Is It Ever Safe To Order A Blue Steak?

Just like you can order a steak medium rare at your favorite steakhouse, you can also ask for your steak to be prepared "blue." It's not as uncommon as you might think, and although there's a list of words and phrases you should avoid when ordering steak, blue isn't one of them. A blue steak is steak that's cooked quickly at a high temperature. The outside is seared, while the inside stays almost completely raw. The name refers to the blue-ish hue that can be found in raw beef, but you can think of a blue steak as essentially extra rare. If you're wondering if it's safe to order a blue steak, it is – as long as it's high-quality meat that's been handled and prepared properly.

While there are plenty of times when you should cook thick steak with low heat, that method won't work with a blue steak. Dangerous bacteria (like E. coli) can live on the surface of raw meat, but since blue steak is seared, the high heat from the grill or pan kills harmful pathogens. There's some risk involved in consuming any type of undercooked meat, but as long as the steakhouse you're ordering it from takes precautions like cooking every side of the steak and sanitizing tongs after touching raw meat, you should be safe to enjoy blue steak's delicious flavor and tender texture.

It's crucial to make sure you're dining at a reputable establishment if you want to order your steak blue. There are several steps you can take to make an informed decision. You can do some research before you even get in the door by reading reviews, perusing the restaurant's website, and asking friends and family about their dining experience.

Once you're there, looking around at the general cleanliness is helpful for spotting glaring problems, but not enough to determine how safe it actually is. Even if a restaurant looks spotless, it doesn't mean its staff isn't making food safety mistakes that could be dangerous, so look for the health department's grade or rating for a more objective indicator. Your server should be knowledgeable about the meat that's used, so don't be afraid to ask about where the restaurant sources it from.