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Guidelines for Preparing Raw Meat Dishes
Appears in
By Jaclyn Pestka, Wayne Gisslen and Lou Sackett
Published 2010
- Do not serve uncooked pork or poultry due to the risk of food-borne illness associated with these foods. Only beef, lamb, and farmed venison are considered safe for raw service.
- Use tender cuts only. Even after undergoing the physical tenderization of chopping or slicing, tough cuts are unpleasantly chewy when served raw.
- Keep the meat very cold at all times. This is necessary both for food safety and to keep the meat firm so it will cut well.
- Trim off all connective tissue and fat from the meat before chopping or slicing it. If any remains, the meat will be unpleasantly stringy and greasy-tasting.
- Always fabricate the meat by hand. Do not attempt to chop beef for steak tartare in a meat grinder. Even a cleaned and sanitized grinder can harbor harmful microorganisms. In addition, a grinder does not create the proper texture.
- For à la carte service, chop or slice the meat to order. For hors d’oeuvre work or buffet service, prepare the meat at the last possible moment, and do not plan to hold the finished dish very long. Chopped or sliced raw meat can easily become contaminated by harmful microorganisms. In addition, exposure to air destroys the red pigments in the meat, causing it to quickly change from an attractive red color to an unattractive shade of brown.
- Add acidic ingredients, such as lemon juice, to raw meat dishes at the last minute before serving. Prolonged contact with acidic ingredients gives the meat a cooked texture and discolors it.
- Use only freshly thawed pasteurized egg yolk in steak tartare.
- Be especially vigilant in your sanitation practices when serving raw meat.
- In some areas, food-service operators are required by law to post warnings about the risks of consuming raw meat. Be sure to know and comply with local regulations.
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