Hamburger and steak both come from beef, but burgers are the panacea when it comes to the scare from e-coli. However, as we've discovered in the XL Foods recall, steaks and roasts have also suffered, spotlighting a practice that can turn a steak into a hamburger-type threat.
Steaks and roasts are intact cuts of meat. Since any contamination would be on the outside, a good searing will do the trick, allowing for the beauty of medium-rare beef.
If the steak or roast has been mechanically tenderized, or pierced in any way, that beef becomes more of a risk, provided that e-coli is in the mix. This also applies if you penetrate the surface of the meat with a fork.
According to USDA estimates, 18% of all beef steaks and roasts in the United States are mechanically tenderized. This doesn't count imported meat, even from Canada.
As for how to look out for this, well, there is no labeling right now, there is a rule proposal to do just that. From what we've heard, mechanical tenderizing is done to make cheaper cuts more tender. If nothing else, watch for the cut of steak you buy, in the short-term.
As horrible as the latest wave of e-coli problems have come from the XL Foods recall in Canada as well as the United States, the strain hasn't been too bad (by e-coli terms, not in human terms). The usual message applies: the very young, the very old, and those with reduced immune systems need to be more careful. Still, associating a few days of feeling really bad shouldn't be the byproduct of eating beef.
Time for a gentle reminder that knowing where your food comes from makes a difference. Buying from local farmers reduces that risk. Having a good butcher reduces that risk.
None of this applies if you eat turkey, chicken, or pork since you don't want color on the inside. This doesn't apply if you like your beef to cook while you watch an hour-long drama.
Food safety isn't going to mean a completely safe food supply. The way meat is handled from slaughter to the store is designed to save companies money. We should have a consumer-friendly meat supply. We might have to pay a little more to get that, a good price for better beef.
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