Ken Blake wrote:
> Dan Logcher wrote:
>
>> wrote:
>>> Dan - What sort of meat do you use in your steak tartare? Not shrink
>>> wrapped chopped meat from the supermarket, i hope! I used to eat
>>> that when I was a kid, but I'm afraid to eat it now.
>> I buy boneless NY Shell steaks from Whole Foods, trim and chop in my
>> food processor. I then add a raw egg, worcestercestershire sauce, A1
>> sauce, Heines 57 sauce, and a spoon full or two of Grey Poupon
>> mustard. Mix well and chill overnight. Serve on Pepperidge Farms
>> toasted thin bread or Kavle crackers.
>>
>> Most beef contamination seems to occur with hamburg, since the
>> equipment isn't cleaned for many batches of ground beef. I've always
>> ground my own for Steak Tartare.
>
>
>
> My understanding is that the issue isn't so much the lack of cleaning of
> equipment, but the grinding of unwashed meat. Any contamination on the
> surface is ground into the mixture, where it can no longer be washed away.
>
> You certainly minimize the risk by grinding it yourself. But my point is
> that the risk isn't as great as we are led to believe, even if you use
> pre-ground supermarket meat. It eat it rare frequently, and it's never made
> me sick.
>
> Yes, I'm aware that there is a risk, but since I enjoy it and the risk is
> obviously slight, and if I do get sick, it's unlikely to kill me, I run the
> risk.
>
I love/loved raw ground beef, the leaner the better, but ever since the
deregulation (Reagan) of the meat industry (and a couple of
slaughterhouse documentaries) I don't trust the care & quality going
into the product. My parents shared the experience with me, as I did
with my kids, but no more. Unless I'm doing like Dan and grinding my own.
Do a 6-sided trim on whatever is your choice and you've practically
eliminated points of contamination barring punctures, but I digress.
--
><<XX>;> Buddy