How to Survive Eating Raw Meat

4 min read

You’ve had a rare steak before, but this is just ridiculous. Believe it or not, some people’s diets consist of all raw meat, all the time. But wouldn’t that kill you? Today, you get to find out because we’re serving you an endless supply of uncooked meat. Some raw meat enthusiasts say you’ll experience health benefits on this diet, but you could also experience your last meal if you’re not careful.

In the U.S., the CDC estimates that 128,000 people are hospitalized every year for foodborne illnesses. Eating raw meat can ease your way into that statistic. The raw food diet involves eating food that hasn’t been heated over 40° C (104 °F), refined or processed at all. You might have seen people on the internet trying it, or claiming that it has health benefits. Science hasn’t gotten on board with that idea just yet.

Undercooked meat and poultry can be extremely dangerous for you, as they can be contaminated with bacteria such as E.coli, salmonella and Yersinia. Why is chicken the most dangerous raw meat? How does bacteria thrive in ground meat? Why would you need to touch a fish before buying it?

Step 1. Skip The Chicken

When engaging in this food trend you’d expect it to be restrictive. After all, it is called a diet. However, there’s one thing on the menu that you should avoid at all costs. Chicken. This white meat has earned a high spot on the list of food poisoning culprits. Experts say that there’s not a single way of eating raw chicken safely, as it increases the risk of salmonella and campylobacter bacteria entering the bloodstream. This is dangerous for anyone, but can be fatal for people with weakened immune systems.

Step 2. Go For The Steak

A good ol’ burger once in a while might be harmless, but not while on this regimen. You’ll be better off going for a full sirloin steak. When you buy whole meat, the surface is the part where bacteria is primarily found, as the inner layers are practically sterile. The problem with ground meat is that the surface bacteria will be spread throughout the entire piece when it is run through the grinder.

Step 3. Put It In The Fridge Immediately

The biggest threat in this new diet of yours will be the bacteria that will begin to multiply if you let it.
Cooking meat will help, but when eating it raw there’s no way of killing every germ that could cause you some trouble. You need to prepare and eat the meat as soon after slaughter as possible. If you aren’t ready to eat it yet, store it in the fridge immediately so the cold can slow down any bacterial growth.

Step 4. Use The Knife

I hope you aren’t too hungry because you’ll have to gnaw on this juicy steak for a long time. Human teeth are useless when it comes to breaking down raw meat. We don’t have the sharp canines to do the job, but at least we have utensils. Cut your meat into small bites. That way, you won’t have to chew it forever and your jaws can have a little break.

Step 5. Touch It

If you’re going for the fish, it needs to be as fresh as possible. Go directly to a market if you can. A few tricks can help you identify how fresh it is. Touch it and see if it leaves an indentation. If it does, don’t buy it. If you’re looking for scallops, they should be completely opaque. Any signs of yellow means they are drying out.

If that gets too complicated, you can always order in something. But it seems like that sushi you just ate might have been bad. Now you have to act fast if you don’t want to lose a limb or die. We can help you with that too here on How to Survive.