One Look At This Sandwich Makes Southern Utahn’s Queasy

Would you eat a cannibal sandwich? I wouldn’t consider myself a picky eater. I like sushi and I’m willing to try most things, although I draw the line at bugs. I ate a chocolate covered cricket and had to pick little legs out of my teeth. I also draw the line at foods that will make me horribly sick. The Cannibal sandwich is one of these. 

The idea for a sandwich featuring raw beef goes back to the earlier settlers of Wisconsin. These people came from Europe where raw fish and raw meat delicacies were more common. This raw meat dish became part of many people’s holiday traditions. It has continued on even today, though an understanding of e-coli in meat has made the idea of consuming raw ground beef less appealing. 

Not surprisingly, the Department of Health has warned against eating raw beef because of the dangers of salmonella and e-coli and other serious infections. Here's their quote eating the cannibal sandwich:

"Eating them poses a threat for Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7, Campylobacter, and Listeria bacteria that can make you sick. (And, no, it doesn't matter where you buy your beef!) Remember, ground beef should ALWAYS be cooked to an internal temperature of 160° F. Find more holiday food safety tips at dhs.wisconsin.gov/nutrition/safety.htm
#foodsafety"

In an unscientific poll of radio station employees, the overall consensus was, yuk followed by gross. As for me, I'm a big fan of cooked meat and I'm good with not expanding my tastes to the raw side, well except for a good medium-rare steak.