Why is beef the only meat that doesn't have to be fully cooked?

Answer 1

That is not true. . . Aside form the fact that a LOT of Asian cooking serves raw seafood. Salmon is best served medium rare and good tuna is a waste over rare, in fact Blue Fin tuna is almost always served completly uncooked. In Latin America they have ceviche which can be marinated shrimp or fish that is basically raw. As far as pork goes, a good tenderloin should be done medium to medium well. Ostrich cannot be eaten well done as it becomes tough and fibery and the same goes for lamb, so actually there is a lot of meats that are eaten not fully cooked.

Answer 2

The only real potential pathogen that could make you sick from beef is e. Coli. Contamination occurs upon slaughter if gut contents splash onto the carcasse. The "bad bug" would only be on the outside of a particular piece of meat. This pathogen dies at 150 degrees. So, you can safely cook beef to an interior temp of 120-130 and rest assured the ouyside is well above 150, thus killing any pathogens,

Answer 3

ok heres the deal... Certain pathogens can only survive in certain atmospheres or carriers. There for different types of food carry different potentially harmful parasites, toxins, bacteria.

We cook our food to denature, these items and make them safer to consume. Since certain foods are prone to certain pathogens and we know how to kill those pathogens that dictates to us what temperature we can safely consume the food. Certian pathogens are more resiliant to heat then others there for those meats must be cooked at high temperatures. Some bacteria can only grow in areobic environments which mean they need oxygen.

E coli for one has to have oxygen to grow. A steak will be cooked on the outside even if its rare killing off any offend bacteria. The inside of the meat has not been ground up like a hambeuger there for Ecoli can't gro in the steak like it can in the hamburger.

There are also pathogens like botchelism which are anaerobic and grow in low oxygenated environments. Like dented cans. If you see a can swelling and looking to bust at its seams throw it out its gone bad.

Acid can also safely denature foods. Most pathogens cant handle high acidic environments. It is a type of curing just like smoking and salting are ways to preserve food.

Answer 4

Actually, pork can be a little on the pink side now as it's a lot safer to eat these days than it was 30 years ago. Tuna can be eaten raw as well.

Answer 5

It's not. I generally do not like my pork well done.


And Mr. Joe M is wrong, it is ONLY hamburger that can get e-coli--You will not get it from eating a steak, it is when meat is cut and mixed up that it gets inside.

Answer 6

i think ALL meat should be fully cooked.

Answer 7

fish, caribou, seal, moose and i'm sure there are more, these don't have to be fully cooked(or cooked at all)

Answer 8

How about lamb chops

Answer 9

nuh uh, you don't have to cook chicken either :D