# Is it safe to eat rare pork? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 28, 2004, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-rare-pork/262017 "2004-08-28T23:34:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2004, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-rare-pork/262017/21 "2004-08-30T04:08:08Z")
I love rare pork. I have a bit of a dilemma when it comes to meat. I love the taste of red meat as rare as it can get. However I prefer the mouth feel of warm meat to cold meat, plus the fat is much better warmed so it’s melty and oozy. I usually und up at rare-medium rare as a compromise. Although a good fatty meat is great raw.I would love to try real Kobe beef sometime, but I can’t afford to order it. ☹ I get food poisoning about once every two years or so. It’s only about 24 hours, of taking a personal day, and getting to know the route to your bathroom real well. Just hydrate the hell out of yourself and it’s no big deal. It’s certainly not worth giving up real meat. I figure my immune system are a bunch of well-trained and practiced stormtroopers, and they get it under control pretty quick. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2004, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-rare-pork/262017/22 "2004-08-30T04:15:19Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Plus, I don’t really consider bacon “raw” as it’s normally cured and smoked. For me, anything smoked doesn’t qualify as raw. I’ve always eaten smoked sausage without cooking. It’s awesome especially if you get kabanos/cabanossi Polish sausages, which are just a bit thicker than Slim Jims. You hang 'em in the basement near the heater and let them dry for a week or two. Aw… yummy. Dude, you’re making my mouth water. I espouse that argument on a regular basis, BTW, but people are still revulsed by my eating raw bacon. Once it’s cured or smoked it’s good to go. ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2004, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-rare-pork/262017/23 "2004-08-30T11:11:05Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > I get food poisoning about once every two years or so. It’s only about 24 hours, of taking a personal day, and getting to know the route to your bathroom real well. Just hydrate the hell out of yourself and it’s no big deal. It’s certainly not worth giving up real meat. I figure my immune system are a bunch of well-trained and practiced stormtroopers, and they get it under control pretty quick. Wow. I had it once and it knocked me out for a week solid - two weeks before I started feeling somewhat normal again. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2004, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-rare-pork/262017/24 "2004-08-30T13:10:55Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > **Revtim** - I assume you’re talking about beefsteak tartare. I don’t think it’s particularly German — the name itself is French — and it can be found all around Europe. At my local supermarket they sell ground beef especially for this purpose. It is pretty yummy. Not sure, is beefsteak tartare made with ground beef? I’m pretty sure whatever I’m thinking of is ground beef and other stuff. And I’m not sure it’s main dish, it may be like a spread. ---
**Author:** ![lachesis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@lachesis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lachesis)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2004, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-rare-pork/262017/25 "2004-08-30T13:56:01Z")
thanks, **wolfman**!! it’s nice to know i’m not a complete freak where my tastes (heh) in meat/cooking it are concerned. although i don’t think i get food poisoning that often. or maybe, since i’ve been at it for so long, it just isn’t that severe. one evening of sticking close to the toidy is usually all i deal with. although, truthfully, it’s more often eating fish that causes that, rather than under-done or, umm, rather well-aged meat that accounts for it. go figure. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2004, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-rare-pork/262017/26 "2004-08-30T15:20:06Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > Not sure, is beefsteak tartare made with ground beef? I’m pretty sure whatever I’m thinking of is ground beef and other stuff. And I’m not sure it’s main dish, it may be like a spread. Yep. It’s usually a mixture of raw ground beef (usually loin cut), egg, and other stuff (like mustard, brandy, pepper, pickles, etc.) I’ve only eaten it as a starter, spread over bread. ---
**Author:** ![down\_by\_law](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/65b543/32.png) [@down\_by\_law](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/down_by_law)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2004, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-rare-pork/262017/27 "2004-08-30T20:42:14Z")
> [@flickster](#): > > Used to eat raw ground round at parties in Wisconsin (it was a commonly served party snack there during the holidays - raw ground round, onion slices, and cocktail rye) - good stuff. I never remember it lasting long enough sitting out a room temp to be of concern. are you serious? raw ground beef? that makes me want to vomit. at least a steak looks sort of appetizing, but i’d never touch the stuff raw. i figure, hey, we’re human… we have tools, we have the technology that sets us apart from the animals. we have harnessed fire! so i say let us use that technology. put that burger on the grill, and cook it. ---
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2004, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-rare-pork/262017/28 "2004-08-30T22:13:54Z")
> [@down by law](#): > > are you serious? raw ground beef? As **flickster** notes, it is _very_ common here in Wisconsin. Though I have to note that it is less common now than it was in the 1970s and 1980s. Back then you didn’t have a gathering of any kind without _steak tartare_. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2004, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-rare-pork/262017/29 "2004-08-30T23:50:36Z")
I think that, sadly, the main reason we are urged to cook meat thoroughly is that conditions in slaughterhouses are not always what they should be. A steak or a roast is less dangerous, since you can wash the outside and the inside is of course free of disgusting contaminants. Ground meat’s another matter – and all it takes is a bit of nice salmonella or other icky thing and a whole batch is just a cozy incubator. Of course those who mention eating raw meat that they have just killed are pretty much in control of not letting the stuff sit in fecal matter. ---
**Author:** ![UselessGit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/74df32/32.png) [@UselessGit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UselessGit)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-rare-pork/262017/30 "2004-08-31T00:07:08Z")
I’ll have to stop cleaning my game meat in the toilet, then… :smack: ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-rare-pork/262017/31 "2004-08-31T00:31:40Z")
> [@down by law](#): > > are you serious? raw ground beef? that makes me want to vomit. at least a steak looks sort of appetizing, but i’d never touch the stuff raw. There’s also carpaccio, which is usually raw tenderloin sliced very thinly instead of raw, and drizzled with a sauce, typically olive oil, parmesan cheese, arugula and lemon. It is very very yummy. Carpaccio can also be made with tuna, duck breast (aka carpaccio de pato/canard), etc. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-rare-pork/262017/32 "2004-08-31T00:31:55Z")
> [@down by law](#): > > are you serious? raw ground beef? that makes me want to vomit. at least a steak looks sort of appetizing, but i’d never touch the stuff raw. There’s also carpaccio, which is usually raw tenderloin sliced very thinly instead of ground, and drizzled with a sauce, typically olive oil, parmesan cheese, arugula and lemon. It is very very yummy. Carpaccio can also be made with tuna, duck breast (aka carpaccio de pato/canard), etc. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-rare-pork/262017/33 "2004-08-31T00:35:00Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Yep. It’s usually a mixture of raw ground beef (usually loin cut), egg, and other stuff (like mustard, brandy, pepper, pickles, etc.) > > I’ve only eaten it as a starter, spread over bread. Actually, I now remember I was thinking of mettwurst or Mettbrötchen, which is made with a mixture of raw beef and pork. ---
**Author:** ![yBeayf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e274bd/32.png) [@yBeayf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yBeayf)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-rare-pork/262017/34 "2004-08-31T00:47:55Z")
> [@](#): > > There’s also carpaccio, which is usually raw tenderloin sliced very thinly instead of ground, and drizzled with a sauce, typically olive oil, parmesan cheese, arugula and lemon. It is very very yummy. There’s also the middle-Eastern dish kibbee naya, with ground beef or lamb, cracked wheat, and various herbs and spices. Wimps bake the stuff, but Real Lebanese Men eat it raw (and I do too). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-rare-pork/262017.md?page=1)