When I was in school at Centre, about once or twice a year I would save enough nickels to eat at Briarpatch on the outskirts of town. A great ribeye. Does anyone know if Briarpatch is still in business?

Pretty much. I think some call it Chicago Rare also, but I have always gone by Pittsburgh Rare.

 

In the restaurant business, Pittsburg Rare is a universal term. It requires an extremely hot grill. Ideal temperature is 700 degrees. Rub the steak with a little butter. Let it sit out for about 20 minutes to take the refrigerator chill off of it and allow the blood to flow to all parts. Throw it on your scorching hot broiler. The butter will cause a flame that along with the extreme heat will put a nice char on it. The recommended steak is a 1 1/4" thick strip. 1 minute, 1/4 turn, 1 minute, flip, 1 minute, 1/4 turn, 1 minute, and remove. Let rest for a few minutes to allow the blood to flow. The outside should have a 1/8" char and should be blood red in the middle. I like to put a little tarragon butter on the steak just prior to serving.

 

The only other term I have heard used for this method is black and blue.

Free.

When I was in school at Centre, about once or twice a year I would save enough nickels to eat at Briarpatch on the outskirts of town. A great ribeye. Does anyone know if Briarpatch is still in business?

 

Was that a regional chain? Seems like there was one in Bowling Green back in the day.

Was that a regional chain? Seems like there was one in Bowling Green back in the day.

 

The only one I know of was in Danville. If it wasn't a chain, it should have been. Great restaurant. (They used to wheel the cuts of meet out to the table for you to view and approve before the steak was placed on the grill. Similiar to The Peddler in Gatlinburg.)

In the restaurant business, Pittsburg Rare is a universal term. It requires an extremely hot grill. Ideal temperature is 700 degrees. Rub the steak with a little butter. Let it sit out for about 20 minutes to take the refrigerator chill off of it and allow the blood to flow to all parts. Throw it on your scorching hot broiler. The butter will cause a flame that along with the extreme heat will put a nice char on it. The recommended steak is a 1 1/4" thick strip. 1 minute, 1/4 turn, 1 minute, flip, 1 minute, 1/4 turn, 1 minute, and remove. Let rest for a few minutes to allow the blood to flow. The outside should have a 1/8" char and should be blood red in the middle. I like to put a little tarragon butter on the steak just prior to serving.

 

The only other term I have heard used for this method is black and blue.

Black and Blue was the other term I was trying to think of.

New York Strip

Medium Well

 

Sometimes steak, sometimes Ketchup... Sometimes not.

Free.

Well played!

Was that a regional chain? Seems like there was one in Bowling Green back in the day.

 

I remember the Briarpatch in BG. I think it closed down while I was there in the early '90s.

Black and Blue was the other term I was trying to think of.

Black and Blue is not referenced for Pittsburgh.....black and blue is when you use seasoning and blacken the steak, then cook it to whatever temp is desired, followed by melting some blue veined cheese.

Black and Blue is not referenced for Pittsburgh.....black and blue is when you use seasoning and blacken the steak, then cook it to whatever temp is desired, followed by melting some blue veined cheese.

I know it's Wikipedia, but:

 

A Pittsburgh rare steak is one that has been heated to a very high temperature very quickly, so it is charred on the outside but still rare or raw on the inside. The degree of rareness and the amount of charring on the outside may vary according to taste. The term 'Pittsburgh rare' is used in some parts of the American midwest and eastern seaboard, but similar methods of sear cooking are known by different terms elsewhere, including Chicago-style rare and, in Pittsburgh itself, black and blue

^ I promise.....it could be black and blue.....but the pittsburgh would have to topped with cheese.

^ I promise.....it could be black and blue.....but the pittsburgh would have to topped with cheese.

 

I eat these all the time. And have cooked hundreds in restaurants.

 

The name black and blue derives from an outside charred black and an inside so rare it looks purple. Bleu cheese is common on this style of steak but not a requirement.

 

Some restaurants do have on their menu that way, but it is typically spelled Black and Bleu if that is the case.

 

http://pittsburgh.about.com/od/recipes/r/pittsburgh_rare.htm