Fred Steak is a marinated beef steak sold by Schaub's Meat, Fish and Poultry Market in 
the Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto, California, United States. Its primary 
characteristic is its very black color - it looks burnt, even when raw. The dark 
covering forms a crust during a cooking.
Fred Steak
Fred Steak

Fred is a staple of SF Bay Area BBQs, especially summer weekends.

Marinade Recipe

The marinade is a secret, though some imitations have been listed on the Internet, 
including the Following Knock-Off:

Ingredients

    * 1-1/2 cup brewed coffee
    * 1 cup red wine
    * 1/2 cup olive oil
    * 1/2 cup molasses
    * 1/3 cup Balsamic vinegar
    * 1/3 cup Tamari sauce
    * 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
    * 2 Tbsp chili powder
    * 6 cloves garlic

History

It was originally called "Marinated Sirloin" and in the 1950s or 1960s by Fred Schaub 
at his Los Gatos, CA meat market. That market closed in 1979, though the 2006 Schaub's 
brochure claims Fred's son David would be stopped on the street by ex-customers and 
asked where they could purchase "Fred's Steaks." When David Schaub opened the current 
market in the Stanford Shopping Center in 1988, he again offered the product. Fred 
Schaub died in 1996.