Black and Blue Steak (Pittsburgh Style)
High-heat, Pittsburgh-style grilled filet mignons cooked until the exterior is deeply charred while the center remains rare, finished with slices of ice-cold butter or meat fat trimmings.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 4 teaspoonsolive oil
- 4 6- to-8-ounce filet mignons
- 1 stick of ice-cold butter cut into 8 slices, or meat fat trimmings
- coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to high heat (about 550–650°F).
- Pat the filet mignons dry on all sides with paper towels.
- Divide and rub the 4 teaspoons olive oil over all sides of the four steaks.
- Season all sides of the steaks with coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste.
- Cut the stick of ice‑cold butter into 8 slices.
- Place the steaks on the preheated grill. Immediately place two butter slices on top of each steak (or use meat fat trimmings if you prefer). Expect and stand back from occasional flare‑ups as the fat melts.
- Cook 1 to 2 minutes per side, flipping once with tongs, until the outside is deeply charred/blackened but the center remains rare.
- Remove the steaks from the grill and let rest 3–5 minutes.
- Slice (if desired) and serve.
Equipment
- Grill
- Tongs
- Paper Towels
Notes
Notes
Make-Ahead:
This is meant to be eaten as soon as cooking is done.
How to Store:
Cover and keep in the refrigerator for 3 days. This recipe will not freeze well.
How to Reheat
: This recipe does not reheat well, but if you do need to reheat it, then re-grill it on a hot grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until warm.
You can
perform these procedures on a gas grill. However, doing it on a wood or charcoal-burning grill is better and more efficient.
Reheating your
steak will 100% cause it to increase in internal temperature, most likely past medium and into medium-well.
You may
not get the perfect grill marks, and that’s ok. The most important thing is that the steak has dark char marks and is cooked at the ideal internal temperature. Grill marks are for show, nothing else.
The best
beef cuts are those commonly eaten rare to medium-rare. Do not use a cut that requires long, slow cooking times; it will not work for these procedures.
Moisture is
the enemy of getting a dark crust on your steak, which is why patting it dry with paper towels is beneficial.
Optionally
place a grill lid over top to help char the steak more.
If the
butter is melting too fast and the flames are dying too quickly, try drizzling a few tablespoons of neutral-flavored oil directly over the steaks.
Make-Ahead:
This is meant to be eaten as soon as cooking is done.
How to Store:
Cover and keep in the refrigerator for 3 days. This recipe will not freeze well.
How to Reheat
: This recipe does not reheat well, but if you do need to reheat it, then re-grill it on a hot grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until warm.
You can
perform these procedures on a gas grill. However, doing it on a wood or charcoal-burning grill is better and more efficient.
Reheating your
steak will 100% cause it to increase in internal temperature, most likely past medium and into medium-well.
You may
not get the perfect grill marks, and that’s ok. The most important thing is that the steak has dark char marks and is cooked at the ideal internal temperature. Grill marks are for show, nothing else.
The best
beef cuts are those commonly eaten rare to medium-rare. Do not use a cut that requires long, slow cooking times; it will not work for these procedures.
Moisture is
the enemy of getting a dark crust on your steak, which is why patting it dry with paper towels is beneficial.
Optionally
place a grill lid over top to help char the steak more.
If the
butter is melting too fast and the flames are dying too quickly, try drizzling a few tablespoons of neutral-flavored oil directly over the steaks.