Black and Blue Steak (Pittsburgh-Style)
A black and blue steak is all about contrast: a heavily charred, almost-black crust on the outside and a cool, blue-rare center. It's called Pittsburgh-style because, as the story goes, steel workers used to sear their lunch right on the red-hot metal they were working with. To recreate that at home, we set a cast iron griddle directly over a big pile of hot charcoal and get it up to about 650°F. A charcoal-style steak seasoning and a brush of clarified butter help build that signature black crust. If you love your steak rare or medium-rare, this one's for you.
Servings: 2 people
Equipment
- about 1 full chimney of charcoal roughly 5 to 6 lbs
- cast iron griddle pan
Ingredients
- 1 bone-in or boneless ribeye steak about 1-1½ inches thick (1 to 1½ lbs)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons Sure Shot Sid's Gunpowder seasoning or your favorite charcoal-style steak seasoning
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter for clarifying
Instructions
- Season the steak: Pat the ribeye dry with paper towels. Season generously on all sides, including the edges, with 1 to 2 tablespoons of charcoal-style seasoning. Refrigerate while you light the grill so the seasoning can sweat into the meat.
- Light the charcoal: Fill a charcoal chimney and light it. When the coals are fully lit and covered with a light layer of gray ash, dump them into a tight pile in the center of the grill, directly where the cast iron will sit. For this cook you want concentrated, high heat, not coals spread around the outer edge like you would for low-and-slow smoking.
- Preheat the cast iron: Put the grill grate on and set the cast iron griddle directly on the grate over the pile of coals. Close the lid with the vents fully open and let the cast iron heat until it reaches about 650°F, roughly 10 to 15 minutes.
- Clarify the butter: While the cast iron heats, place 4 tablespoons of butter in a small heat-safe pan on the edge of the grill away from direct heat. Once melted, skim off the white foam. When the butter is fully liquified, the milk solids will settle at the bottom of the pan. Carefully pour the clarified butter into a small dish, discard the milk solids, and set aside.
- Sear the first side: Brush the steak with some of the clarified butter and brush a little onto the cast iron. Lay the steak on the griddle and leave it alone until a dark crust forms and the steak releases naturally, about 2 to 3 minutes. *Use caution: the butter can flare up and catch fire at these temperatures. Wear heat-resistant gloves and keep your face back from the grill.
- Flip to a fresh spot: Brush the top of the steak with more clarified butter, then flip it onto a fresh, hot area of the cast iron. Sear until the second side has an equally dark crust, about 2-3 minutes.
- Close the dampers: Close the grill lid and shut all of the top and bottom dampers. Let the steak cook gently in the residual heat and smoke for 2 to 4 minutes, until the internal temperature begins to climb.
- Flip and pull at about 105°F: Flip the steak once more and check the internal temperature in the thickest part. Pull the steak off the grill when it reaches about 105°F for black and blue (blue rare). For a classic rare steak, pull at 115 to 120°F. *Keep in mind, there will be some carryover cooking after you remove the steak from the grill.
- Finish and serve: Brush the steak with the reserved clarified butter. Rest about 5 minutes. Then slice against the grain and serve right away.
Notes
- Cooking times: Times are a guide only and will vary based on the thickness of your steak, how much charcoal you use, and your grill. Always cook to internal temperature, not time. At these temperatures, a few seconds matters, so keep a thermometer handy.
- Why clarified butter: Regular butter contains milk solids that burn quickly at high heat. Clarifying the butter raises its smoke point so it can help build the char and crust without turning bitter.
- Choosing a steak: Use a high-quality, well-marbled cut. A thicker steak (at least 1 to 1½ inches) gives you more time to build a dark crust while keeping the center blue.
- Doneness: Black and blue steak is cooked very rare in the center. If you prefer your steak cooked more, this method still gives you a fantastic crust; just let the steak stay on longer with the dampers of the kettle grill closed.