595626 Thu Feb 12 10:17:55 -0800 2009 71 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 4410889 For the last couple of years I've gotten venison from a friend who has friends who hunt. I love venison. I'd been gradually eating it more and more rare, until lately I've found that I like to defrost the meat, cut it up into bite sized bits, and marinate it in olive oil, italian herbs, and lemon juice. Then just eat it with some salt and freshly ground pepper. I just really enjoy it that way. It sorta cooks a little in the acid from the lemon juice (the way ceviche does), but not much. Sometimes I will eat stew beef gobbets raw when I'm cutting them up for another purpose, too. Got me wondering, am I a total freak? Or are there other people who enjoy raw meats, not just fish? (Please assume the standard disclaimer of consuming raw meats as being potentially dangerous to your health, there's no need to post expounding on that or chastising me for my choice when I eat raw venison) Thu Feb 12 10:17:55 -0800 2009 119275 Morganna 1 4410954 I love raw beef and venison! My husband refuses to cook my steaks becasue it is 30 seconds per side and done! I will have to try the venison that way, sounds yummy Oh have had moose roast done "blue" and it is wonderful! Thank you Morganna, I am not the only freak out there! Another thing I love raw is potatoes, dipped in a bit of salt and pepper....my husband thinks I am crazy! Thu Feb 12 10:30:39 -0800 2009 4410889 237148 bermudagourmetgoddess 2 4416637 My husband used to work on a potato farm as a kid and they would eat raw potatoes occassionally w/ s&p. When he first told me that many years ago, I thought he was nuts. Now, however, it doesn't sound horrible. :) Sat Feb 14 05:28:06 -0800 2009 4410954 71241 lynnlato 1 4410969 Frankly, I don't think there's anything wrong with that. I went to an Ethiopian restaurant about a year ago and ordered a beef dish (can't recall the name). The waitress - who was Ethiopian - asked how I'd like my beef done. I asked her how she would want it done if it was her eating the dish, and she responded, "Raw." I told her to serve it up raw, and while she raised an eyebrow and asked me if I was sure, I went for it. It was spectacular, too: I bet a lot of the texture, which really made the dish memorable, would have suffered had I had it cooked even slightly. What kind of bacteria can you get from raw meat? Salmonella? E. coli? Neither one, I would imagine, is likely to be fatal unless you're old / young / immunocompromised, so if you're curious, live a little. We're not talking botulism here. I'm still amazed that people have paranoia about salmonella from eating raw eggs. No way am I not going to have over light fried eggs, mayonnaise, uncooked cookie dough, etc, or use that hideous pasteurized stuff. Thu Feb 12 10:34:41 -0800 2009 4410889 75881 vorpal 2 4411036 When I lived in Japan, I had chicken sashimi on a couple of occasions. It wasn't my favorite dish, but it was edible. I eat raw asparagus, and that's about as adventuresome as I get. Thu Feb 12 10:49:02 -0800 2009 4410969 83766 brendastarlet 3 4413283 I ate some organic chicken raw It was disgusting to me at least Fish and red meat lend themselves to being sashimi and tartare But chicken just doesn't seem right Raw shrimp was also weird to me Raw mussels taste bitter But I like raw fish and do it many times at home The home essentials are fresh prepared mustard, soy sauce and sliced fresh ginger. I don't waste my time with expensive fake green food coloring wasabi and pickled ginger Fri Feb 13 01:31:53 -0800 2009 4411036 143858 gafferx 3 4416643 Raw chicken scares the bejesus outta me - ugh! Kudos to you for trying it though. Glad u didn't get salmonella. Here's a thread on this very topic: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/411241 Sat Feb 14 05:32:26 -0800 2009 4411036 71241 lynnlato 3 4424898 When I lived in Japan, I had raw horse meat in Kyushu (their regional specialty). It was okay to my untrained palate. Tue Feb 17 09:38:19 -0800 2009 4411036 12873 OCAnn 2 4411162 The Ethiopian dish you mention is called Kitfo and is most certainly one of my favorite foods of all time. Its the combination of chilis and spices they mix the meat with that makes it work. Im sure you could come up with a variant of this with venison as well. Id be eager to try... Just be careful about over eating too much raw meat. Ive made this mistake more than once and the human digestive system wasnt designed to process large amounts of raw flesh. Believe me... ;) But it was worth it! Thu Feb 12 11:17:06 -0800 2009 4410969 238787 Insidious Rex 1 4411377 Hi there! I am a fellow freak! I loved raw ground beef - I always have! As far back as I can remember - I was always sneeking bits of raw ground beef - sprinkling it with salt and popping in my mouth! Yummmm!! Possibly even better is raw beef meatballs! My husband always tries to stop me - he thinks it is horrific!! Oh and I love raw potatoes too!! Thu Feb 12 12:02:25 -0800 2009 4410889 174753 NellyNel 2 4414367 Hello fellow freak ...glad to see I am not the only one who loves raw potatoes! And yes, I also love "raw" hot dogs! Fri Feb 13 10:06:04 -0800 2009 4411377 237148 bermudagourmetgoddess 3 4414392 ..and we both have husbands who think we are nuts! :) Fri Feb 13 10:13:04 -0800 2009 4414367 174753 NellyNel 3 4416645 I assume by your quotation marks that you know most hot dogs are fully-cooked(and/or cured or smoked). Many years ago I used to babysit a little girl who enjoyed snacking on cold hot dogs. Sat Feb 14 05:37:54 -0800 2009 4414367 71241 lynnlato 4 4418632 I think of cold hot dogs as bologna in roll form, anyway. ;) Sun Feb 15 05:02:01 -0800 2009 4416645 249664 kattyeyes 2 4417277 Me too! It's been 40 + years and I'm not dead yet. If I'm cutting potatoes, I nab some. Green beans, too. Sat Feb 14 11:00:36 -0800 2009 4411377 189528 Whosyerkitty 1 4411386 In Amsterdam one time I ordered a sausage sampler plate, and it included some meat that didn't seem to be cooked. Asked the waitress about it, and she said, Oh yes, it's a raw sausage, as if it were a common dish. It was fresh raw beef with some seasonings, and it was pretty tasty. I guess a number of types of cured sausages are never actually cooked before they are eaten, when you get right down to it. Thu Feb 12 12:05:27 -0800 2009 4410889 98500 Bat Guano 1 4411793 Corn on the cob. Thu Feb 12 13:45:48 -0800 2009 4410889 13722 small h 2 4413285 Raw corn is good and how about raw green beans? I saw a friend yesterday who has a garden with mizuna growing I ripped off some top growth and ate ...delicious So mild for a cruciferae Fri Feb 13 01:35:39 -0800 2009 4411793 143858 gafferx 3 4414137 Raw mizuna, tatsoi, kale, mustard(baby leaves), bok choy -- are all tasty in salads and sandwiches. I also like raw green beans, corn, okra, eggplant, peas, beets, kholrabi, turnips. I used to like steak tartare but haven't eaten it in recent years. I like raw fish, gravlax, and seviche. So many ways to enjoy food! Fri Feb 13 09:07:07 -0800 2009 4413285 211115 neverlate 4 4415917 There is a big curve and you are way ahead of me on it Did you know that okra is first cousin to cotton? I haven't eaten it raw but have eaten it minimally cooked Raw eggplant... never tried it but will next time Matter of fact I have some baby eggplants here and will bite one --- for research purposes of course Fri Feb 13 17:48:51 -0800 2009 4414137 143858 gafferx 5 4415967 Soak the sliced eggplant in salt water first, and it'll taste good. One more vegetable I like raw is celery root, grated, remoulade. Fri Feb 13 18:09:55 -0800 2009 4415917 211115 neverlate 4 4416685 Out of the bunch you just listed, the only veg I don't like raw is eggplant. Raw parsnips, shredded or thinly sliced, is pretty tasty, too. Sat Feb 14 06:05:27 -0800 2009 4414137 10681 piccola 3 4418512 I'm with you! It's a miracle that any of the green beans or turnips made it into the house from the garden when I was a kid. I loved both raw. Sat Feb 14 23:15:30 -0800 2009 4413285 112034 spellweaver16 1 4413270 Yak. I wouldn't think to snack on raw meat as I was cooking it, but carpaccio or tartare in a restaurant is somehow different. As a child I liked to snack on raw spaghetti. Fri Feb 13 00:45:52 -0800 2009 4410889 13150 babette feasts 2 4413950 I love carpaccio and tartare...both beef and tuna! Fri Feb 13 08:22:15 -0800 2009 4413270 249664 kattyeyes 1 4413281 I had some venison ribs in the freezer Took them out to defrost Once they were defrosted I don't know what possessed me but I cut some meat off and dipped it in soy sauce and ate it. Did it a few more times. It was delicious and easily chewable. Not tough at all Fri Feb 13 01:25:03 -0800 2009 4410889 143858 gafferx 1 4413970 When I was little, my mother used to feed small pieces of raw marinated bulgogi or kalbi to my little sister and I. Now that I'm older I still sneak a bite every now and then. Funny how I would prefer to eat it raw then cooked, because I am not a huge fan of kalbi or bulgogi....too sweet! I call it americanized korean food even though its not (: I also have to have my steaks completely raw in the middle, not rare...RAW. I still haven't mastered charring the outside while leaving the inside completely uncooked. Yes I use cast iron and for some reason it doesn't seem to work well. Maybe I would have better luck using a gas stove or restaurant grade stove? I also like raw egg yolks mixed in hot rice (although they will eventually get cooked by the heat) and natto. Fri Feb 13 08:28:09 -0800 2009 4410889 24546 bitsubeats 2 4417889 I think you can achieve what you are looking for by starting with very cold steak and blazing hot pre-heated cast iron. Sear a minute or two on each side and that should do it. Sat Feb 14 15:56:16 -0800 2009 4413970 139527 GodfatherofLunch 1 4414006 I've probably at least tasted most vegetables raw and regularly eat corn, string beans, asparagus that way, but there a many veggies which really should be blanched at the very least. I love raw fish and have had carpaccio but no longer.... Fri Feb 13 08:37:06 -0800 2009 4410889 75332 Gio 2 4414253 Why carpaccio no longer? :) Just wondering. :) Fri Feb 13 09:42:20 -0800 2009 4414006 119275 Morganna 3 4414298 When DH had a triple bypass his cardiologist told him not to eat red meat.... so I kept him company. We switched to the other red meat but I won't eat that raw although I do not cook it to death....I promise. Fri Feb 13 09:52:23 -0800 2009 4414253 75332 Gio 4 4416639 Ooohh! I see. :) Yeah, dumb ole health issues, always getting in the way of good food! ;D Sat Feb 14 05:30:05 -0800 2009 4414298 119275 Morganna 1 4414013 Oh and raw hot dogs! Fri Feb 13 08:38:23 -0800 2009 4410889 174753 NellyNel 2 4416076 Hot dogs aren't raw, they've been smoked. Kind of like eating bologna. Fri Feb 13 19:05:59 -0800 2009 4414013 11914 monku 3 4418634 Oh, HA HA! I just said the same thing above. Didn't see your comment till afterwards. Agree 100 percent. Sun Feb 15 05:03:05 -0800 2009 4416076 249664 kattyeyes 1 4414036 I've been eating raw ground beef virtually my whole life. Grandma and Mom were always particular about being sure it was fresh ground (minimized chance of contamination, and I have never been sick). Raw ground beef on rye with a little bit of butter and salt... yummm! Fri Feb 13 08:43:35 -0800 2009 4410889 57890 KaimukiMan 2 4415940 Thank god you mentioned fresh ground.....I would never suggest to any one to take a package of ground beef from a Supermarket and consume it raw....particularly in house package (from re ground tube/or in house grinds).....as opposed to the factory cryo/gas packed beef.......the raw , seasoned stew beef nosh......stir fry.....primal trimmings, are a secret pleasure......probably amongst many cooks....raw oysters,clams....smoked bacon?....definitely NO poultry.....way to funky.......sashimi/sushi......carpaccio......I could eat a NY strip or a Fillet raw , thinly sliced any time ///mustard sauce,or soy sauce, shriracha, worcestshire.... Fri Feb 13 17:58:38 -0800 2009 4414036 180133 Saddleoflamb 1 4414336 Oh - this may not be considered "raw" but I like frozen ravioli and frozen french fries Fri Feb 13 09:59:48 -0800 2009 4410889 174753 NellyNel 2 4438163 Me too! My grandparents owned a delicatessen when I was a kid and I loved to steal the uncooked raviolis-still do. Actually any dumpling will do. Never been a frozen french fry fiend though. Fri Feb 20 22:11:18 -0800 2009 4414336 268353 MangiaSophiaMangia 1 4415098 Besides cookie dough? Umm..... let's see.....raw........ cake batter? Sometimes a strand of spaghetti (shhh don't tell anyone) Fri Feb 13 13:11:16 -0800 2009 4410889 110426 Boccone Dolce 1 4415890 Beets, grated and made into a salad. And I was just at a little cocktail get-together this evening where the hostess made some carpaccio and I know of only one person who did not partake, so obviously uncooked beef isn't scary to a lot of people. Fri Feb 13 17:34:07 -0800 2009 4410889 12213 jillp 2 4415928 Love grated beets ... It's so Euro Just kidding There is something special about beets and Swiss chard (same family) Grated beets with some olive oil, sea salt, and good vinegar (I only buy vinegar at WF) Put in one clove garlic too Fri Feb 13 17:55:50 -0800 2009 4415890 143858 gafferx 1 4415980 Does anyone know, is beef jerky raw? Fri Feb 13 18:18:28 -0800 2009 4410889 211115 neverlate 2 4416065 Technically beef jerky is not cooked, but it is cured then dried. Just as salami and prosciutto ham are not cooked...but neither are the really raw. Fri Feb 13 19:01:59 -0800 2009 4415980 116047 The Professor 1 4416038 i eat raw eggs uncooked green beans "raw" (unpasteurized) milk sometimes also ground coffee Fri Feb 13 18:48:37 -0800 2009 4410889 248284 taos 2 4424903 Ditto on the raw eggs. Tue Feb 17 09:39:21 -0800 2009 4416038 12873 OCAnn 1 4416074 potatoes Fri Feb 13 19:04:52 -0800 2009 4410889 11995 pikawicca 1 4416601 Peas Milk Ice Cubes Sat Feb 14 04:42:08 -0800 2009 4410889 165021 Firegoat 2 4416642 Heh. Raw ice cubes are called "water". ;D That's how I tell my husband I've just filled the trays and put them in the freezer. I call out "RAW ICE!" So he knows to open the freezer door gently. :) Sat Feb 14 05:31:52 -0800 2009 4416601 119275 Morganna 1 4418505 Although snacking on raw meat whilst preparing it for cooked dishes such as stew might be a rarity, I wonder about the suggestion that 'most people' don't eat raw meat. In Belgium, for example, a traditional dish is 'Filet Americain' chopped raw beef spiced up and usually served with fries. There is also 'toast cannibale'-- chopped raw beef on toast. These are so common on menus that I'd be hard pressed to claim that 'most people' do not eat raw beef. (And like many people in Belgium, I adore this dish.) So you might be a freak Morganna, but not for liking raw meat. Around the world, there are people who enjoy it prepared in a number of ways. Sat Feb 14 23:09:25 -0800 2009 4410889 16734 Lizard 2 4418747 Yeah, you're right. "Most people" is an awfully American centrist comment now that I think about it. :) "Most people" don't even live in the US. :) Thanks for pointing that out, Lizard. :) I hate it when I'm unintentionally American centrist like that. :) Sun Feb 15 06:29:13 -0800 2009 4418505 119275 Morganna 3 4419391 Well, if it's any comfort, I'll still accept you're a freak, but more importantly, I completely acknowledge your good taste! :) Sun Feb 15 11:20:43 -0800 2009 4418747 16734 Lizard 1 4418717 I adore raw meats and fish. I think the use of raw proteins is quite prevalent in many different cultures, as evidenced by this list, which I am sure is hardly comprehensive.: 1. Beef carpaccio - Italy 2. Steak tartare - France 3. Sushi/sashimi, Beef tataki - Japan 4. Kitfo - Ethiopian 5. Kibbe neyeh - Various Middle Eastern cuisines 6. Various raw fish and seafood products such as crab in kochuchang, raw seasoned skate, raw seasoned spleen - Korea 7. "Country food" - How people refer to the traditional Inuit diet, including raw seal, walrus, caribou, whale, fish, ptarmigan, etc. The key with raw foods is to make sure you start with quality ingredients that have been stored properly. This will decrease chances of food-borne illness. I would definitely be careful about making steak tartare with ground meat bought at a supermarket (A big- no-no). But I agree with many of the posters here, these foods are very yummy, and I feel it is worth the risk to occasionally indulge. Sun Feb 15 06:11:47 -0800 2009 4410889 89969 moh 2 4427198 We love raw food (including our four kids)...We often eat caribou and musk ox carpaccio and tartare (heck, my daughter just served her grade 5 class the dish as part of a presentation). We love raw oysters, jelly fish and scallops and white fish carpaccio (made by a local chef who flavoured it with bee pollen - yum). Like most parts of life, we take precautions to reduce risk. Just as I would never cross the street without looking both ways, I would never make tartar from ground beef. I grind it myself (beef, caribou or musk ox). I would never eat raw walrus (although I have some in my freezer!) because it has a high incidence of trichinosis. We eat caeser salad dressing made with raw eggs. I shy away from raw chicken...I think for good reason. Raw pork...I don't know, that is a mental barrier I think. Other country foods best eaten raw (some mentioned above): seal, muktaq (fat), most fish. There is nothing inherently dangerous about raw food any more than cooked food sitting in your fridge. I think too many of us are products of the 1950's (grown up then or growing up with that generation) where meat was cooked until it was long dead. Happily for me and my kids I grew up in the arctic where raw was good. Took my good British mom a bit of getting used to, but she did. Eating, and life, come with risk......how many recalls do we read about a week...all from highly regulated, supposedly clean food plants or chains. At least with raw food we tend to at least think about the quality of the food before we eat it. Can't say the same for other supposedly safe food. Damn, now aIl I crave is a carpaccio and here I am near the Arctic Ocean on business and do you think I could get a raw meal! Of course not! It is all burgers and fries around here now! Tue Feb 17 19:46:35 -0800 2009 4418717 74367 foodiesnorth 3 4427554 Foodiesnorth, I am heading up Hudson's Bay way myself soon. You are right, it is very hard to get country food up north these days. I know I'll be able to get some of Qalingo's fabulous smoked char (at least, I hope!) and I always head to the co-op hoping I'll find some real country food, but it is rare (no pun intended). Thanks for the info about the walrus. I must admit, I am a little chicken about eating country food raw, as I don't have the expertise the Inuit have about what is safe to eat. But if offered, I will always try! And be very grateful, as I know how much people value their country food. Tue Feb 17 22:42:59 -0800 2009 4427198 89969 moh 4 4427976 You can get great caribou at Kivalliq Foods in Rankin Inlet and musk ox at Kitikmeot Foods in Cambridge Bay. Any of this meat is good as is anything from local hunters (although the latter cannot be sold and if gifted must carry an export permit to bring out of Nunavut). Jim at Iqaluit Foods makes amazing smoked char if you are in that community (and he too will ship if not). The walrus is fine (like pork I suppose), if cooked. Of course cooking destroys some of the nutritional value. One important point about some raw northern meat is that is does carry some vitamin C. Cooking the meat destroys the vitamin C. In Edmonton our Slow Food group convinced a local butcher to bring down Kitikmeot Foods and Kivaliq Foods products. Both will ship..but it ain't cheap! Wed Feb 18 06:59:22 -0800 2009 4427554 74367 foodiesnorth 1 4418943 Quinces. Thinly sliced, crunchy and tannic. When they are good, the tannins are balanced with the warmth and sweetness of the fruit and the thin slicing makes the gritty texture pleasant. Every American/Canadian I mentioned this looked at me as if I am a freak and told me "no you don't eat quinces raw". Well, but this is somewhat a common practice in Middle East, where I am originally from. In Turkey, they sometimes sprinkle ground coffee beans on the quince slices as a light apres-dinner snack or an accompaniment to raki, the anise flavored drink. My partner likes to get a bite of almost everything I prepare, before it is cooked. Meat, eggplant, potatoes, pasta?!!? Raw meat? I can do everything... but chicken. Chicken carpaccio is a little scary.. Sun Feb 15 08:14:51 -0800 2009 4410889 53259 emerilcantcook 2 4419078 Had chicken sashimi in Tokyo once. The quality of the meat is obviously *really* important. What I had was not watery and mushy and gross but a really nice and firm piece of (probably) breast. Tasty, but not something I crave. ;) Sun Feb 15 09:06:05 -0800 2009 4418943 181308 bopuc 1 4419463 I had raw lobster recently and was awed by its wonderful flavor and texture. Clean fresh almost bubbly, pops in your mouth with a sweet light lobster flavor mixed ocean. Sun Feb 15 11:50:29 -0800 2009 4410889 78681 coastie 1 4423309 bread dough, cake batter Mon Feb 16 18:24:27 -0800 2009 4410889 249283 mumlikeyum 1 4423348 Biscuit dough straight out of the can (that you pop with the edge of the spoon). Especially good are the layered biscuits with "butter" flavoring! And of course, cookie dough! Mon Feb 16 18:39:09 -0800 2009 4410889 233553 schmoopy 2 4424073 I never use the spoon for those, I get too much pleasure out of whamming them on the edge of my cutting board. ;D Tue Feb 17 05:32:23 -0800 2009 4423348 119275 Morganna 2 4424420 "Biscuit dough straight out of the can" Yup - me too schmoopy - I forgot about that!! Gosh I like allot of raw stuff! and FYI - I do know hot dogs aren't "raw"... Tue Feb 17 07:48:54 -0800 2009 4423348 174753 NellyNel 1 4424109 Eggs. Tue Feb 17 05:56:15 -0800 2009 4410889 93538 Passadumkeg 2 4424412 I've eaten coddled eggs in Caesar salad and probably other things that I can't remember - first cup of coffee time here. But are you saying you "belly up" to a bowl of raw eggs? Please elaborate. Hope you're enjoying some sun and heat and not getting slammed by the CA storm that's raging. Tue Feb 17 07:46:44 -0800 2009 4424109 131001 c oliver 3 4424627 A raw egg in my beer; breakfast of champions. Got rained/sleet/snowed on in the Mojave at Hole in the Wall, yesterday, sun & red rock today. Tue Feb 17 08:40:31 -0800 2009 4424412 93538 Passadumkeg 1 4424542 I guess most out of the ordinary is Kibbeh nayyeh. Wouldn't have it any other way. The flavor and texture are so so delicious. Eggs in dressing, cake batter, cookie dough Raw Milk and raw milk cheeses if those count Sashimi, Carpaccio (beef and lamb) all so good! Don't know if I could bring myself to try raw chicken, but I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Tue Feb 17 08:17:27 -0800 2009 4410889 151336 BaltoPhilFood 1 4437296 I do that all the time, I love things raw. Fri Feb 20 15:52:48 -0800 2009 4410889 212885 AngelSanctuary 1 4437430 Green Beans Zucchini Tofu (though technically, it's already cooked) crab Fri Feb 20 16:35:23 -0800 2009 4410889 56183 soypower 2 4437740 The only time I had raw crab, it was a "drunken crab" dish at a Chinese restaurant, marinated in rice wine. I found it absolutely vile - like a low-tide flavored jello shot. And I love seafood, pretty much all seafood, raw or cooked. Did I get a lousy rendition, or is there another way to eat raw crab? Fri Feb 20 18:37:56 -0800 2009 4437430 13722 small h 3 4437920 I should have probably clarified...Korean Seasoned raw crab...it's raw blue crab heavily marinated in soy sauce, garlic, hot pepper and sugar (?)...it's kind of like crab kimchee...not really very good until it's fermented a bit. Fri Feb 20 19:51:46 -0800 2009 4437740 56183 soypower 4 4438081 Good gravy, that sounds like a fine thing. Does it have a name that I might look for on menus? Or does it just come as part of banchan? This might also be the time to distinguish between raw/raw and raw/cured/fermented/pickled/cold smoked, which is a little bit different. Fri Feb 20 21:21:41 -0800 2009 4437920 13722 small h