Ever Eaten Raw Beef?

[G26ster]

One of the first jobs I had in Alaska was flying crews of native Alaskans all over the old Naval Petroleum Reserve, cleaning up all the trash, 55 gal drums, plywood, etc. left there by the uncaring crews of the '50s. We were living in a tent camp on a gravel bar in the Colleville River. One morning at breakfast a young native worker took a frozen Arctic Char (a fish) out of the freezer, and with his knife was striping off long slices and eating them. Across the table was a Texan supervisor eating his breakfast of eggs, and lots of bacon. Horrified, the Texan said, "how can you eat that crap!" Undaunted, the young native kid looked at him and calmly said, "Crap? You're sitting there eating something that came out of a chicken's butt, and you call what I'm eating crap?" Classic contrast in cultures.

[Abraham]

Yes, horse meat, I don't think I've ever eaten, but would love to.

Yes, I said "don't think I've ever eaten' as perhaps it's been substituted for beef without my being aware.

It's my understanding it's superb as one of the best herbivore meats.

Yes, I know, but horse meat has been around for aeons.

What the poor old dairy cow once dry? Does she's get to retire in green pastures?

Nope, she becomes select beef, which a lot of chefs are now claiming best. Why I don't know, but they claim it really, really good meat.

[Abraham]

G26ster,

Yep, native Indians eat things we perhaps wouldn't, like sea gull eggs.

Or, a whole lot of things pampered Americans find distasteful, but only in their imaginations, because they've not tried them, therefore they must be crap...

[ScottDLS]

Sounds like steak tartare. However, given that the Mongols/Tartars were barbarians, I lack a craving for their food, and am suspect of their methods of preparation...I heard they put it under their saddles...

I generally will try anything with the caveat that it must be dead prior to consuming it. Some people also may observe religious or moral strictures that preclude them eating certain foods. I don’t know if raw beef counts. I’ll have to ask a Rabbi or Imam familiar with Kosher or Halal dietary rules which are the only ones I’m passingly familiar with. From my limited understanding it could depend on the part of the cow and the circumstances of its demise/butchering.

I like sushi, most shellfish, even tried eel, squid, and octopus, though land based invertebrates are on my list of never try. I like Latin American food in almost all its versions
...no part of the cow is wasted . Pork in all its forms is fine with me, including chitterlings (intestine), however it must be cooked and prepared properly.

I have to say, this thread has made me think. The raw onion with the raw ground beef has me rethinking my aversion to raw beef.

[Grundy1133]

When my dad was young, he would eat raw hamburger meat and he loved it. (remember this was in the 40-50s when there werent as many hazards as there are now a days with food contamination and what not) and if i raised, slaughtered, and processed the cow myself or watched the person do it, I would try it. I LOVE rare steaks. they're so tender and juicy. but as mentioned, pre-ground or pre-prepared meat, i definitely wouldn't try it...

[Beiruty]

Anther Lebanese delicacy, Swada Nayyeh, served in the morning of the Holiday after a fresh sacrificed lamb honoring our father Abraham. It is a raw lamb liver. Only the healthy and inspected raw liver is served chopped in small cubes.

It taste like a jelly meat. A little bloody, very soft and tender and has some sweetness to it. As usual served very fresh with chopped onion, fresh mint and salt and oriental pepper.

Here below,
Sawda Nayyeh is in the middle of the plate next to other raw meat servings
In the front, raw pounded meat (Habra Nayyeh) with NO crushed wheat, just tender meat and spices
In the back, is Kafta Nayyeh (ground meat with chopped parsley and white onions)
On the left, tender raw meat chopped in small cubes. (Not very popular in that form)
On the right, Kebbeh Nayyeh, pounded meat with crushed wheat

Virgin cold pressed olive oil goes well with all of the above. That is of course, with freshly chopped small white onions.

[Beiruty]

Raw Kibbeh

[Lynyrd]

I'll leave the raw meat and fish to the predator animals. I'm going to cook mine, ALWAYS!

[Beiruty]

Healthy liver, uniform dark red color, no blotches. Tender and moist.

[74novaman]

Not raw, but I did make some cured uncooked beef into biltong this week. It was delicious.

(red underneath isn't blood, it's a design on the cutting board)

[RoyGBiv]

I used to nibble the raw hamburger with mom, while she was making meatloaf. I don't have a problem with eating raw meats now, but I'm a lot more careful about where they come from. I'll order a rare hamburger in a restaurant that grinds it's own meat on site. Cured meats have always been on my menu.

I've been a sushi lover for many years. Have been making my own for almost as long. Discovered Poke on a trip to Hawaii last year, now they're selling a version of it at Kroger. Had some for lunch yesterday. Tuna is pretty easy to find fresh-frozen. I stock up on still-frozen tuna when Sprouts runs a sale. I'll ask them to grab the still-frozen loin from the freezer and clean the blade before cutting my steaks, then wrap them and put them back in the freezer quickly.

Salmon is WAAAAAAY better-tasting uncooked. But, it's harder to find sushi-quality salmon since it's shipped refrigerated, not frozen. Asian groceries (H-Mart is awesome) have lots of fish (some of it still swimming) I'd eat uncooked. When I cook salmon at home, I only cook it to a point where the middle is warm, but still raw-colored. I find salmon that's been cooked through to be inedible.

Oh... and... I want to eat at Beiruty's house... Those photos look delicious (except the liver! I'm not a big fan of organ meat, although mom's chicken hearts and stomachs were always great.). We miss eating at a Lebanese place we loved in NC. A Falafel place just opened a few minutes from us, we're hoping it's as good as it looks on the online menu.

[RoyGBiv]

Not raw, but I did make some cured uncooked beef into biltong this week. It was delicious.

(red underneath isn't blood, it's a design on the cutting board)

That looks great! Looks like soy-seasoned?
(we have the same cutting mat )

[stash]

When I was stationed in Haiti (1963-1966) the Marine House had a Lebanese-American friend who lived with his sister and his sisters daughter. Occasionally she would make of raw beef dish which was really good. If I remember correctly the raw beef was wrapped in grape leaves with some kind of clearish sauce.

[74novaman]

That looks great! Looks like soy-seasoned?
(we have the same cutting mat )

Salt, pepper, coriander on the meat, after taking a brown vinegar bath and being hung out to try.

[Abraham]

74novaman,

Are you from someplace in Africa?

The only mention of 'biltong' I've seen were all located there.

How long do you let it dry and do you use cheese cloth to keep the flys off or ...?

Thanks!