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Can You Eat Raw Beef?

By: Author William Thomas

William Thomas

Editor-in-Chief & Pitmaster

I have been smoking and grilling meat from an early age and enjoy sharing my knowledge and expertise through the hundreds of articles I have written about BBQ. I hope to make everyone’s BBQ journey that little bit easier.
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Can You Eat Raw Beef?

When it comes to eating food, you can usually eat it in two ways. Either you cook it, which helps eliminate any bacteria in the food or let you add spices and/or other ingredients.

Another way to consume is to eat it raw, but eating raw food does come with risks.

Believe it, one food that people can sometimes eat raw is raw beef.

In this article, we will figure out if it is possible to eat beef raw, what are (if any) benefits or risks to doing this, and finally, how you can eat raw beef safely.

Is It Possible To Eat Raw Beef?

There isn’t a straight answer to this question because some people say eating raw beef is unhealthy, while others say it’s perfectly fine. It can go both ways. Several cultures have meals that feature raw beef. These include:

  • Carpaccio is an Italian appetizer that has thinly sliced raw beef or fish.
  • Amsterdam Ossworst or raw beef sausage.
  • A cannibal sandwich, which is just raw beef, and some seasonings served on crackers.
  • Steak tartare is a popular food that is raw minced beef.
  • Pittsburgh rare, which is a steak that is still mostly raw on the inside.
  • Kachilaa, which is raw minced water buffalo meat.

The thing to keep in mind when consuming raw beef is that you need to make sure that the beef is quality beef.

If it isn’t, then there is a bigger chance of you falling ill from eating raw meat.

Sometimes, there isn’t a simple answer to a question. Overall, you can eat raw beef but need to proceed with caution.

What Are the Benefits of Eating Raw Beef?

When you cook meat, sometimes you can lose some nutrients. Not all, but there might be a loss of some of them. People who enjoy eating raw beef claim that by cooking the beef, you are destroying a lot of its nutrients.

Eating it raw enables you to get more nutrients than you’d get from cooking it.

Meat is chock full of protein, and beef is no different. According to one study, there was more protein in beef that had been cooked for 5 minutes compared to thirty minutes.

This leads to the assumption that there would be even more protein in beef that hasn’t been cooked at all.

Beef also has a lot of vitamin B12, but studies show that the amount is virtually the same in cooked and uncooked beef. You only see a difference when you fry the beef. In that case, there might be less B12.

What Are the Risks of Eating Raw Beef?

Despite the benefits of eating raw beef, there are a decent number of risks that come with eating it. These include:

  • Parasites live inside the animals, and if you ingest raw beef that has these parasites, they then become a part of you. Symptoms vary, but they include vomiting, cramping, diarrhea, or high fever.
  • Coli is probably something you’ve heard of once or twice. Well, ingesting raw steak can cause you to contract Coli. Symptoms of E. Coli are similar to symptoms you can get when you contract parasites. They include diarrhea, stomach pain, nausea, and/or vomiting.
  • Another well-known bacteria you can contract is called salmonella. As you have probably figured out, symptoms are similar to E. Coli, but there is a bigger risk that comes with these bacteria. It can sometimes make its way into your bloodstream, organs, and bones. This leads to serious illness.
  • The final risk on our list is called Listeria, which is another bacteria. Symptoms include ones similar to E. Coli and Salmonella. However, side effects tend to now show up for around a day or so. Usually, these bacteria just cause some mild illness in people, but those who have weakened immune systems or are pregnant.

So, these are the biggest issues that can come about with eating raw beef. However, if you still insist on eating raw beef, there are things you can do to make sure it’s safe to eat.

How Can You Eat Raw Beef Safely?

When you are eaten raw meat, you want to take as many precautions as you can. This way, you can lessen your chances of getting sick. To accomplish this, do the following:

  • When you are buying beef and plan to eat it raw, it is imperative that you know exactly where it is coming from and that it is quality beef. Beef that is sold in the grocery store and packaged isn’t what you want because it could have other parts of the cow mixed in. What you want is to get it from a trusted online source or a butcher.
  • If you are going to a butcher, watch them do it so you can ensure you’re getting that quality beef.
  • Don’t think that just because you got the quality beef, you are all set. What you need to do is put the raw steak in the freezer or fridge. If you plan to eat it right away, it goes in the fridge, and if you don’t want to eat it yet, then it’ll be best if you keep it in the freezer.

By following these simple three steps, you will ensure the raw beef you eat is as safe as you can get it.

Final Thoughts

And there you go, all your food and beef lovers out there. While there are risks that come with eating beef raw, you’ll find plenty of foods that include raw beef as an ingredient.

To minimize your risk of contracting any of the parasites or bacteria that raw beef can carry, follow the safety tips we listed.

It won’t eliminate your risk, of course, because nothing is perfect. Should you change your mind and decide you’d rather cook it, you’ll find plenty of recipes you can use.

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