First, the whole “raw beef” thing isn’t a modern hipster fad. People have been eating raw beef for centuries. Steak tartare is basically the original fast food—chopped, seasoned, and served raw. But here’s the secret handshake: Not all steak is created equal when it comes to going au naturel.
You can’t just grab a pack of pre-ground chuck from the grocery store. Seriously. Put that down. Ground beef has a huge surface area where bacteria love to party. That’s why burger safety rules are so strict.
For raw eating, you need a whole, intact muscle cut. Think of it like a sealed package. The inside of that steak is essentially sterile. The bad guys (salmonella, E. coli) live on the outside. So, if you cut that outside off or sear it fast, the interior is game for raw consumption.
