Eating steak cooked rare, meaning cooked very quickly at a high temperature so the inside remains cool and red, is a preference for many steak lovers. But some people wonder if eating blue rare steak, which is cooked even less than rare, is safe.
What is Blue Rare Steak?
Steak doneness levels range from rare to well done. Blue rare is steak cooked very quickly at a very high temperature, just long enough to sear the outside. The inside of a blue rare steak remains completely raw and cool, usually bright red throughout.
Here are the different levels of steak doneness from least to most cooked:
- Blue rare – seared on the outside, completely raw and cool on the inside
- Rare – seared on the outside, cool and red throughout inside
- Medium rare – seared on outside, warm red center
- Medium – seared on outside, warm pink center
- Medium well – seared on outside, slightly pink warm center
- Well done – cooked throughout, no pink
As you move up the doneness scale from blue rare to well done, the internal temperature of the steak increases:
| Doneness | Internal Temperature |
|---|---|
| Blue Rare | 100°F |
| Rare | 125°F |
| Medium Rare | 130-135°F |
| Medium | 140-145°F |
| Medium Well | 150-155°F |
| Well Done | 160°F+ |
As you can see, blue rare steak is cooked the least, with the inside remaining at fridge temperature. Well done steak is cooked through until piping hot.
Is Blue Rare Steak Safe to Eat?
The safety of any steak depends on several factors:
- Quality of the beef
- Proper handling and storage
- How it was cooked
- If proper food safety procedures were followed
High quality beef from a reputable source that has been properly handled and freshly cooked can be safe even at rare doneness levels. However, there are some additional risks with blue rare steak.
Risk of Illness from Bacteria
Steak is safe to eat rare because any bacteria are killed off when the outside surface reaches 145°F during searing. However, the inside of a blue rare steak doesn’t get hot enough to kill bacteria.
Steaks can contain bacteria either on the surface or deeper within the muscle. Surface bacteria are killed during searing. But bacteria within the muscle can survive if they aren’t heated to the proper internal temperature. Cooked to rare, the inside reaches 125°F which is hot enough to kill some harmful bacteria.
With blue rare steak, since the inside remains raw, any potentially harmful bacteria deep in the muscle are not killed. Eating undercooked beef that contains certain bacteria like E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, and Listeria can cause foodborne illnesses.
Risk from Food Handling and Storage
Another factor is how safely the meat was handled, stored, and prepared. Contamination can occur at any point from the farm to fork:
- At the slaughterhouse if carcass cleaning isn’t done properly
- If the butcher doesn’t follow sanitation procedures
- Improperly stored allowing bacteria to multiply
- Cross-contamination from other foods
- Not cleaned properly before cooking
Proper food safety reduces the risk of contamination. But nothing is fail-proof. So undercooking raises the risks of illness if contamination was present.
Other Safety Concerns with Blue Rare Steak
In addition to bacteria, other risks of eating raw meat apply to blue rare steak:
- Parasites – Rare meat can potentially contain parasites which are killed by cooking to higher temperatures.
- Prions – Prions are misfolded proteins that cause neurodegenerative diseases like Creutzfeldt-Jakob. They are not destroyed by cooking and could theoretically be transmitted through consumption of raw nerve tissue.
- Toxins – Bacterial toxins are not inactivated by cooking and can cause illness even if the bacteria that produced them are killed.
While risks from parasites and prions in steak are very low in most developed countries, toxins produced by E. coli and other bacteria could potentially be present and survive blue rare cooking.
Who Should Avoid Blue Rare Steak?
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) states that rare and medium-rare burgers or whole cuts of beef like steak are safe to eat and require consumer advisory only. Still, some people may be at higher risk of getting sick from eating raw or undercooked meat.
The USDA and other health organizations advise the following groups to avoid rare and blue rare steak:
- Young children
- Older adults
- Pregnant women
- Those with weakened immune systems
- Those with chronic illnesses like liver disease, kidney disease, diabetes, or cancer
These groups are at higher risk of developing foodborne illnesses. To be safest, the USDA recommends they only eat beef cooked to at least medium doneness.
Tips for Safer Consumption of Blue Rare Steak
For healthy adults, eating blue rare steak is unlikely to cause illness. But following safe handling and cooking practices reduces risks even further.
Tips for safer blue rare steak consumption include:
- Purchase quality beef from reputable, high-end providers
- Check that packaging is vacuum sealed with no leaks or tears
- Check freshness and use by dates
- Store in refrigerator 40°F or below; use within days of purchasing
- Defrost in refrigerator if frozen
- Wash hands, prep area, and utensils before and after
- Don’t let raw meat touch other food
- Cook at very high heat like on a grill or pan sear to kill exterior bacteria
- Use a cooking thermometer to monitor doneness
- Allow steak to rest 3-5 minutes before cutting to allow heat to distribute through meat
Being extra diligent about food safety practices reduces the low risks even further. It’s also smart to know the risks of illnesses and symptoms so you can seek treatment promptly if they occur.
Signs of Illness from Raw Beef
If you experience concerning symptoms within days of eating raw or undercooked beef, seek medical care. Symptoms vary based on the type of bacteria or pathogen involved but may include:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Abdominal pain and cramps
- Diarrhea, potentially bloody
- Fever and chills
- Fatigue and weakness
- Headache
- Confusion
Symptoms of E. coli infection tend to appear within 1-10 days of eating contaminated food. Salmonella symptoms usually start 6 hours to 6 days after infection. And Listeria can have an incubation period of up to 70 days.
Most foodborne illnesses resolve on their own. But some bacteria like E. coli O157:H7 and Listeria can have severe or even fatal complications. Seek medical assessment so you can get diagnosed and receive prompt supportive treatment.
Conclusion
For healthy adults, blue rare steak poses a small but real risk of foodborne illness. Yet for many steak aficionados, the improved flavor and texture of steak cooked blue rare outweighs the minimal risks.
You can make your own assessment and decide whether to eat blue rare steak based on your health status and comfort with risk. Just be sure to take precautions like purchasing high-quality beef from trusted sources and following safe handling and cooking methods to help minimize risks.
While most people who eat blue rare steak never experience problems, be aware of the potential for food poisoning. Seek medical care if you develop concerning symptoms after eating raw or undercooked meats to receive proper diagnosis and treatment.