Why can a steak be served medium rare but hamburgers have to be cooked to proper internal temperatures?
A steak served medium rare is an intact muscle. If the butcher has done a good job, all of the bacteria will be on the outside of the steak. The steak can be served medium rare because the bacteria on the outside will die during normal cooking. A hamburger has been ground up, and all of the bacteria that were on the outside of the steak or solid meat are now ground up and dispersed throughout the product. Now you must use a thermometer to ensure that the internal temperature is high enough to destroy the bacteria on the inside. Q. What is a potentially hazardous food? A potentially hazardous food is any food that is naturally contaminated with bacteria. Many food products are naturally contaminated with Salmonella (chicken, eggs, turkey, pork) and E. coli (beef and pork). These foods need to reach proper cooking temperatures to ensure everything is killed.
A steak served medium rare is an intact muscle. It the butcher has done a good job, all of the bacteria will be on the outside of the steak. The steak can be served medium rare because the bacteria on the outside will die from normal cooking of the steak. A hamburger has been ground up and all of the bacteria that were on the outside of the steak or solid meat are now ground up throughout the product. Now you must use a thermometer to ensure that the internal temperature is high enough to destroy the bacteria on the inside.
A steak served medium rare is an intact muscle. If the butcher has done a good job, all of the bacteria will be on the outside of the steak. The steak can be served medium rare because the bacteria on the outside will die during normal cooking. A hamburger has been ground up, and all of the bacteria that were on the outside of the steak or solid meat are now ground up and dispersed throughout the product. Now you must use a thermometer to ensure that the internal temperature is high enough to destroy the bacteria on the inside.
