"Cannibal sandwiches," an appetizer featuring raw, lean ground beef
served on cocktail bread, may be a Wisconsin tradition, but they are not
safe, health officials said, noting that more than a dozen people
became ill after consuming them last holiday season.
Health
officials confirmed four cases tied to E. coli bacteria and 13 likely
cases in people who ate the sandwiches at several gatherings late last
year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said a report
issued this week. The meat came from a Watertown market that later
recalled more than 2,500 pounds of meat.
Cannibal sandwiches were
tied to outbreaks in Wisconsin in 1972, 1978 and 1994. The appetizer,
also called "tiger meat," "steak tartare" or simply "ground beef," is
usually a simple dish of lean ground meat seasoned with salt and pepper
on rye cocktail bread with sliced raw onion, said Milwaukee historian
John Gurda, who served it at his 1977 wedding reception. Occasionally, a
raw egg will be mixed with the meat.
Cannibal sandwiches have
been a festive dish in German, Polish and other ethnic communities in
the Milwaukee area since the 19th century... it was once common to see them at wedding receptions, meals
following funerals and Christmas and New Year's Eve parties. The dish
has become less common in recent years with greater awareness of the
risks of uncooked meat and fewer people eating beef, but Gurda said he
still runs into it...
His butcher shop sells 50 to 100 pounds of freshly ground round on
Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve and perhaps a day before those holidays to
people wishing to make cannibal sandwiches. Glenn's Market and
Catering, the Watertown butcher involved in the recall, does a similar
holiday business, vice president Jeff Roberts said.
Both stores
label their ground beef with warnings about consuming raw or undercooked
meat, but the men said it's unlikely people are buying it to cook. With
the fat trimmed off before grinding, the meat is too lean to make a
decent hamburger, Meyer said.
More details at the
Madison.com source story. Be aware of this when you attend holiday parties. E. Coli is no fun.
I've enjoyed steak tartare many times in restaurants and at home; it's perfectly safe and delicious.I might be wary about eating it at a party though, though no more so than for barbecued chicken...
ReplyDeleteNever heard it called a cannibal sandwich before!
First comment (I think) after a couple of years of lurking. Great blog!
re "First comment" - glad to have you on board.
DeleteStan
Steak tartare is one tasty treat! I did have one unfortunate incident though where I had to to run home pronto!
ReplyDeletefond memories of eating steak tartare with my Dad. long ago and far away.
ReplyDeleteHere in Germany it's known as Mett ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mett ) and immensely popular and pretty much an every day dish. Incidents like the one mentioned are virtually unkown - maybe because of stronger regulations and checks.
ReplyDeleteRaw beef steak is safe. Any contaminating bacteria are on the outer surfaces of the meant and are exposed to poor growing conditions. These bacteria will also be exposed to full strength stomach acids. There is little risk in eating raw steak. I eat raw beef heart that I cut myself all the time. But I ear it only on an empty stomach.
ReplyDeleteWhen meat is ground, bacterial contamination is spread throughout the meat where it can breed and our stomach acids cannot get to it right away. This can be disaster for some people.