told about having it blue I didnt have to think twice.
i once had a kangaroo steak burger which was really good wasnt blue like i asked for but bless em for trying lol. I do have a rib eye for tonights dinner but we’ll see how it goes .. not a great chef to be honest : )
Louisa February 27, 2011 at 1:56 pm
Fabulous site, thanks Colin! Amazing that it’s kept going for 4 years! Testament to such a great subject. I love your starting description of how you came to decide, when you were a teenager, that meat that wasn’t brown throughout wasn’t cooked. That was the ethic when I was growing up and learning to cook, in the early 70′s. But I had the fortune to have well-travelled parents that encouraged us to try good food and blue steak was definitely encouraged. My experience of getting a good blue in a restaurant is that you will at least be guaranteed to get a good cut, as they cannot get away with using a bad cut. plus they tend to realise that you know what you’re talking about. Anyway, this has all been such good reading and excellent for top tips!
Colin McNulty February 28, 2011 at 8:43 am
Thanks Louisa, yes a rather amazing reaction to the subject huh? You’re right about getting the best cut for sure.
Mischelle March 17, 2011 at 1:58 am
Hi Colin,
I would like to say that I love your site ..it is so nice to see so many steak lovers and for myself I love my steak rare to medium rare…I can’t eat blue, but I have cooked it blue for many years..I have always found the best method to be a very, very hot pan rubbed with canola oil or butter, place rump or eye fillet or steak of your choice has to be a good cut of steak though, sear in hot pan for approx 1-1/2mins on each side then sear the edges, allow to rest for about 2 mins while preparing your side dishes etc…YUMMY!!! I like to rub with garlic and a little salt & pepper…:)
woody March 17, 2011 at 12:04 pm
Hi Colin,
Fantastic site! I tried to add a pic of my blue steak… but being a technophobe i miserably failed….
[EDIT: Here's your pic Woody:]
VTcook March 24, 2011 at 5:10 am
Burgers have to be cooked well done to “kill the germs in the middle”, whereas steak does not? What the hell kind of illogical nonsense is that?! It’s all the same meat, regardless of the cut. If it is of high quality, stored and prepared properly, anybody with a fully functioning immune system can easily digest rare and even raw meat in reasonable amounts. Human beings have been eating this stuff for thousands of years, think about it.
Graham March 24, 2011 at 11:05 pm
VTcook. As has already been stated, a burger consists of minced meat, a steak does not. The germs on beef are on the outside so a steak only needs to be seared on the surface. Minced meat has the meat all mixed up so needs to be cooked thoroughly. It seems pretty simple to understand to me.
jamdox April 1, 2011 at 4:35 am
Plus our “modern” industrial beef production methods tend to get feces on the meat. When it’s ground the feces gets spread throughout. If you were getting good meat from someone you really trust, blue-burger away.
As for toxoplasma, the main vector is cat poo. A brief google search shows that, while a toxoplasma infection of beef is possible, it’s extremely rare.
Moreover, toxoplasma doesn’t die until 66C, or 151F, so all those folks eating anything less than medium-well are just as F’d as we blue steak eaters.
Personally, the first time I even heard about blue steak was at a business dinner with french people. This lady ordered her steak blue, and I thought it was a joking way of asking for rare. Got a laugh out of me: those French. It wasn’t until later that I learned that it’s an actual level of done-ness. It is different from rare. In a good way, I’d say.
Also, a cast iron skillet that has time to really heat up (past the smoke point of a high smoke-point oil) is capable of giving a decent crust despite fast cooking. A liberal dash of kosher salt on the outside of the steak may help keep the surface dryer, and thus enhance crusting.
T D April 3, 2011 at 2:24 am
Do not use Olive Oil, especially not extra virgin. Use Canola Oil or some other oil with high smoke point.
And adding butter does not prevent the oil from burning, The milk solids in butter burns well before the smoke point of olive oil.
The best oils are Safflower, and high oleic Canola oil because they dont impart any flavor to the meat, and do not burn easily. Clarified butter aka Ghee works great as well since it lacks the milk solids.
And I agree that pepper can burn at those high temperatures. Its better to season and marinate the steak, lets say with some extra virgin olive oil, herbs, salt and spices, then before cooking at high temp make sure to wipe off anything that might burn. That way you get the flavor you wanted and none of the burnt oil or spices.
Colin McNulty April 10, 2011 at 8:39 pm
Ok I know it’s only taken me nearly 4 years to get round to doing a video on how to cook a blue steak, but I have finally done it! I’ve posted it up here and would love to hear your comments:
http://www.colinmcnulty.com/blog/2011/04/10/blue-steak-video-cook-in-6-mins/
kieran bilginer April 26, 2011 at 3:53 pm
its that time of year agian
Colin McNulty April 26, 2011 at 5:54 pm
That’s just food p0rn that is Kieran! Thanks for posting though (I fixed your comment to show the images).
Joe Cantu May 8, 2011 at 3:43 am
Hi Colin, great post. Personally I prefer my steaks rare to medium rare, but that’s just me, although I do enjoy a blue steak.
When on a business trip to Scotland I ordered a steak and asked for it medium rare. Being a Yank it was to my surprise that medium rare in the UK was well done for me. Fortunately I learned that blue was how I wanted my steak cooked. (I think the chefs were amused.) So blue in the UK is rare/medium rare to me. I now know how to order my steak on my next visit to Scotland
Do you know where the term “blue” originated?
Laurence June 3, 2011 at 7:40 pm
Wow, I have just eaten a large 3 week aged and hung thick rump steak fryed blue in seasoned pan with garlic mushrooms and fresh cracked coloured pepper and now after reading the comments and seeing the great photos I now want another
Bruno June 5, 2011 at 12:13 pm
I got here by watching “Comedy Inc.” episode 21. The 1st skit after the opening credits; a guy is arguing about how he ordered his steak and how it was served. He ordered it “rare” and got it ‘medium rare’. He was very angry and said, something to the effect, I guess should order a “Blue Steak” to get one rare!
I’ve never heard the term “Blue Steak” before & this is my research.
I normally order ‘Medium Rare’ when out, but at home I usually get a thicker cut, 1.25+” so it’s probably more Rare than Medium rare. And I’m perfectly happy with that.
My favorite is ‘Steak Au Poivre’, if you never had it (look it up on y-t) give it a go, very simple.
I think a “Blue Steak” might be a little too much for me, it seems it would be a little chewy as does Rare. Although I’ve had TarTar, but that was served cut very thin.
And yes like others posted, my Mom also cooked steak to very well done (absolutely NO pink!), it must of been some type of myth or scare back then to cook meat thoroughly.
But anyway now I know what a “Blue Steak” is and will amaze my friends with my new terminology.
Graham June 5, 2011 at 12:35 pm
Bruno, you’ve had “TarTar sliced very thing? If you mean Steak Tartare, it isn’t sliced, it’s minced.
Colin McNulty June 5, 2011 at 12:59 pm
Thanks for the comment Bruno.
> I think a “Blue Steak” might be a little too much for me, it seems it would be a little chewy
Quite the reverse in fact. Get a good fillet steak cook blue and it melts in the mouth. Well not quite, but it’s not chewy at all. Now, if you do the same thing with a rib eye steak say, then yes, you’re going to get some chewy bits.
Bruno June 11, 2011 at 4:01 am
Colin,
Graham corrected me a few days ago on 6/5/11 when I said; I had TarTar sliced very thin. And he said TarTar isn’t sliced but minced.
Well I don’t know what it was called then, but it was defiantly raw.
I had it at a Japanese (Benihana?) restaurant as an appetizer. It was 4 very thin, very rare & very lean slices of beef cut on a bias and served cold, I think the only thing that might of warmed it up was the room temperature plate it came on.
I still remember the waitress warning me (with a Japanese accent) “dat ah berry, berry rare”.
If you have any idea what it was called please let me know. I just thought anything served raw was considered ‘TarTar’ whether sliced, minced or what have you. Thanks.
steakmonster June 11, 2011 at 10:30 am
Bruno,
I think the thinly sliced raw deal you had would have been BEEF CARPACCIO…
and that’s ‘berry rare’ indeed…
thanks
Riels June 19, 2011 at 11:16 pm
Great stuff. 4 years later and still on the top of the search list.(Or are we that many years behind down here in Aussie)
I have been eating Blueys for a lot of years and still find that many chefs still have know idea how to cook a great steak. I at least know when i eat at home i get consistentcy with my Weber Q BBQ and have even converted my teenage girls over to Blueys which makes cooking so much easier.
I buy all my steak (even rump that i love) in crivac packs and then leave in the fridge for 2 >3 months before opening. I then cut off only the steaks that i need and then return the meat to the fridge in a air tight container removing it only when our when we require it. this could last up to a month. The meat dose get a slight tang however this is washed of and the meat is always very tendor.
Thanks.
1776 August 5, 2011 at 4:16 pm
The process you describe is known in the US as Black and Blue. A “Blue” steak that you would get in a high-end US Chop house (Mortons, etc) is actually just warmed in an oven for a while. This is the technique for which I am searching.
Hahn September 20, 2011 at 9:56 am
I do not even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was great.
Sherry September 20, 2011 at 10:47 am
I still Love blue stake, as Denis Leary said.. ~”Just bring out the cow I’ll carve off what I want and ride the rest home.” My friends that have bad teeth I have told a rare stake is a tender stake. and done right it will melt in your mouth. I prefer Mid west grain fed beef as it has much better marbling, not to knock grass fed I just don’t like it as well. i still like Mine almost 2 inches thick and BLUE. My nephew now loves My stakes He says the mushrooms make it. LOL, for a 14 yo he is a smart kid..
Matt October 1, 2011 at 3:23 pm
I am looking forward to kieran’s next post.
Bryon October 2, 2011 at 11:56 pm
Actually I thought Kieran’s steak look too fresh, supermarkets sell steak that is red because thats what most customers equate to eing fresh meat – the best steak to use for Blue is matured fillet steak IMHO it will be blood red in the centre but the outer before cooked will have aged.
Each to their own but when I eat a steak I buy from a butcher not a supermarket and my local butcher will age my fillets for me just ready for the pan, I personally find it makes huge difference.
@1776 My son is a head chef and he was horrified to hear of a blue steak being done in the oven when I told him, there would be serious food hygiene issues along with the fact you cannot sear the outer in an oven. I have in the past been served with warmed up beef as a “blue steak” and have always sent it back as the chef obviously doesnt know what he/she is doing.
1776 October 3, 2011 at 3:34 pm
Byron,
Not sure of your Geo location. I think you may be referring to Pittsburgh/Chicago blue where the outside of the steak is incinerated over very high heat on one or both sides.
I’m referring to a process that does not ruin the outside of the steak but does provide enough internal heat to start/wake up the juices.
In appearance this results in a steak very similar to that in “woody”‘s picture above.
The only place I know where one can order a steak like this (< $150) is Morton's, a small chain upscale steakhouse.
I am told this style, lets call it "true" blue, is achieved in an oven. I am interested in learning :
How hot?
How long?
Please tell your son not to fear the outside of the steak is seared, just not cremated.
Frazer October 3, 2011 at 11:55 pm
Hi Colin, I am not sure where you live, so it may be different where you are so if it is I am sorry.
But where I live, Ribeye and fillet are the same cut of meat.
And to those who are still saying not to use olive oil because it has a lower smoke point. you have to be kidding.
I have been a chef for 25 years, and I still use olive oil for this type of steak. Olive oil has a smoke point at near 200 Celcius (390 F), if you cant cook a steak at that temprature, you should not be cooking, Olive oil is still the best and will always be the best oil for this type of cooking.
Colin McNulty 5 June 2011 at 12:59 pm
Quite the reverse in fact. Get a good fillet steak cook blue and it melts in the mouth. Well not quite, but it’s not chewy at all. Now, if you do the same thing with a rib eye steak say, then yes, you’re going to get some chewy bits.
.
Colin McNulty October 4, 2011 at 7:17 am
Thanks to everyone who comments. I do read and enjoy them all. The differences of opinion (sometimes vehemently held) are very interesting to see.
For those that have asked, this humble blog hails from Manchester, England.
Frazer, I agree that I’ve never had an issue with using olive oil, perhaps if I had 2 steaks side by side I might be able to tell a difference, but an olive oil cooked one tastes fine to my (possibly uneducated) taste buds. Ribeye and Fillet is the same you say though? That’s a surprise.
I understand the fillet to be cut from the tenderloin, either side of the spin. If you get a whole fillet, it’s long and round like a baseball bat, only thicker. Whereas a Ribeye steak is cut from the ribs. You may know it as a “Scotch Fillet” which is where the confusion might lie.
Robin Pitkin October 9, 2011 at 10:20 pm
A good steak needs to be hung properly, probabl the best steak I have found is from http://www.traditional-beef.co.uk. Proper breeds, grass fed and hung for 4-6 weeks. Yum.
I prefer to have my steaks medium rare, it brings out more of the flavour and sirloin is my choice
Bryon October 11, 2011 at 3:44 pm
@1776
My Geo Location is Scotland so quite a way from the Windy City :p
When I asked my lad how he prepares a blue steak he said that it is placed on a rack above a lowish heat until warmed through, then it is sealed in a pan on a high heat, this way the meat is not cold to the taste and retains all the flavours that a blue steak should have – I have to be honest and have never ever heard of a blue steak being prepared in an oven. As someone else said the best policy is to get well hung meat ( did I really type that )
I have to agree with Colin – ribeye and fillet are two completely different cuts in fact it looks totally different as well as ribeye costing about half of the cost of a fillet.
For me Fillet is the best choice with Sirloin a poor second
steve December 7, 2011 at 3:24 pm
That pic doesn’t show a Blue Cooked Steak at all. That’s Rare at best. Blue is the method of cooking before Tartare, which is completely raw. Blue should only be souched on the grill untill the coutide is seared, not cooked a few mm’s through and no dark brown at all. After you eat the steak its always complimentery to pick your plate up and slurp all that blood.
Bungle December 8, 2011 at 12:06 am
It’s not blood.
Katie December 10, 2011 at 5:06 am
Thanks for the pictures and suggestions! Like you, I was raised to believe that beef is inedible unless cooked very, very, very well done, and I never liked it that much. As an adult I’ve figured out that I love a steak about halfway between blue and rare. The last time I went home I watched my mother cook a roast for about three times longer than I ever would have been willing to, and it made me soooo sad, but she’s convinced that anything other than 100% brown and dry will kill you. My favorite thing is a very rare hanger steak (I think it’s the muscle of the diaphragm) — so tender and flavorful! Tonight I finally got a tri-tip exactly in the blue place I wanted it. Anyway, from here in the States, I salute you.
Shabnam December 13, 2011 at 4:38 pm
I’m not a huge fan of meat but any time I do eat steak it’s usually well done (yep I’m one of those people that believes if it’s pink, it’s not cooked). Lately I’ve just been thinking about how people like rare or even blue rare steak and I’m starting to wonder what’s so good about it – I mean if so many people like their steak that way surely it tastes great. However at the moment, I myself could never even imagine eating a rare steak because I just keep thinking it’s pretty much like eating raw, bloody meat. So I just wanted to ask you guys how it tastes? Does the middle just taste raw or like blood? I’m just curious..
SherryM December 13, 2011 at 6:28 pm
Shabnam, It tastes like it should.. “Meat tastes like blood, blood tastes like death and death tastes good” ~Denis Leary
1776 December 13, 2011 at 6:33 pm
I would say it is one of those things in life, like sex or love. You just have to try it for yourself to see if you like it.
Louisa December 13, 2011 at 7:33 pm
Shabnam. It truly doesn’t taste like eating raw meat! It’s weird but it is as soft as marshmallow, not at all like having a mouthful of blood, just a mouthful of flavour! Is quite simply one of THE most delicious things you will put into your mouth. I will say that my mind also took a bit of persuading, for quite a while. But a beautifully cooked blue is so much down to a good cut – a fillet for me – no sauces, just pinch of salt and pepper
Holli December 22, 2011 at 12:58 am
Like some others, I’m not sure how to embed the pic, but here’s the link and I’m sure Colin will fix it
And of course, the picture doesn’t do it justice, it was much redder in person..
[Edit: The facebook link didn't work so with Holli's permission, I've attached her picture here - Colin]
vISITOR December 27, 2011 at 8:34 am
Gross! How do you eat those almost raw meat!??? Yuck! and you westerners think us weird (asians)….yet you eat raw cow meat??? WHY DON’T YOU JUST BITE OFF FROM THE LIVING COW ITSELF?????
Bri January 3, 2012 at 9:43 am
I’ve always eaten my steaks possibly very very very very very very well done. And I can’t say that’s an understatement. Thanks to my mother, I always hated steak as a child and did not want to eat it. It was until I ventured out on my own, got a job in a restaurant and discovered the wonders of a perfectly cooked steak. I’m a medium rare person, I’ve tried rare before but I’m not sure it’s for me.
I find it strange to read that a few of you have found it hard to find restaurants that are happy to serve a blue steak to you. That’s how you want it cooked, so that’s how you should get it right? We serve it at the restaurant I work at, I had never heard of it before.
The chefs prepare it straight from fridge, placed on a plate under the heat lamps for 5 or so minutes and then seared on the grill for a further minute.
Mark January 8, 2012 at 12:47 am
Found this site looking for pictures of how steaks should be cooked. Used to be a medium fan but migrated to medium-rare and now order (and try and cook) rare. The picture of 6 types of steak above is what i was after and the description of blue is the reason why i think that is a step too far i.e. meat remains gel like in texture and difficult to chew.
The main reason to always order rare in restaurants is they invariably over-do it but medium-rare is still paletable. Order medium-rare and you get it medium or well which is a disaster. At least if they under do it you can always ask them to give it another 30 secs.
However, notice most people here mention frying steak. I would never dream of it, i do my steaks on the George Forman and works for me…..am I alone in this. Just had steak tonight on the George and very good it was too!
steve wilcox February 11, 2012 at 5:14 am
hey colin?……:):):)…..thank you for this blue-steak info, and thanks to everyone else that has put good info here…..after running a train for 12 hours at 70 mph all day and all night, a good steak is a good steak…….”WE” live in marfa, texas, usa?, ya’ll come on over anytime and we’ll try this new steak house here and test’em out….wha’ ya’ think…yyyyyyyyaaaaaaaaaaaa………..Here “WE” go…..steve and vickee wilcox, marfa, texas, usa, 24/7 cell-9155393247, chopperfive@sbcglobal.net.
Shannon February 13, 2012 at 7:38 pm
I may only be 18 years old and dont have as much experience on cooking steaks as you do, but I have to agree with a lot of the people on here, the steak you’re describing as blue is definitely rare. If you’re spending any longer than 30 seconds on each side, you’ve gone past “blue” steak. I was always taught that for a real blue steak, each side of the steak should just touch the pan for a few seconds, although personal preference means I keep it on for longer
James April 6, 2012 at 9:14 pm
“as I understand it, germs on a piece of steak only grow where they come into contact with air. Therefore, the germs are only ever on the outside surface. This is why you never get even medium burgers, because the mincing process mixes up all the aerated surface bits through out. Burgers have to be well done, to kill the germs in the middle, steak isn’t like this. If you sear the outside surface, you kill the germs.”
This is completely wrong. One of the things that you’re killing with heat is Toxoplasmosis, a very common parasite which forms infectious cysts throughout the meat. Getting infected with Toxo may not be too much of a problem for adults- it causes relatively minor, albeit permanent, behavioural changes- but it causes serious damage to an unborn child when the mother gets infected during pregnancy. To eliminate risk, it would seem that the steak has to be well-done (in the same way that chicken cannot be pink, or else you risk getting salmonella), so it’s probably best not to eat steak at all during pregnancy, unless you like it chewy.
Frazer April 9, 2012 at 11:08 pm
Shannon, you are very young. you can’t generalize like that. What cut of meat? What thickness? What heat? What cooking method?
Remember for a perfect blue steak, you still need to get it slightly warmed in the middle. your method of a few seconds on each side only gives you a raw steak with a pale grey outside.
Colin McNulty April 22, 2012 at 3:49 pm
James, you’re right that without heating steak so it’s brown all the way through, you may not kill Toxoplasmosis. What can I say to you, life’s a risk!
I also happen to teach self defence (see here) as a hobby and one of the things I tell my students is that attendance on one of my courses is NOT risk free. To balance this, I quote the following health and safety statistics for the UK only:
- In 2009, 33 people drowned whilst having a bath.
- In 2010, 600 people died falling down the stairs.
- In 2003, 70,000 people injured themselves falling out of bed.
So staying at home isn’t safe, in fact it’s not even safe to stay in bed! So far in 40 man years of eating blue steaks, no one in my family has contracted toxoplasmosis, or at least if we have, then we have no symptoms. Allegedly the incidence of infection is between 10-20% in the US and much higher in other parts of the world, with most having no symptoms, so it’s hardly a major issue anyway.
Either way, living life is a constant balancing of risk vs reward. You take a risk every time you wake up, every time you do anything or go anywhere, and yes, every time you eat. If the risk of toxoplasmosis is too much for you to eat anything but a well done steak, then I fully support your decision. That’s not a choice I make though.
You are correct that pregnant women may take a different view and indeed my wife did give up blue steaks for her pregnancy, but this was a temporary blip.
name May 27, 2012 at 1:04 am
James that is completely wrong, toxoplasmosis is not present in beef which is why it is safe to eat rare provided the meats surface is properly sealed.
Craig June 2, 2012 at 7:45 pm
Congrats, Colin, you seem to have sparked a healthy debate with a fair degree of longevity.
I’m not going to preach about what the terms mean; plenty of others have done that. All I’m going to say is that, when it comes to red meat, I don’t buy steaks any less that one and a half inches thick and I always cook in a hot, buttery griddle pan for less than a minute each side and they are always brilliant (and I prefer the inside to be cold or, at least, not warm). I ask for blue in restaurants and hope for the best. Sometimes they manage to cook it the way I like it but I can cope with rare (I would consider that to mean warm inside). Anything that comes back with the juices flowing gets sent back and I refuse to accept an alternative (I just don’t trust spurned chefs). If I don’t like the look of the restaurant, I order something other than steak and make a note to make myself one at home ASAP.
Ultimately, there is no true guide for what is and isn’t blue or rare (the photos from Ian are close enough for me) but, after years of experimenting, you learn what to expect and what to accept. I had a venison steak tonight (blue) with black pudding, peas and shallots in red wine and it was about as fine a meal as I could cook.
I don’t care about any of the un-spellable diseases that people bang on about. Some might suggest that life will kill you in the end either way and I’d rather have a belly full of steak and red wine than brown beef and a self-righteous grin on my face. I’ve generally found it to be true that those who like their steaks cooked properly are far more interesting and entertaining than those who don’t. If you like your steaks well done, you’re probably think that Simon Cowell is a force for good and that Nick Clegg will lead us to a shiny new dawn but that’s probably best saved for a different blog…
Keep up the work: )
Colin McNulty June 3, 2012 at 10:45 am
LMAO! Cracking post Craig, thanks for taking the time.
I know what you mean about not trusting spurned chefs. Perhaps the chefs who have kindly posted on here would care to enlighten us as to whether “interfering” with a customer’s food is something we should be worried about, especially if we’ve sent something back?
Certainly the chef’s I worked with when I used to work the bar in a restaurant, were a head strung, stroppy lot.
Bryon Gibson June 3, 2012 at 3:06 pm
I cannot believe this thread has been running so long and too Craig :- it will certainly outlive Clegg’s career
My son is a head chef and I asked him that very question about food being returned and he said no it would not happen in any decent restaurant though he did say that he could not comment on KFC or Burgerking
While I find it difficult to get a steak to my liking in any restaurant I think part of the problem is the thickness of the steaks used, trying to get a blue steak out of a half inch thick piece of rump is simply not going to work.
Craig:- Head strung and stroppy – yep if my own son is anything to go by then you are on the money
Craig June 4, 2012 at 9:44 am
Without wishing to dwell too much on the issue, and without a desire to incite any further wrath from the chefs of the world, I’d just like to suggest that a chef working in ‘any decent restaurant’ would know how to cook a steak the way it’s requested. I’ve been in many decent restaurants and been disappointed by the lack of attention (or understanding) of my order. If you can’t trust the chef to do it right first time (with the evidence dripping with blood on my plate), why would you then trust the chef a second time, either to cook it right or to send one back to me ‘in good order’?
I must also add that these are rare occurrences. I’m not trawling the land for bad chefs or restaurants but it happens every now and then. People should be confident enough in themselves to accept nothing but what they ordered. You’re allowed to pay what you think the meal was worth rather than what it says on the menu (this can be taken up as a civil dispute – just leave your address and let them take it up later). I usually only evoke this in extreme circumstances and, in the past I’ve had one chef shout at me and a manager physically threaten me if I left without paying the full whack. I won’t go into the full story but, in both cases, neither pursued the matter.
I’m sure there are people out there who would try and take advantage of this fact but it’s there to protect you, not the restaurant. I know how disappointing it is to walk away from a restaurant without eating but it’s no more disappointing than gearing yourself up for a good meal and then being served something awful and being expected to pay full price for the privilege.
PS, I never said that chefs were head strung and stroppy. That was Colin: )
Bryon Gibson June 4, 2012 at 12:18 pm
@Craig “I’d just like to suggest that a chef working in ‘any decent restaurant’ would know how to cook a steak the way it’s requested.”
If you read through the thread you will see the problem – the definition of “blue steak” is not set in stone, therefore discrepancies will creep in between what you consider a blue steak and what a restaurant will.
I have refused to pay in restaurants and have also sent food back, there is a way to do it though that should not invite hostility. TBH I very rarely get a blue steak cooked to my idea of perfection in a restaurant but there is a band where I will find it acceptable or not, even my son being a chef has a different idea of a blue steak to my own so this will always be subjective.
Yeah sorry meant Colin
Kelly June 8, 2012 at 6:07 pm
Awesome post…
Tiferet June 10, 2012 at 1:28 am
This is a great post!
My mother thinks like yours does and like many of the commenters do. As a result she would have raised a vegetarian, except that once when I was six she took the steaks out of the oven early without realising it. When she saw the blood running out of mine she tried to take it away and put it back in the oven with the others; my dad said I put my arms around my plate and growled like a dog!
Ever since then I’ve been a big fan of rare steak. I like mine the same way you do, but here in the US we call it blue if it’s cold and gel-like in the middle, which I don’t care for.
I prefer to eat steak at home because restaurants (other than very expensive ones) never understand what i want and I either get it pink (ew) or cold (also ew). I cook mine pretty much the same way you do except I get thinner cuts because I am impatient! I can’t wait THREE WHOLE MINUTES, I always do mine last
(Unfortunately because I have coeliac disease I often do have to get steak in restaurants as it’s one of the few things I can be sure is wheat free.)
I use olive oil too and think it’s just lovely.
I also don’t eat burgers unless I can have them rare, because I find well-done beef gross. The way to get rare burgers safely is to go to a place that uses organic free-range really nice meat. I wouldn’t want to eat rare burger from factory farms either due to the E.Coli issues but honestly, now I rarely eat burgers as gluten-free burger buns are expensive.
And I am very amused by all the people commenting about toxo. You get that from cat litter or letting pigeons nest on your home, not beef! Similarly salmonella is in chicken and trichinosis is in pork (though trichinosis can be killed by freezing, so if you freeze your pork you don’t have to eat it well done–and while freezing affects quality I think overcooking affects it more). Fortunately chicken is gross any other way but well cooked.
Oh and to the person at the Japanese restaurant if they are still reading–you had beef sashimi. Delicious! Wagyu is Japanese beef. It’s often called Kobe beef because it used to all come from Kobe. They feed the animals beer and give them massages so that the beef does not become tough. It is extremely delicious!!! I had it in Japan and have had it a few times since. It’s now more commonly called “wagyu” because there are now farms outside of Japan that produce it.
Jayden June 11, 2012 at 12:38 am
I was brought up with well done steaks and I never liked them…Last year, when I was 17, I started working at a family owned italian restaurant and they refused to make me any steak more cooked than medium rare….and I loved it.
A year late, someone ordered a blue steak and the chefs were very helpful in informing me about it, I tried it the next time I had a steak and I feel like every steak I had before that steak was a waste of time haha…
Im glad I got into blue steaks early
theyre delicious
Blue Spyder July 8, 2012 at 9:05 pm
Late to the party, but I really enjoyed reading this. My preference is to have my steak firm on the outside with a nice pink on the inside, somewhere between medium rare and medium. Since I usually marinate mine in a bourbon/woodchuck amber mix its very flavorful in the end…
Ben July 23, 2012 at 12:46 pm
Tiferet – “My dad said I put my arms around my plate and growled like a dog!”
That quote made me laugh out loud sat here at work! I can just picture it now haha.
I’ve wasted a lot of time today reading the comments here and have got to say I’ve found it insightful! I’ve enjoyed rare steaks for a while now although I’ve never had a blue one…well once I think I did cook one almost blue but it was cold inside and I wasn’t keen on that so I cooked it a bit longer before eating it. That said, after reading everything here I would like to try a properly cooked blue steak now.
I haven’t had a good steak for a while now having lived outside of the UK, but I’m going back soon and have told people that is one of the first meals I want to have when I get back. Looking forward to it immensely, especially after having my appetite whetted by this blog!
Amy July 26, 2012 at 4:06 pm
I was taught by my mum that all meat, including steak should be eaten well done to avoid infection. Needless to say, I thought all red meat was hard to eat and relatively flavourless. But then, around 15, I was told I had anaemia and that if I didn’t want to take iron pills four times a day (which would have been a hassle!) I should up my red meat intake drastically. So, when I went to my father’s on the weekends, I started asking him to make steak for me.
The cuts of meat weren’t the best, but he tenderised them first, and he’s a very good cook. (Note to all: try mixing the left over cooking butter/oil with salt, pepper, red wine, honey and orange juice. The good kind, with bits in. Best steak sauce I’ve ever had.) He cooked it around medium, and not knowing much about steak I ate without question. It was much more delicious than I expected!
Since then, I started asking for medium rare and now, at the age of 18, three years later, rare whenever I go to restaurants. I love the buttery soft juiciness of the meat at the centre. I haven’t yet ordered blue steak (working up the courage!) but I’m taking my girlfriend out to dinner this weekend at the Bar and Grill, and it might just be the night for a blue steak. Here’s hoping they do it right!
Heather August 8, 2012 at 11:49 am
I have never actually tried steak, I’ve never fancied it but I only wanted to find out how to do it for my boyfriend who loves his steak blue. Thank you! :3 x
steve wilcox August 14, 2012 at 11:24 pm
hey colin……..thanks for all this good info stuff…….AND? “WE” have a question and it is: How do you blue a steak on a grill………ya’ know, it is not the same constant contact of heat as if in a pan or flat grill service, i’m talk’en ’bout your average outdoor grill without a flat service…………i’ve done it flame or no flame touching, ’cause heat is heat, right, and killed germs are dead the same, but the wife says to get some ‘commentary tips” from you guys the grand masters of steak for any additional suggestions………ya’ know?, being down here in the swamp?, if all the hair/fur is off of it, and if its cooked good?, ets good to eat right……….yyyyyyyyyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa………..:):):):):)..dat’s what i’m talk’en ’bout hoss…………..let me know of any “experienced grilling suggestions” ya’ might have………….thanks, and here “WE” go………..steve wilcox-train driver-chopperfive@sbcglobal.net-24/7 mobile usa 9155393247.
Matt September 7, 2012 at 9:58 am
Good article, but that steak is not blue. It’s just a nicely cooked rare steak.
Blue steak is only as much as one minute per side on a good thick steak, so that it remains cool on the inside. For your average thickness you are looking at 30-45 seconds.
Blue steak is a completely different experience from a beautifully cooked rare steak. Blue can’t be as tender, as the meat in the centre remains cool and pretty much raw. People eat it for the completely different experience and taste, not because it’s the most tender.
People saying it’s the most tender way are probably having rare steak. Rare is the optimum way to eat it for tenderness.
Also different cuts are better cooked different ways. You can have a really good rib eye cooked up to medium (max) for example as it has enough fat to be cooked that way. A fillet would disappointing cooked more than rare.
Thomas September 13, 2012 at 4:46 am
fucking disgusting, you fat pigs.
Antonio September 28, 2012 at 10:12 am
hi!
i read that a guy in this blog had a steak at “Toscano” in Rome…
Please… i’m italian if u want the original “fiorentina” go to Florence in Tuscany not Rome…
If u want a good steak they’re the best! Instead, if u want fried food come to Marche (centre-east of italy)
Rachael October 12, 2012 at 12:57 am
I generally order my steaks medium rare in restaurant just to be a bit on the safer side.
But when making my own it’s definitely rare. I’m not sure if I’ve ever had a true blue steak… But I know I wouldn’t like it if it was cold on the inside.
Kevin October 19, 2012 at 7:20 am
You a butthurt vegetarian, Thomas?
We don’t laugh at you for eating all your soy/tofu bullshit, so don’t make comments about us eating delicious, juicy, warm beef.
I always order my steak medium rare because I love the juices and the blood in my mouth. Sooo much flavor, mmmmm.
Does that make you sick? Have fun with your salads.
Bernice October 21, 2012 at 12:40 pm
Well, hey there! A 16 year old girl from Singapore here. Most probably due to the fact that it’s an Asian country, steaks are only found at restaurants that ridiculously overprice them. Even buying from the market isn’t cheap. I started off dating medium rare, and still remain at that stage. I’m keen to try blue rare, but it seems that chefs here don’t really differentiate medium rare and rare, let alone blue rare. My parents aren’t fans of steak either, so I can’t really get them to buy me some steak from the supermarket on a regular basis. But in the event that I do, would a filet migon or Ribeye be preferred for a rare steak? I usually have Ribeye at restaurants though.
Bryon Gibson October 21, 2012 at 8:46 pm
Matt
I have to totally disagree – a blue steak should never be cold on the inside – the meat should be “warmed” prior to cooking to seal it – using a properly matured piece of good quality thick steak ( for me you cant beat fillet) it is never “raw” and if matured properly it will melt in the mouth, never chewy and most certainly never cold.
However this just goes to show that “blue” is not in itself a definition that is cast in stone and each one will have their own opinion, for me it is matured ( you cant make a blue steak with a piece of red meat from a supermarket) warm and still have a pulse
Bernice – where were you when i was younger
– as for your question and IMO you cant beat a fillet steak for cooking blue, at least 1-2 inches thick and suitably matured by from a good quality butcher that knows what they are doing rather than a prepacked piece from a supermarket – if it is bright blood red then the meat is too fresh, rib eye for me has too much fat and does not lend itself well to being cooked blue – but of course others will differ.
Gotta be grilled November 9, 2012 at 1:27 pm
That’s disgusting, F*cking vampires!!!
Etnies15 November 13, 2012 at 3:44 pm
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!
Blue Steak Tonight For Sure!!
x
Will November 30, 2012 at 12:45 pm
What a great thread. It’s so nice to see so many converted to blue! I’m off to The Hawksmoor for the first time this weekend, so I was getting a bit of inspiration.
My 2 cents, this is just the way I do it.
• Oil the meat itself, never the griddle pan.
• Griddle should be quite literally smoking hot.
• And cook it for less time than you think – you can always put it back in!
On a slightly separate note, has anyone tried to cook a blue steak ‘sous vide’? I haven’t, and was wondering what it’s like? Blasphemous to some I’m sure, but I’ve heard amazing things!
Will
Jules December 3, 2012 at 5:30 pm
I asked it blue in a Paris restaurant. I was asked if I knew what it meant as most English people prefered them rare.
Taylor Holsey December 16, 2012 at 2:28 pm
An entire cow after slaughter does not contain enough blood in its tissue to raise any concern. People need to understand something, and pay attention. Mammals are closed circulatory animals, meaning that in mammals the blood does not leave the vessels. Which means boys and girls that raw meat does not contain blood, if it does its in trace amounts. Meet juice is a mixture of water and the protein myoglobin, yes it’s a distant counsin of hemoglobin. Myoglobin is red, the redder it is the more oxygen a muscle can hold, therfor active creatures need more myoglobin, this is where red meat white meet comes in. When myoglobin is cooked it goes from a +2 charge to a +3 charge as a result of oxidation reactions caused by heat, as a result it turns brown. Think of it this way, when you get a piece of chicken, how much blood is in there? Virtually none right? Same with beef. So now please stop yourself from ruining that steak by cooking it anything over medium!!!
Sally Cox January 12, 2013 at 5:49 pm
We went to a restaurant last night and my husband asked for his Rump steak to be cooked “Blue” only to be told that the chef there would not agree to do this. It was the only time he has heard this and the manageress couldn’t sway him to cook it blue. Why would this be? We wont be using that restaurant again.
gordon January 28, 2013 at 3:06 pm
I disagree with comment that you can’t get even medium rare burger. You can, but you need to go to proper country to get it
.
http://lukas.faltynek.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/tatarak.jpg
sean h February 23, 2013 at 2:53 pm
Hi
I have lived in SW France from 2007-2011. I love steaks too, i always ordered mine rare or saignant in french. Now I’m back in Ireland I have to ask for blue, which is working ok.
I found a trick for cooking steak at home using the maillard effect , to get the steak nice and brown. Just put on your steak leave 20 sec lift off place the rind on the pan. This allows the pan to get back up to temperature, before placing it on the uncooked side. Then repeat according to how well you want it cooked, and don’t forget to let it rest.
Also every burger I have ever eating in France was medium at best and I had no Ill effects. So I don’t agree with that statement in your blog. Is that why we dont see steak tartare on our menus? Its so stupid when Ireland has some of the best beef in the world.
Evelyn March 15, 2013 at 3:41 pm
I ended up on this site by accident and just kept reading, but now I know whats for dinner tonight…..
Longhairdancer March 30, 2013 at 6:28 pm
I’m from St. Louis, and tomorrow the fast for Lent of no red meat ends. Can’t wait to try this!
Big Mike April 6, 2013 at 7:15 pm
I think it’s awesome that this conversation has been going on for six years
Andy April 16, 2013 at 11:13 pm
A 6-year old active blog on steak – amazing. Some great views in there.
I’ve just had some steak
and stumbled across this looking for the differences between levels of meat doneness. Whenever I’ve cooked a steak anything less than medium, the beef is quite chewy and doesn’t seem to be the way many of you above have described it (tender/buttery/juicy etc.) even when buying sirloin. Anyway, having spent the best part of a football match reading this thread, tomorrow I will be:
- Finding my nearest butcher (apart from one occasion I’ve always bought from the supermarket)
- Buying 1-1.5 in thick sirloin steaks (I’ll save fillet for a special occasion!)
- Not even putting them in the fridge when I get home
- Coat them in oil and some cracked black pepper
- Heat the pan until it’s as hot as it can possibly get
- Season the steaks with salt and cook for about a minute on each side
- Place the steaks on a warm plate and in a warm oven for a few mins
- Remove and enjoy!
Seeing as though I normally order medium-rare at a restaurant (always had bad experiences with rare) I’ll try the above in the hope that it’ll result in a nice, warm, non-chewy rare steak. Perhaps one day I’ll take the step to blue but for now, if I can consistently get great home-cooked rare steak, I’ll be a happy chappy
By the way, does anyone know of any restaurants in Liverpool that do great steak?
Bryon April 18, 2013 at 11:56 am
Andy
You missed out one feature – the steak should be mature. Most butchers and shops will sell meat blood red as that is how they perceive the customer wants it, this does not make the best blue steak or indeed rare, get a butcher to mature a piece for you and you will taste the difference – do remember if the steak is thick to seal the sides as cooking and a piece 1-2 inches thick will require being warmed through.
Fillet is honestly IMO the best cut to use and if properly matured it will melt in the mouth – in fact overcooking tends to make the steak more “chewy”
Graham April 18, 2013 at 1:01 pm
@Bryon. Most supermarkets have a matured meat range, either for 21 or 28 days.
Bryon April 19, 2013 at 12:12 pm
@ Graham – given recent events about food labeling I’m not too sure I would trust the date, I have seen some meat labeled as “mature” that looks as red as the day it was cut. I have also found striking up a good rapport with a local butcher does wonders for getting exactly what you want. Overall though this subject will always be subjective just as some wont eat meat if it is not nuked some will not buy steak unless it is bright red.
P.S I have a nice 2 inch thick fillet ready to be cooked Saturday ( late birthday treat ) and going to break with tradition and try a few suggestions that has been posted here.
Michele April 29, 2013 at 8:16 am
Just found this website, really intersting.
Ive converted my husband from having his steak well done, to blue, { believe me it took years} but he is now a convert, if we go out with friends, they will pull a face at our steaks, the brave ones will try a small mouthfull { im not giving them a big mouthfull lol} and most of them like it.
Jason Blotsky May 2, 2013 at 7:53 pm
When I am eating out, I order the steak right out of the refrige, no cooking at all. Usually they put it on my plate still wrapped in the cheesecloth and after I sign a waiver, it’s good to go.
Peter June 9, 2013 at 1:34 pm
Great article – pity you favour you favour tasteless fillet – no butcher worth his salt would eat it.