[MHGinTN]

I read once that it is the outside surface of steak and roast which can have salmonella, etc, bacteria, so if you heat the outside surface above 160 degrees then the even bloody inner meat is bacteria free. Is that correct? ... I happen to really like steak tartar, after marinating the meat in Dale's for a few hours in the fridge. I was told it's like 'salt cured'.

BTW, London broil roast cut is my favorite. I can get four meals from an $11 roast by cutting it into two stew beef portions and thin slicing the other two portions for stove top cooking and marinating.

[US Navy Vet]

Yep that is correct, the OUTSIDE of INTACT Meat is where the “nasties” “reside and GROW”, the INSIDE of INTACT meat is PRETTY much “clean”. Hamburger and ALL GROUND Products MUST be cooked THOUROUGHLY to a temp ABOVE 160 Deg F to KILL ALL “NASTIES”!

[kevkrom]

Yep, that’s why the optimal way to cook steak is over wicked high heat - you want to sear the outside, while keeping the inside warm at best. (As in, the three levels of doneness for steak: rare, medium rare, and ruined.)

As for true “tartare” preparations, what you are actually doing is “cooking” the meat with acid instead of heat. Same effect - kill the beasties but not the steak.