On Jun 22, 5:50*am, Rhonda Anderson > wrote:
> Omelet > wrote innews >
> > In article >,
> > *"Jean B." > wrote:
>
> >> I disagree to some extent. *If you get a cut of meat, the exterior
> >> could be contaminated. *Thus, if you grind your own meat, you
> >> could have some of that contamination in it. *Steaks, yes. *Cook
> >> the exterior (assuming you haven't pricked, beaten, etc. the
> >> meat), and the interior would be fine. *Of course, then I start
> >> thinking of prions, but...
>
> > Well, if I prepare steak tartare, I prepare it fresh and eat it right
> > away so the contamination is minimized. :-)
>
> I think Jean is probably referring to contamination that has occurred prior
> to you purchasing the meat, rather than contamination that occurs in your
> own kitchen. Contamination of the meat surface can occur during the
> butchering process if proper procedures aren't followed.
>
> --
> Rhonda Anderson
> Cranebrook, NSW, Australia
>
> Core of my heart, my country! Land of the rainbow gold,
> For flood and fire and famine she pays us back threefold.
> * * * * My Country, Dorothea MacKellar, 1904

"Contamination" is always present, even if all food preparation safety
rules are followed. I took a college Microbiology class, and I can
never look at c\leaning up in my kitchen the same again!! IOW no
matter how many times I wash my dishrag in hot soapy water, I know I'm
just spreading the germs (bacteria) into a thinner more sparsely
populated sheet on my counters!!

All you can do is to minimize the growth and spread of bacteria. Keep
foods cold (or hot) as much as possible and keep food prep surfaces as
clean as possible. And eat particularly high risk foods as soon after
preparation as possible. Your stomach has a fantastic germ-killer in
it! HCl!!!

John Kuthe...