UGH! My kid just ate a RAW HAMBURGER!

[freckles and boo]

My brother used to love raw hamburger when we were kids. And the fat off anything - pork chops, steak, chicken. Gross.

E coli is very serious and you should definitely keep an eye on your child, but don't panic. Just because the meat is raw doesn't necessarily mean it is contaminated. I would also call the restaurant and let them know.

 

[TruBlu]

Thanks everyone. I called and the girl answering the phone gasped when I told her. It was definitely not on purpose. She said she was very sorry.

E coli was exactly what I was worried about. I made the mistake of reading a Robin Cook book once about a child eating a rare hamburger....
So it really scared me!

I'll keep an eye on him and take him to the doc if he has any GI issues for the next few days.

I guess the good thing is that he is already on an antibiotic. He had strep throat last week.

 

[Tinijocaro]

We got take-out for dinner tonight. I didn't notice until he only had a couple of bites left, but DS7's burger was raw in the middle. I'm not talking just a little pink - it was red!!!!!! Should I call the restaurant? What should I do?

I used to eat "Steak Tartar" on purpose. Love it!

 

[RitaZ.]

It's called rare, and it won't hurt him one bit...

No, it's called uncooked.

If you'd like to learn more about it, read this link:

http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/dfbmd/disease_listing/stec_gi.html#1

 

[TruBlu]

No, it's called uncooked.

If you'd like to learn more about it, read this link:

http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/dfbmd/disease_listing/stec_gi.html#1

Thank you for the link! Now I know which symptoms to watch for.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

No, it's called uncooked.

If you'd like to learn more about it, read this link:

http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/dfbmd/disease_listing/stec_gi.html#1

 

[RitaZ.]

Thank you for the link! Now I know which symptoms to watch for.

Sure thing! My DD had Salmonella when she was almost 3 and it was awful. I never want to go through that again.

 

[TruBlu]

Sure thing! My DD had Salmonella when she was almost 3 and it was awful. I never want to go through that again.

I know what you mean. We have enough illness in our house without causing it ourselves with food.

I froze what was left of the burger - just in case.

 

[Imzadi]

I used to eat "Steak Tartar" on purpose. Love it!

But, Steak Tartar comes from a different cut of beef than regular ground beef intended for hamburgers. partly, it's because of the health issues. Like sushi grade fish, it also has to be kept at precise temperatures and freshness, so it can be eaten raw. One should never make Steak Tartar from ground hamburger meat.

 

[TruBlu]

So far, so good! He felt fine this morning.

From now on I am cutting all of his burgers in half before I give them to him.

 

[TinklednPants]

But, Steak Tartar comes from a different cut of beef than regular ground beef intended for hamburgers. partly, it's because of the health issues. Like sushi grade fish, it also has to be kept at precise temperatures and freshness, so it can be eaten raw. One should never make Steak Tartar from ground hamburger meat.

Steak Tartare calls for ground beef (even horse on occasion). I am not aware of a requirement for a specific cut though I might personally opt for some tenderloin. And, if you're going to do it right, you need to top it off with a raw egg! Yummy!

 

[LanaJayne]

OP

I hope all is well with your son, that is so scary! I can't believe that some posters are saying that this isn't something to be concerned with. Watch your son and get medical treatment right away if needed.

While a healthy adult may be able to fight off an infection, children and the elderly are much more at risk. Hopefully, the meat was not contaminated and all will be ok.

My thoughts are with you.

 

[ckay87]

Ground beef should always be cooked until it is brown all of the way through and the juices are not red. The reason you can eat a steak rare is because when the outside is cooked, it kills the bacteria. However, since hamburger is ground beef, the contaminated beef can be all through the hamburger, so the hamburger needs to be cooked thoroughly.

This is very interesting. I always wondered why it was okay with steak but not hamburger. This makes sense...I think. So the bacteria live around the outside of a piece of beef?

 

[JR6ooo4]

was it red and gooey or red and firm?

Mikeeee

 

[freckles and boo]

This is very interesting. I always wondered why it was okay with steak but not hamburger. This makes sense...I think. So the bacteria live around the outside of a piece of beef?

Hamburger is ground/chopped, then reformed into a patty. It has many, many exposed surfaces for the bacteria to take hold. If the outside surfaces of a steak are heated and the inside has never been exposed it is generally safe. I love my steaks medium rare but I would never eat a hamburger with a cool, pink middle.

 

[TruBlu]

was it red and gooey or red and firm?

Mikeeee

Red and gooey. Does that make a difference?

 

[SydneyBristow]

When I was little I use to grab pieces of raw hamburger meat when my mom was making burgers and eat it. Thinking about it now grosses me out, but I never got sick from it.