Here in Silicon Valley, Schaub's Meat Market's Fred's Steak (aka marinated bottom sirloin) is legendary for two reasons:
1. It's made from a secret recipe and the butchers will not tell you what it is.
2. It's pitch black because of the air drying and the marinade. It's so weird-looking that my husband has dubbed it "baby seal."
I can honestly say that when we lived in Portland, this was one of the things I missed eating (along with good Mexican and Chinese Portland. And don't even go there Portland. You gotta a lot of great things to offer up in your beautiful city from the best cocktails anywhere to the luscious porchetta at Pastaworks, but good Mexican and Chinese food ain't on that list. Trust me.)
Henyway, the steak is best done up on the grill. Because it's so black it's hard to know where the marinade ends and the yummy, smokey,crusty char begins. The butchers will give you exact directions on how to cook it. I follow it to the "T" and have never been disappointed. The one time I overcooked it, it was still yummy, but I missed the juicy red center. I prefer it cooked medium, but anyway you slice it, it's going to be a winner. It's also a fun thing to bring to cook-outs since people that have never seen it before just stare at it wondering what it is.
If you ever find yourself at Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto, swing around the backside and visit Schab's. It's worth a visit even if you don't buy a thing.
