Wisconsinians comforting family traditions over the holidays have been warned by their state health department to avoid one in particular: cannibalistic sandwiches.
Sandwiches – also known as “tiger meat” and “steak tartare” for those who are interested – are ground beef, usually beef, topped with a loaf of raw onion.
In a tweet acknowledging that the dish is a family tradition for some, the Wisconsin Department of Health said: “Eating raw meat is never recommended because it may contain bacteria. Ground beef should always be cooked to 160F! ”.
The department wrote in a lengthy Facebook post that eating raw meat from bacteria that thrive on raw meat, including Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria, can cause diseases.
“And, no, it doesn’t matter where you buy your beef!” It was added.
In 2018, a blog post by the U.S. Department of Agriculture noted that “hundreds of people in the middle ages get sick after eating cannibalistic sandwiches,” and that there have been eight outbreaks in the state since 1986 in relation to raw beef consumption.
The post suggested a “safe alternative”: Cook the beef with the same spices and toppings instead of serving it raw.
Tradition may have come from immigrants from northern Europe, who brought traditional food with them.
It’s not clear how popular the dish will be, but it’s going through 1,000 lb of raw beef and 250 lb of raw onions for sandwiches in 2019, according to Wisconsin’s Public Radio’s Bunslin Meat Market in Milwaukee.
Jeff Soupen, owner of Bunslin Meat Market, seems to be returning the sandwich to WPR.
“People are like that now,‘ Oh key, I remember when Grandma did this, ’” he said.