Is rare red meat unhealthy?
sctrojnvirus
Besides the risk of diseases (mad cow, etc.), is it unhealthier to order my meat rare or on the rarer side as opposed to well done? If so, why is it unhealthier?
Is there a difference between ordering a steak rare and ordering a hamburger rarer with regards to unhealthiness?
nah – dont think so
steak, disease wise, is ok as long as the part of the meat that is rare is on the inside of the meat not around the edges. Hamburger on the other hand is not good to order rare because all parts of meat a exposed to the air and and utensils used in the processing of the meat, which could promote bacterial growth. The rule of thumb is
processed meat(hamburger, sausage. e.t.c.)=well done
un processed(steak) = rare is ok
That’s a great question. Since most bacteria accumulate on the outside of meat, searing the outside of a cut of meat will eliminate most of the risks of eating rare meat. Rare hamburger can be pretty unhealthy, because it’s all ground up and the potential bacteria are throughout the meat.
A steak is safer to eat rare, because the outside of it is cooked, and if it’s fresh then there shouldn’t be any bad bacteria on the inside where it will be uncooked. There can still be some, so if you’re cooking for someone who is pregnant or has a weak immune system, it should be cooked fully.
Additionally, well-done red meat has more cancer-causing chemicals that are not present if it is not cooked as much.
(http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/heterocyclic-amines)
So you’re safest to eat rare steak, over rare hamburger or well-done anything. Plus it tastes the best!
Naaahhhh, nothin better than a nice rare slab of butchered cow.
keeps ya clean, dontcha know?