For those of you who like steak, of course you have heard of “blue steak”. At least you’ve heard of it even if you’ve never tasted it. What exactly is a blue steak? We will explore more about these foods in this article.
We will explain what blue steak is and is it safe to eat and how to eat it properly as a typical dish. So, those of you who are curious about this, keep reading this article.
We will discuss about “blue steak and how to cook it properly”. This is not a research or something that has been tested, but this is factual information that will invite you to know in depth about Blue Steak.
If you find your friend reading “blue streak” maybe this is the result of auto-correct in Ws Word. Not Blue streak, but Blue Steak, a dish of meat that is blue in color and the inside is still raw. You agree, let’s take a closer look at the the Steak dish.
If you’re used to this steak dish, of course you won’t be tired of saying “Blue Streak”, so just get used to it with the right words, namely Blue Steak or Blue Rare Steak.
We will explain about the origin of the word “Blue Steak” and we will eliminate your curiosity about this term. We’ll tell you which blue steak cut is best for you, and which one you should stay away from.
Are you ready to dive deeper into this Steak, let’s move on!
Table of Contents
What Blue Steak Is?
Blue steak is also popularly called “Blue Rare” or bleu. Blue Steak is a steak that is still at the first stage of meat doneness. the outer part of the meat is grilled or stung and the inside of the meat is still red or raw.
This is a raw, short-duration external roast causing the inside of the steak to remain raw or red.
Why Is it Known as Blue Steak?
Talking about Blue Steak, not everyone agrees with the reason for its naming. Some have reasons like this and others give different reasons.
Some people say that the name Blue Steak is due to the dark purple color of the meat when it is first cut. Indeed, this color will immediately turn red as a result of exposure to oxygen. They reasoned that this purple color was the result of deoxygenated blood in the flesh. This color is then called Blue, and then popular with the name “Blue Steak”.
We disagree with the views of some people who say the color comes from the blood on the flesh, because obviously we don’t see blood on the flesh. But the red color of the flesh is due to the pigment myoglobin. Well, when you cut your juicy steak, it’s actually the pigment.
The purple-red color of the meat is due to the myoglobin pigment exposed to oxygen, it will be pale or slightly bluish. It’s a purple-red color instead of purple, so it’s still debatable in its naming.
But there are other opinions that give the reason why it is called “Blue Steak”? This reasoning says that when meat is grilled with oil, it gives off a bluish glow. So, this theory is closer to the name “Blue Steak” because there is the word “Blue”. There are also those who say that “blue” is another word to indicate the inside of the meat that is cold or cool.
There is one more opinion about the naming “blue steak”, where in an article it is mentioned that the word comes from the French word “Au Bleu”. This means a method of cooking freshly killed or live fish in a broth of water, vinegar, and seasonings. This cooking style makes the cooked fish turn bluish, damn this method is especially popular with trout. So, maybe the term is brought to this steak dish so that this steak is also known as “blue steak”.
Here is a detailed explanation of the name of this dish. There are many opinions about the origin of the word “blue steak”. You can agree on the one that you think has a more suitable meaning. Now we continue with the discussion about “is blue steak safe to eat?”.
Is Blue Steak Safe to Eat?
When you see this meat is still red and raw, of course you ask is it safe to eat? If this blue steak is cooked properly then it is very safe to eat.
Cooking Blue Steak is to burn it on the outside of the meat, this will kill germs and bacteria on the outside of the meat. On the inside there are no bacteria, so all you need is to burn the steak from the outside to kill germs and bacteria. If done correctly, then your blue steak is safe to eat.
You don’t just burn the top of the meat and the bottom. But you have to burn the side of the meat too.
What Cuts of Steak Can You Cook Blue?
Cooking blue steak is not as easy as you might think. If you choose the wrong meat, you may not be able to cook as you wish.
So, choosing the right cut of meat is one of the blue steak cooking tips for satisfying results. Take a soft and tender piece of meat and cook it as your steak.
The best cuts for Blue Steak are:
- Top sirloin
- Sirloin tip
- Flat iron
- Round steak (any)
- Filet mignon
These selected cuts are all tender and tasty, the meat has very little fat and marbling.
Cut your steak to a good level of thickness, cutting at least 1 inch, but it is best to cut 1.5 inches or thicker. If your steak is thin it will cook quickly, even with just 60 seconds of burning, your steak can be enjoyed.
Which Cuts Should You Not Cook Blue?
Some steaks are high in fat, but to cook Blue Steak, you must stay away from fat or fatty meat.
Why is there no fat in blue steak? Fat is a delicious part of meat but is difficult to cook and takes more time. If your steak contains fat, you should avoid it because this kind of fat is a part that is harmful to health.
In addition to avoiding fatty parts, thinly cut meat or steak should also be avoided. When you sear the outside, you also cook the inside, it may be delicious but it won’t be blue and it’s not “blue steak”.
If you want to try Blue Steak, then avoid the following cuts:
- Porterhouse / T-bone
- Skirt steak
- Ribeye
- Flap steak
- Flank steak
- Bottom sirloin
- hangers
- Any cut of wagyu or Kobe
Even though these cuts are easy to prepare, and delicious in the mouth, with these cuts you will not be able to bring out the blue color of your steak. So, to make blue steak, you have to avoid some of the cuts above.
The Best Temperature to Cook Blue Steak!
To bring the blue color to the steak is strongly influenced by the temperature used when baking your steak. The internal temperature of the steak should be in the 115 F to 120 F range.
If the temperature is less than 115 F, the meat is usually still raw and cold. While temperatures are higher than 120 F, we will find a unique “blue rare steak” that is no longer blue.
What Does Blue Steak Taste Like?
The first time you bite into the blue steak, it feels very impressed. But once you bite into the raw inside, it has a cold and unique impression, there is a contrasting coolness.
Everything you think about blue steak will change, that’s how it feels when your teeth pierce the surface of the Steak. The bite is chewy and cold like you are eating a soft cake. But you don’t have to be nauseous because this is not fishy meat.
The taste of blue steak varies and is strongly influenced by the cut of the meat. It tastes like fat, and cold in the raw meat.
Some chefs cook steaks at high temperatures and try to burn the outside of the steak as hot as possible and leave the inside very close to raw. He tried to make the meat as raw as possible on the inside, but on the outside as cooked as possible. It’s unique and tastes impressive.
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What is the Texture of Blue Steak?
The level of heat that burns the sides of the meat makes the meat more tender. But nothing in blue steak, blue steak is not hot enough to reach the level of tenderness. This steaks will taste a little chewy, and cold can be even more raw than medium rare steaks.
The longer you chew the raw meat of this blue steak, the longer you will feel it. This is a natural steak with the natural aroma of raw meat.
To get the perfect texture, with the blue color, of course we have to know how to cook Blue Steak properly. Below we share a guide to cooking blue steak properly.
How to Cook a Steak to Blue on a Grill
Are you brave enough to taste homemade blue steak? We share with you how to cook the following.
- Keep your steak at room temperature for about 15 to 20 minutes.
- While waiting for that, preheat your grill, this aims to get a good hot temperature, or it can burn evenly.
- If you want to be healthier, apply olive oil all over your meat or steak. You can also add your favorite seasoning at this stage.
- When the grill is hot enough, place the steak on your grill.
- Grill the steaks for one minute, and flip to the other side for the same length of time. If you have grilled the steak on both sides, now hold the steak with tongs and grill the sides.
- Roll your steak on the grill so that the heat can perfectly touch your steak.
- Now that your steak is ready to serve, remove from heat. Insert the tip of the thermometer into the meat and the temperature should be between 115 F – 120 F. If it is above 120 F, maybe your steak is no longer blue but has switched to “Rare”.
- Serve and enjoy while still warm.
Blue steak is not stored for tomorrow’s consumption, but once it’s done on the grill you should enjoy it hot until it’s gone. Storing it will only make your steak runny and disgusting. So make sure you enjoy it as soon as possible.