{"id":11498,"date":"2023-02-08T12:33:04","date_gmt":"2023-02-08T12:33:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/?p=11498"},"modified":"2023-05-23T06:51:11","modified_gmt":"2023-05-23T06:51:11","slug":"what-is-blue-steak","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/what-is-blue-steak\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Blue Steak? All You Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Blue steak, also called blue rare steak is simply the rare steak. Its done temp rests between 115\u00b0F-120\u00b0F while rare steak is done at 130\u00b0F. The best blue steaks are made from tenderloin since it’s the leanest cut of beef<\/a>. It is cooked hot and fast to sear the exterior, leaving the steak’s<\/a> interior virtually unexposed to heat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a pitmaster, I have prepared this highly-ordered menu item severally. I made my fair share of mistakes along the way before I perfected my technique. Since I have a pretty good idea of where most people go wrong, let me walk you through this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I put together this article to air out what blue steak really is, the cuts you should use, and what you shouldn’t. Stick around to know the texture and taste of blue steak and a simple recipe to enjoy.<\/p>\n\n\n

\"what<\/figure>\n\n\n

Why is It Called Blue?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So why blue? There hasn’t been a consensus but there are 2 theories that make convincing arguments. They are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. French Au Bleu Theory<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. The Blue Sheen And Oxygenated Blood Theory<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    French Au Bleu<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The first and most viable theory in my opinion is French Au Bleu. It refers to a popular method of cooking trout in France. An Au Bleu<\/em> trout is cooked in boiling water that’s been seasoned with vinegar, immediately after slaughter without scaling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Many restaurants went along with this wording, calling barely cooked or almost utterly raw steak ‘bleu’, thus the name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The Blue Sheen and Oxygenated Blood<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The other theory depends wholly on myoglobin<\/a>. Myoglobin is a protein in the blood that’s responsible for supplying much-needed oxygen to your body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When myoglobin is exposed to oxygen for an extended period, the iron in the muscle starts to deteriorate, turning your meat brownish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    To lengthen the shelf life of beef steaks, they are vacuum-sealed after processing and before distribution. Vacuum sealing<\/a> involves drawing all the oxygen out of the packaging to create an anaerobic environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When myoglobin is deprived of oxygen, it turns purple. However, when oxygen is re-introduced, it regains its red color. This explains why the meat in your grocery store looks a bit purplish. It is in a vacuum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Steaks that have been packaged using the MAP<\/a>, Modified Atmosphere Packaging, will have a weaker purple hue because the process involves replacing some of the oxygen in the package with other gases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This is another reason why it’s called a blue steak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Which Are the Best Cuts of Meat to Cook Blue Steak With?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Before you get to the cooking part, you must know how to pick out the best cut of meat for your blue steak recipe. Make no mistake, if you pick wrong, you won’t enjoy it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The best cut of meat for blue steak is tenderloin steak since it’s very lean. Here are my top picks for the best cuts for blue steak:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Tenderloin<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The tenderloin cut is also known as fillet, filet mignon, or eye fillet depending on where you come from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It’s the leanest cut of beef and is cut from the loin of a steer. These muscles hardly get any exercise, making it a very soft and tender cut. It is the perfect cut for cooking blue steak.<\/p>\n\n\n

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    \"Sliced<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

    Flat Iron Steaks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Considered the second-leanest beef cut, flat iron steaks are cut from the chuck area of a steer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Recent innovations in the grilling world have made it possible to trim most of the fat off this cut, giving us the flat iron we drool over today. It’s to make both rare and medium rare steak. So, if you can’t get your hands on tenderloin, a flat iron is your next safe bet for blue steak.<\/p>\n\n\n

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    \"Juicy<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

    Sirloin Tip<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The sirloin tip is cut from the round cut. Since this muscle bears some weight, it’s not as tender as flat iron or tenderloin but it is still a fairly tender cut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The sirloin steak is packed full of beefy flavor and is a good option for blue steak in the absence of flat iron and tenderloin steaks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Related Reading<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n