What Is Blue Steak?

Blue steak is a cooking technique that has been used for decades! However, it lost its popularity due to some major safety concerns.

But, thanks to technology and food science, it has been proven that this type of meat is completely safe to eat if the proper cooking techniques are used.

These steaks are making a comeback in a big way! But unfortunately, not many people are familiar with it.

So, what exactly is blue steak? Blue steak is ultimately steak that has simply been seared over extremely high heat for a couple of minutes. The inside is almost completely raw while the exterior is charred and crisp.

This may not sound like your cup of tea, but we recommend at least giving it a try before dismissing the idea. You may be surprised as to how much you like it!

Today, we will be discussing the many aspects of making blue steak We will look at the characteristics of this meat, how to prepare it, which cuts to use, and how to properly store any leftovers.

And, we have even included some uses to serve as inspiration for you! 

What Exactly Is Blue Steak?

Blue steak is a term used to describe a certain level of doneness after the steak has been cooked. It is also commonly referred to as “blue rare” and “bleu.”

Now, you may be asking where these funny names come from. And the answer is, we don’t really know! There are many theories but no solid evidence pointing to one or the other. 

What we do know is that the term originated from the French cooking word, “Au Bleu.” This refers to a specific way to cook fish that leaves it semi-raw.

In the simplest of explanations, blue steak is the first stage steak reaches in the cooking session. So naturally, as you can imagine, it is uber bloody still! Even more so than rare steak!

But, bloody doesn’t mean bad. It has a wide range of benefits which many people love, for example, the moistness and soft texture of the meat. They also prefer this level of doneness because of the unique flavor.

So, how is this steak made? Well, we will go into a little bit more detail later, but basically, the meat is simply seared for a couple of seconds over extremely high heat. It is only cooked until it reaches an internal temperature of 115-120ºF (46.1-48.8ºC).

If the meat doesn’t reach the minimum temperature, it will still be completely cold and essentially raw. But, if it goes over this temperature, it will become more of a rare cooked steak.

The goal is just to get the outside charred so that the inside remains virtually untouched (or as uncooked as you possibly can).

Now, while this steak might not sound appealing to you, at the end of the day, it comes down to personal preference. Not everybody will like it and not everybody will have to. 

Is Blue Steak Safe To Eat?

This is one of the most frequently asked questions we get about blue steak – Is it safe to eat? This doneness of a steak, while seemingly still raw, is perfectly safe to eat, as long as it has reached the right internal temperature.

The only condition is that the outside surface area should be well-charred. This is because all of the bacteria that sit on the surface has to be killed.

Bacteria doesn’t penetrate the inside of the meat, so it isn’t actually necessary to cook or heat the inside (like well-done steak).

This is why you can have rare, medium-rare, or medium steaks. Some parts of these are almost as raw as blue steaks. And, they are all safe to eat as long as the surface area (all sides of the steak) is seared.

Characteristics Of Perfectly Cooked Blue Steak

Now, blue steak has very specific characteristics. And, because it is so close to rare steak, many people often confuse the two.

It is also important to note that the exact doneness of blue steak is heavily debated. But, from our professional chef friends’ perspective, this is what we know.

Blue steak should only be seared at extremely high heat. Due to this, the sides will become charred and slightly crispy. Don’t worry if they go a very dark brown or even black. This will give flavor and texture which is absolutely delicious!

As we have mentioned, once the sides are seared, the steak is essentially finished cooking. The inside will be barely cooked. In fact, it still looks completely raw. But, this is normal and the steak is completely safe to eat.

Another key characteristic of blue steaks is their internal temperature. Monitoring it while the steak is searing is also a great way to prevent overcooking the meat.

Once the meat reaches an internal temperature of between 115-120ºF (46.1-48.8ºC), it is finished cooking.

If it doesn’t reach 115ºF (46.1ºC) it is still raw and undercooked. But, if it goes over 120ºF (48.8ºC), it has been overcooked.

You can find a summary of blue steaks’ characteristics below:

• Charred outside that is often very dark brown or black
• Very raw internal texture and appearance
• Flavor resembles semi-raw meat with a smoky exterior
• Spongy and chewy texture with a slightly crispy surface
• Internal temperature of 115-120ºF (46.1-48.8ºC)

How To Make Blue Steak

Cooking blue steak is one of the easiest types to prepare. You can often simply wait until the outside is crisp and charred. And, this type of steak also doesn’t take very long to finish.

So, below we have broken down out method of preparing and cooking blue steak. However, as with anything, there are some variations you can do. 

1. To start, you must leave your meat at room temperature for roughly 15 to 20 minutes. Don’t worry, the meat won’t spoil that quickly.
   • This technique will allow the entire piece of meat to come to an even temperature. In turn, this will allow you to more evenly cook the meat. No matter which type of cooking vessel you are using or which type of heat you are applying, all should be heated on the highest setting.
2. Once your meat has warmed, you can brush it with olive oil. This will help give the surface that extra crispiness and caramelized flavor. Then, season the meat with sea salt flakes and freshly ground pepper.
3. All that is left to do is to place your meat on the heat and allow it to cook. Leave the steak on one side for a little longer than a minute (until it is well charred) before flipping it over. Once flipped, make sure to move the steak to a different area so it can get the most heat.
4. Continue this process until all of the sides have been seared.
5. Once your sides are seared, test the internal temperature of the meat using a probe or meat thermometer. 
6. Serve the blue steak immediately and don’t allow it to rest.

For a visual tutorial, here’s a great video from Colin on YouTube.

Tips And Tricks For Preparing Blue Steak

• Make sure that the cooking vessel you use can handle the extremely high temperatures that you need. This is usually cast iron or another type of heavy-duty metal.

• Stay away from Teflon-coated or other non-stick-coated pans. These cannot handle the high temperatures required for this cooking technique. After a certain point, they start releasing toxic fumes which could have long-term effects on your health. It also shortens the shelf life of the pan.

• Seasoning your meat with salt and pepper is the only thing you need. Any type of meat rubs, spice mixes, marinades, or basting sauces will simply burn. This may lead to a very unappealing flavor.

• While cooking your meat, keep moving it to a different area in the pan once you flip it over. This will help the next side get the maximum amount of heat to char it quickly without cooking it.

• While resting the blue steak may be tempting, there is no point at all! When meat is cooked, the fibers contract and pushes out the flavorful juices. What resting does is it allows the fibers to relax so that the juices are “re-absorbed” and stay inside the meat. But, because blue steak is barely cooked (if at all), the fibers don’t contract, and the juices simply stay inside.

Which Meat Cuts Can Be Cooked Like This?

Before you think that you can try this cooking method with any piece of meat, you can’t! Some cuts naturally will work much better than others.

For example, a thin piece of meat will completely overcook! For this reason, generally, you should use thicker cuts.

A summary of what makes a good cut for this cooking technique includes the steak being thicker than 1-inch. It should also be a tender cut with minimal marbling.

Some of your best choices for blue steak include sirloin tip, top sirloin, round steak, flat iron, and filet mignon. These are all very tender while not having a bunch of fat inside them.

Furthermore, they often come in 1 1/2-inch thickness. This means that they can be cooked in a couple of minutes without being overcooked. At the very least, your cut should be 1-inch in thickness.

Which Cuts To Avoid

The key is to avoid any cuts with a lot of fat or marbling. Fat needs to be rendered as it cooks to help make the meat moist and tender.

So, unfortunately considering this technique thrives on short cooking, those cuts won’t work. And after all, who likes eating raw pieces of fat?

You should also stay away from generally tough pieces of meat. Naturally, something like a leg of lamb won’t work. It requires long slow cooking to get tender. But, you do also get smaller cuts of meat that are generally very tough.

And finally, any thin cuts just won’t do. They will become completely overcooked before the outside has even charred.

Common cuts to avoid for blue cooking include a T-bone (porterhouse steak), skirt steaks, flank, flap steaks, rib-eye, hanger, and bottom sirloin.

You should also stay away from beef that is very fatty and tough. Wagyu and Kobe beef are meats you should avoid for cooking blue.

How To Store Blue Steak

There are a lot of safety concerns surrounding whether or not you can eat blue steak the next day. Well, we can safely say that it won’t spoil. Yes, you are only semi-cooking the meat (which usually isn’t recommended). 

But, if you properly sear the steak to kill any surface bacteria, the steak can be stored for a couple of extra days.

You must keep your blue-cooked meat inside an airtight container. This will not only help prevent the meat from drying out, but also from being exposed to bacteria. 

Once in the container, store the meat inside the fridge away from any fresh produce like eggs, milk, cheese, fruits, and vegetables.

Your fridge should also be working at a stable temperature. Fridges should always have a temperature between 32-40ºF (0-4.4ºC). At this temperature, most bacteria are dormant and will very slowly reproduce. 

You can safely store your blue steak for another 2 days after it has been cooked.

Uses For Blue Steak

Now, you may be wondering how exactly you have to eat blue steak. Is it versatile in its uses? Or can it only really be eaten as a whole piece of meat?

In our opinion, however, if you would use regular steak (regardless of how cooked it is) you can use blue steak.

You can serve blue-cooked meat as is, or alongside a delicious sauce. Personally, we are suckers for cheese sauce, pepper sauce, or mushroom sauce. They go exceptionally well with the charred smoky flavor of the meat.

But, you can also serve this steak in other dishes. You can make slices and add them to a delicious salad. Or, you can incorporate them into starters or canapes.

It is also a delicious flavorful meat to add to pasta. It will add a ton of flavor and moisture which pairs well with a tomato-based or bechamel-based dish.

Related Questions

Can you save undercooked blue steak?

If you haven’t reached the required internal temperature, you can simply place the steak back onto the heat for another couple of seconds.

Make sure to keep turning it so that it doesn’t overcook on one side. Test the temperature as you go.

Can you save over-cooked blue steak?

Unfortunately, as with most overcooked ingredients, there is no going back. If it is overcooked, you will at least still have rare steak, which is still pretty raw. But, it won’t be blue.

Is eating blue steak unhealthy?

Eating blue steak, as we have mentioned, is completely safe. And, when it comes to whether or not it is healthy, there is no evidence to suggest that it isn’t.

As long as the sides are seared and bacteria killed, the steak is safe to eat and won’t cause any negative effects.

Can you prepare blue steak inside an oven?

Unfortunately, this steak only needs to be seared to be fully prepared. This is a process that can only happen on the stove top or with open flames.

The heat requires is much higher than an oven can provide and you need direct instant contact with the meat.

How to tell if the blue cooked steak has gone bad in the fridge?

If you did end up storing your blue steak in the fridge, you should check whether or not it has gone bad before eating it again.

Spoiled meat will change color, have a rancid smell, get a slimy film over its surface, and is even prone to mold growth. Once any of these signs appear, they should be immediately discarded.

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