Black-and-Blue, or Very Rare

Seldom ordered in American restaurants, this is meat that’s literally raw—although not cold—in the middle, but well browned on the outside. To accomplish this, you need an extremely hot fire or sauté pan. Home stoves often aren’t hot enough, unless the steak is very thick. Leave the steak out of the refrigerator for about 1 hour before cooking so it won’t be cold in the middle. Black-and-blue steaks will feel fleshy and no juices will have formed on either side. When you cut into the steak, the meat will be bright red and, if the meat is well aged, slightly purple.