Do people really like condiments that much?

[StolenThunder]

The bacteria found on steak only lives on the surface, so as long as you just cook the outside or you cut the outside layer off, you should be perfectly safe. This is the reason ground beef should be cooked more, because the surface layer of the beef has been ground up and mixed in with the rest.

Exactly. So how can it be safe to eat raw meat, if there is always bacteria on it?

It's probably reasonable to say that it's less safe to eat than cooked meat - but it's clearly not unsafe since steak tartare is a popular dish in many places.

Generally they grind the meat in the restaurant, rather than just buying it in, and places cut away the surface of the beef they are about to mince to reduce the chance of contamination.

I personally don't mind the risk, I don't care for steak tartare because it's (obviously) cold!

 

[nevermore]

^As he explained, steak tartare is made from meat cut from the inside, with the surface parts where the bacteria lives cut off. That's also why its perfectly safe to eat extremely rare steaks. It's not that complicated.

 

[Timby]

^As he explained, steak tartare is made from meat cut from the inside, with the surface parts where the bacteria lives cut off. That's also why its perfectly safe to eat extremely rare steaks. It's not that complicated.

Precisely. The key is to use absolutely fresh ingredients and consume them within 24 hours of purchase.

Personally, I like my steaks to moo when I cut into them.

I'm guessing it's an adverse psychological reaction to growing up in the home that I did, where my dad insisted that anything coming off our grill -- burgers, steaks, hot dogs, what have you -- had to be practically vulcanized, turned to char and removed of any and all taste. He visited our home last year and I cooked steaks; when I served him one that was medium rare, he looked at me as though I were not his son.

 

[RJDiogenes]

I go light on condiments. A little mayo on sandwiches, a little ketchup on burgers. A little bit of this and that here and there. I don't like mustard at all. Often when I buy fast food, I scrape some off before I eat.

 

[Amaris]

^As he explained, steak tartare is made from meat cut from the inside, with the surface parts where the bacteria lives cut off. That's also why its perfectly safe to eat extremely rare steaks. It's not that complicated.

Precisely. The key is to use absolutely fresh ingredients and consume them within 24 hours of purchase.

Personally, I like my steaks to moo when I cut into them.

I'm guessing it's an adverse psychological reaction to growing up in the home that I did, where my dad insisted that anything coming off our grill -- burgers, steaks, hot dogs, what have you -- had to be practically vulcanized, turned to char and removed of any and all taste. He visited our home last year and I cooked steaks; when I served him one that was medium rare, he looked at me as though I were not his son.

I like to grill my burgers into diamonds.


J.

 

[Timby]

Die in a fire.

 

[RoJoHen]

^As he explained, steak tartare is made from meat cut from the inside, with the surface parts where the bacteria lives cut off. That's also why its perfectly safe to eat extremely rare steaks. It's not that complicated.

Precisely. The key is to use absolutely fresh ingredients and consume them within 24 hours of purchase.

Personally, I like my steaks to moo when I cut into them.

I'm guessing it's an adverse psychological reaction to growing up in the home that I did, where my dad insisted that anything coming off our grill -- burgers, steaks, hot dogs, what have you -- had to be practically vulcanized, turned to char and removed of any and all taste. He visited our home last year and I cooked steaks; when I served him one that was medium rare, he looked at me as though I were not his son.

My dad works in a meat packing plant, so he pretty much turns his nose up at anything that isn't bleeding all over the place.

I'm just not that picky. I'll eat it anywhere between Medium Rare and Medium Well, though I might need some kind of sauce if it's closer to the well side.

 

[nevermore]

^As he explained, steak tartare is made from meat cut from the inside, with the surface parts where the bacteria lives cut off. That's also why its perfectly safe to eat extremely rare steaks. It's not that complicated.

Precisely. The key is to use absolutely fresh ingredients and consume them within 24 hours of purchase.

Personally, I like my steaks to moo when I cut into them.

I'm guessing it's an adverse psychological reaction to growing up in the home that I did, where my dad insisted that anything coming off our grill -- burgers, steaks, hot dogs, what have you -- had to be practically vulcanized, turned to char and removed of any and all taste. He visited our home last year and I cooked steaks; when I served him one that was medium rare, he looked at me as though I were not his son.

My dad works in a meat packing plant, so he pretty much turns his nose up at anything that isn't bleeding all over the place.

I'm just not that picky. I'll eat it anywhere between Medium Rare and Medium Well, though I might need some kind of sauce if it's closer to the well side.

Aw, hells no. Bring me a steak past mid-rare and that shoe leather is going back. Not a big fan of blue-rare though, for texture reasons.

I even eat my burgers mid-rare, though I'll accept a medium one if its still juicy. It's just how I was raised.

 

[RoJoHen]

Burgers mid-rare taste good, but I have issues with the texture of the raw ground beef in the middle. Meat shouldn't feel like mashed potatoes. I generally agree, though. I prefer my steaks closer to the mid-rare side, but I can still eat it if it's not. Of course, I grew up eating steaks all the time (about 4-5 times week), so they're nothing really special to me. I know a lot of people consider steak more of a luxury food item, so I can understand their pickiness.

 

[nevermore]

^I would just rather not take in the calories for something mediocre.

 

[Amaris]

Die in a fire.

If it's your fire, I'll come out unharmed.


J.

 

[Captain Ice]

Precisely. The key is to use absolutely fresh ingredients and consume them within 24 hours of purchase.

Personally, I like my steaks to moo when I cut into them.

I'm guessing it's an adverse psychological reaction to growing up in the home that I did, where my dad insisted that anything coming off our grill -- burgers, steaks, hot dogs, what have you -- had to be practically vulcanized, turned to char and removed of any and all taste. He visited our home last year and I cooked steaks; when I served him one that was medium rare, he looked at me as though I were not his son.

My dad works in a meat packing plant, so he pretty much turns his nose up at anything that isn't bleeding all over the place.

I'm just not that picky. I'll eat it anywhere between Medium Rare and Medium Well, though I might need some kind of sauce if it's closer to the well side.

Aw, hells no. Bring me a steak past mid-rare and that shoe leather is going back. Not a big fan of blue-rare though, for texture reasons.

I even eat my burgers mid-rare, though I'll accept a medium one if its still juicy. It's just how I was raised.

There simply is nothing better than a good rare to med rare piece of beef that's fresh off the grill. A little salt, a little pepper, and it's good to go.

To answer the OPs question...I am very picky when it comes to condiments. Mustard is like nectar from the gods. Barbeque sauce is most excellent. Ranch dressing is a good dipping sauce for one's fries and a nice dressing if used in moderation.

Mayo and ketchup are absolutely disgusting on almost everything. I will tolerate ketchup if I have to, but anything that comes out with mayo will be sent back. Period. With an instruction to make it again as I can still taste the mayo otherwise.

Curiously, I won't eat an artichoke without mayo and love artichokes...

 

[Trekker4747]

As has been said, the bacteria the we're afraid of in beef lives on the outside of it and even then the bacteria on it isn't all that scary. Getting the outside temperature of a steak to around 150*F is more than enough to kill all of the bacteria on it (again any bacteria inside of it is nothing to worry about) and 150* is damn rare.

Hamburger: the outside is on the inside, and then some, so hambruger we cook longer to get the inside close to 150*.

Now, if you grind your own hamburger you're a little safer eating a rarer hamburger.

With steak tartare the outside layer is cut off with a very clean knife exposing the "sterile" inner layer. Theoreticaly this layer, however, is instantly contaminated between being exposed and the plate. But, again, there's not much bacteria to worry about when comes to beef. Beef is just on the far side of being "sterile."

I eat my steaks medium-rare. Just until the inside is hot but still moist and pink. Steaks cooked to this doneness are juicy, flavorful and wonderful.

Mmmm.

I need steak for dinner tonight.