5 Tips for How to Eat Steak Tartare Safely and Enjoy Your Meal

Steak tartare is the sort of dish that is easy to prepare, but then there’s the question of how to eat steak tartare safely. The short answer is that if you are ordering the dish (or meat / egg) from a reputable establishment, then you just dig in, enjoy, and take on the very small amount of risk associated with consuming uncooked meat & egg.

This guide is here to ensure the safe consumption of steak tartare, providing readers with all of the tips and pointers that they need. If you have any further questions, be sure to read on and learn more….

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Why is it safe to eat steak tartare?

It is not enough for diners to simply know that eating steak tartare is safe. They are going to want to know why, understandably so.

It is the sort of dish that can create a wide range of concerns if these questions are not addressed thoroughly.

The type of person who would shy away from dishes like escargot and foie gras is probably going to have some fear when it comes to eating steak tartare.

The ingredients are going to scare even the most adventurous diners but there is nothing to worry about!

The Source of these Fears

Many believe that these fears are derived from myths that have long been debunked. People believe that steak tartare originated in the 13th century, as a meal that was given to soldiers who operated under the specter of Genghis Khan.

While this myth has since been debunked, it has caused a number of people to shy away from steak tartare in the present day.

In fact, the raw meat was not even consumed by the soldiers. Instead, they were using it to treat the wounds of their horses.

Why Steak Tartare Is Safe

Bacteria can make their way into the body very easily and steak tartare is often considered to be a primary source for e.coli. However, that does not mean that steak tartare is unsafe.

“The USDA recommends you cook all meat,” says chef Ariane Daguin, CEO of D’Artagnan in Union, New Jersey.

“However, when basic hygienic rules are followed and fresh meat is used, the risk of bacterial infection is low.”

This should provide the necessary reassurances to those who are concerned.

Meanwhile, the McGill University’s Office for Science and Society says that the diner will need to place their trust in the restaurant and chef that are serving the dish. These cuts of meat need to be stored and prepared properly.

If so, eating steak tartare should be perfectly fine. There are certain steps that need to be taken, though. For starters, the restaurant should have a singular prep area for tartare and tartare alone.

In addition to these prep areas, the establishment in question should have specialized sanitation methods for their cutting boards and knives.

Chefs will typically submerge the beef in boiling salt water before serving, as a means of removing any and all bacteria. From there, it is dropped into a bucket of ice water before being declared safe for patrons to consume.

Is the tartare being served immediately? That’s the final piece of the puzzle when it comes to ensuring a safe dining experience.

As long as the aforementioned steps are followed to the letter, there is nothing to worry about.

Is steak tartare healthy?

The healthiness of this dish is something that is hotly debated on a regular basis. Steak tartare is flavorful, safe to eat and easily digestible. This is all well and good but how healthy is steak tartare?

Fortunately, there is no reason to believe that this dish is anything less than a solid addition to a balanced diet.

For starters, there are many who believe in the health properties of this dish because of the increased number of enzymes. When meat is cooked in a more traditional way, the enzymes are burned away.

Steak tartare is also rich in Vitamin B, which is chosen by those who are looking to enhance their reproductive health.

The raw beef and egg yolk are also great ways for diners to increase the amount of protein that they are taking in on a daily basis. It is also a great way for a person to successfully build lean muscle.

The amount of Vitamin C that is available in each serving of steak tartare is another added health benefit. There are few vitamins that carry a greater level of importance than Vitamin C when it comes to maintaining a healthy immune system.

Meats contain sizable amounts of Vitamin C….until it is time to cook them. That’s why so many will rely on steak tartare whenever possible.

It is a dish that provides everyone with the chance to enjoy the benefits of Vitamin C, advantages that usually vanish once the meat has been cooked.

The red meat that is visible in these types of meals is very healthy for the diner as well. It is not blood, it is actually a mixture of water and protein.

This mixture will help to move oxygen to the muscles, which is one of the primary health related perks associated with this dish.

Can steak tartare give you worms?

It is easy to point to steak tartare as being a particularly dangerous meal but in reality? No meal is inherently dangerous.

Yes, the dish is uncooked and that can make it easier for bacteria to survive. The same can be said of a lot of meals that people do not typically question, though.

If fresh meat is being used, the risks are much lower. There is no worry when it comes to ending up with worms or other parasites, either.

The dish is usually prepared in higher end establishments, where all of the necessary precautions are taken.

Steak tartare is not the sort of dish that a person should be taking their chances on when they are at home or in a dining establishment obviously looking to cut costs.

For example, if the staffers at the restaurant in question are not willing to explain their preparation process in full detail?

This is a sure sign that you should be avoiding their steak tartare at all costs. The best restaurants will only prepare steak tartare in singular portions, as a means of avoiding some of the more common pitfalls that take place in these instances.

These establishments are also going to be sure to source the meat that they use from the most reputable butchers possible (usually ones who buy whole cows or sides and process the meat themselves). Those who do not should be avoided but in most cases, this is not something that the diner will have to consider.

After all, the vast majority of higher-end dining establishments are not going to place themselves at risk of experiencing a costly lawsuit.

The only restaurants that place their customers at risk of worms are those that do not adhere to the proper food inspection techniques.

The inherent concept of this meal may seem strange but it is not designed to make humans sick. It is supposed to serve as a fun and interesting alternative to the more traditional meals that are currently available.

As long as preparation and handling are both taken care of, there are no worries to be had here. Low-quality meat can obviously be problematic in these instances, but this is something to be concerned about under any circumstance.

If low-quality meat is being used, it does not matter if it is actually being cooked or not.

By taking the time to make all of the necessary considerations and choose the right restaurant, all the concerns that are normally associated with this dish will fall by the wayside.

Myths and misconceptions about the safety of steak tartare have been allowed to persist for some time now. Now that they have been debunked once and for all, it will be easier for all parties involved to enjoy this unique fine dining experience.