# Ever had a 'cannibal sandwich'? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [December 15, 2020, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-a-cannibal-sandwich/928096 "2020-12-15T14:23:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2020, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-a-cannibal-sandwich/928096/21 "2020-12-15T17:04:25Z")
Is our digestive system capable of extracting all the nutrients from raw meat - I was always under the impression that cooking breaks meat down somewhat and makes more of it available to the body. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2020, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-a-cannibal-sandwich/928096/22 "2020-12-15T17:07:35Z")
> [@casdave](#): > > I was always under the impression that cooking breaks meat down somewhat and makes more of it available to the body. It looks like you’re correct: > **[Why Cooked Meat Is Easier For Humans to Digest Than Raw Meat](https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2017/03/20/why-cooked-meat-is-easier-for-humans-to-digest-than-raw-meat/?sh=37bd8be27215)** > > Are human stomachs better able to digest cooked meat than raw meat? This question was originally answered on Quora by Adriana Heguy. ---
**Author:** ![Anita\_Dayoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Anita\_Dayoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anita_Dayoff)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2020, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-a-cannibal-sandwich/928096/23 "2020-12-15T17:21:25Z")
Supposedly the evolution of man was accelerated by the use of fire to cook food. Made for better availability of calories and easier digestion. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2020, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-a-cannibal-sandwich/928096/24 "2020-12-15T20:55:56Z")
How about your hand between two pieces of bread? ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2020, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-a-cannibal-sandwich/928096/25 "2020-12-15T21:02:54Z")
Why, it’s perfectly safe to consume raw ground beef, since E. coli 0157:H7 is natural.\* I was immunized against any temptation to eat raw or undercooked pork by the Bernard Roueche story “A Pig From Jersey”. \*in case anyone’s sarcasm detector is on the fritz, I do _not_ advise doing this. > **[Executive Summary](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK221091/)** > > While the US food supply is widely considered to be among the safest in the world, foodborne diseases are still thought to cause some 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations, and 5,000 deaths in the country each year (Mead et al., 1999). A... ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2020, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-a-cannibal-sandwich/928096/26 "2020-12-15T21:13:51Z")
I was a student in Milwaukee for almost five years and don’t recall having heard of it. > [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > I don’t eat raw meat due to risk of getting sick. Most food related outbreaks are from raw vegetables. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2020, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-a-cannibal-sandwich/928096/27 "2020-12-15T21:18:18Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > Most food related outbreaks are from raw vegetables. Well. Yes. Just like very few food-related injuries are esophagus bites from trying to swallow a live rattlesnake. Most outbreaks are from raw vegetables instead of raw meat because most people eat raw vegetables instead of raw meat. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2020, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-a-cannibal-sandwich/928096/28 "2020-12-15T21:28:57Z")
My grandparents lived in Waterford, WI, and we would have them every time we visited. They were served just as described by others in this thread - triple ground round beef (specifically requested from the butcher), small rye loaf bread, finely sliced white onion, salt and pepper. I last had one about 10 years ago. I think I’d want some course ground mustard on my next one. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2020, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-a-cannibal-sandwich/928096/29 "2020-12-15T21:33:38Z")
> [@casdave](#): > > Is our digestive system capable of extracting all the nutrients from raw meat - I was always under the impression that cooking breaks meat down somewhat and makes more of it available to the body. How much of what we eat during the holidays is for it’s nutritional value? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2020, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-a-cannibal-sandwich/928096/30 "2020-12-15T21:37:14Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > I was a student in Milwaukee for almost five years and don’t recall having heard of it. I think it’s more common in smaller towns in Wisconsin, and among people like @Munch’s grandparents, who may still be more connected to customs from Germany or other European countries. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2020, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-a-cannibal-sandwich/928096/31 "2020-12-15T22:46:10Z")
I’ve had raw-meat sandwiches in Amsterdam and Northern Germany. I think of them as Dutch and German in origin. Considering where they’re popular in the US, this demographic connection makes sense. I also frequently have tartare when I’m trying a new restaurant in Paris. It’s an excellent marker for the quality of the kitchen. I’ve never gotten sick from eating raw beef. (I did, however, wind up nearly shitting out my own skeleton after having improperly prepared scorpionfish in Croatia…) ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2020, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-a-cannibal-sandwich/928096/32 "2020-12-16T00:08:13Z")
Vaguely recall discussing and probably eating one as a kid at least once. Grew up in the Appleton, WI area. It was definitely not a common meal. Brian ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2020, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-a-cannibal-sandwich/928096/33 "2020-12-16T00:27:26Z")
Mmmm. Raw ground beef. No thanks, I guess I’m just not cool enough. Or is it tough enough? Anyway, I’m not dumb enough. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2020, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-a-cannibal-sandwich/928096/34 "2020-12-16T01:49:13Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > I think it’s more common in smaller towns in Wisconsin, and among people like @Munch’s grandparents, who may still be more connected to customs from Germany or other European countries. Yes but a lot of my classmates, roommates, friends and their friends, etc were from these small towns\* and I just don’t recall having heard of it. However, I also returned home to Chicago for most holidays & summers and missed gatherings where I might have otherwise had some direct exposure. \*One guy I specifically remember was from [Lena, Wisconsin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lena,_Wisconsin). He often told people his town had ‘only one stop & go light.’ I just spent a minute cruising google streetview and I didn’t find it. That said, I’l bet the Bavarian Inn at Main & Rosera is good! ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2020, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-a-cannibal-sandwich/928096/35 "2020-12-16T02:11:17Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > \*One guy I specifically remember was from [Lena, Wisconsin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lena,_Wisconsin). I know where Lena is! 😃 When I was in grade school in Green Bay, there was a family who all took taekwondo at the same gym that I did; they drove in from Lena three nights a week to do so. The mom quickly dropped out of taking the classes, but the dad, son, and daughter all progressed all the way to black belt. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2020, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-a-cannibal-sandwich/928096/36 "2020-12-16T02:32:56Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > He often told people his town had ‘only one stop & go light.’ He’s definitely from Wisconsin if he referred to it as a ‘stop and go light’. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2020, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-a-cannibal-sandwich/928096/37 "2020-12-16T03:48:19Z")
The one on the corner by the beer depot and the filling station. 60 year Cheesehead here. I’ve had them. Not bad. Never made me sick. But I prefer it French style, with the 2 sides lightly browned and the inside remaining raw. They’re really, really good when you’re completely shitfaced. ---
**Author:** ![Tusculan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Tusculan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tusculan)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2020, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-a-cannibal-sandwich/928096/38 "2020-12-16T07:16:35Z")
This thread surprises me. I didn’t realize this was so rare (no pun intended). As Cervaise mentioned, a meat preparation like this is very common in at least The Netherlands, and I believe also in Belgium and Germany. Here we call it (ironically) [_filet americain_](https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filet_americain) which indeed is mostly fine ground steak prepared with papper and salt and I believe something to make it smooth, such as mayonaise or egg, and possibly onion for taste. See also [The Dutch Table: Filet Americain](https://www.thedutchtable.com/2011/04/filet-americain.html) A more upmarket version, regularly served in restaurants, is here called ‘steak tartare’ which consists of fine chopped steak with onion, pepper, salt, chopped pickles, a raw (!) egg yellow, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, capers, tabasco, parsley, and possibly other condiments. Of course all ingredients must be absolutely fresh, you make this extended version at the table or immediately before serving. But simple _filet americain_ is available in prepared form in every butcher and [supermarket](https://www.ah.nl/producten/product/wi68187/ah-filet-americain-naturel) I know of, and is kept for several days in the fridge. I believe they do add some preservative (sulfite? but that might be for color). You can also buy prepared sandwiches in sandwich shops. Although I believe most people don’t eat tartare or filet americain, there is a sufficiently large group that does do so, judging by its wide availability. I’ve never heard of people getting ill. As we do have an active health and food authority I presume that _filet americain_ is safe to eat, otherwise we’d have heard of action against it. Incidentally I bought some a few weeks ago and ate it over the course of several days. I wouldn’t advise it for people with a weak stomach, old persons or young children. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2020, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-a-cannibal-sandwich/928096/39 "2020-12-16T07:31:07Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > He’s definitely from Wisconsin if he referred to it as a ‘stop and go light’. He did and I knew that stop n’ go lights was a Wisconsonim’ term. This guy happened to be 400 lbs+ and had downy blonde hair. ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2020, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-a-cannibal-sandwich/928096/40 "2020-12-16T11:47:23Z")
I’ve never had one, but my friend from the Merrill area has. She will only eat one if the ground beef is from the half a cow they buy every year. They buy it from some sort of relative so she is reasonably sure it’s safe due to how it’s raised. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-a-cannibal-sandwich/928096.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-a-cannibal-sandwich/928096.md?page=3)