# Would you eat it?



## chef jimmyj (Apr 27, 2018)

Here is something I have mulled over lately. Chicken in the US has a high risk of being contaminated with Salmonella and E-Coli 0157. We would never think of eating it undercooked, let alone completely raw. The reason for contamination is the filthy conditions in bulk growout houses and cross contamination from mechanical eviseration equipment ripping open the digestive tract and spreading fecal matter in and over every bird it processes, infected or not.
Now I recently heard of some Asian restaurants serving Chicken Breast Sashimi, Raw Chicken Breast. I quickly thought, " How is this safe? " It then occurred to me that in many Asian countries, great care is taken by restaurants to serve only the highest quality, small farm grown birds and the restaurant buys Live Birds, carefully hand processing each one, guaranteeing there is no contamination with fecal matter and bacteria. This being the case, there is no reason that chicken meat can't be eaten raw or at any other degree of doneness. No bacteria...No safety issue.
So, healthy non-contaminated chicken eaten raw? Why not, I would eat it! What say you?...JJ


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## DanMcG (Apr 27, 2018)

Nope, it would never happen with me. it's been ingrained in my peanut brain to cook it to safe temps.


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## chef jimmyj (Apr 27, 2018)

Me too as was cooking pork to death, 165 with 180 being better. Now, if pork loin or especially pork tenders are cooked beyond a finished temp of 140, medium, I pull them at 130, I can't eat it! Even my 87 year old Mom, finally saw the light and how much better pink pork was. I plan to try Chicken Sashimi when I raise and process my own flock of meat chickens...JJ


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## okie362 (Apr 27, 2018)

I would.  Then again I travel globally quite a bit and have tried everything from puffer fish to dog so I may not be the best test case for the question.


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## SmokinAl (Apr 27, 2018)

I love sushi, but raw chicken just does not appeal to me.
Al


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## bdskelly (Apr 27, 2018)

With all due respect and admiration to your fabulous culinary talents Chef. ...Nope.B


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## oddegan (Apr 27, 2018)

I just don't know if i could do it. I read stuff about sashimi grade chicken and it makes me cringe. I've had salmonella a couple of times so for me raw chicken would be just to much. To each his or her own.


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## hillbillyrkstr (Apr 27, 2018)

Nope not chancing it chef.


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## gmc2003 (Apr 27, 2018)

Sorry I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Texture wise it just doesn't sound/look appealing. Although not the same I work with a guy from Africa who will buy KFC and leave it out on his desk for 10 to 11 hours and then finish it. I just about blow chunks everytime I see him do it.  

Chris


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## normanaj (Apr 27, 2018)

Already been poisoned once.I simply can't take that chance.


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## BKING! (Apr 27, 2018)

I’d sit at the table first and watch how many people kill over first. If everyone is still alive and doing well I’d dive in!


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## okie362 (Apr 27, 2018)

BKING! said:


> I’d sit at the table first and watch how many people kill over first. If everyone is still alive and doing well I’d dive in!



That made me laugh!  That's exactly what I did the first time I had puffer fish sashimi.


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## rjob (Apr 27, 2018)

Will eat sushi/sashimi, knowing the risks. Raw chicken not for me. Is this a practice a food inspector would allow in the US?


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## daveomak (Apr 27, 2018)

Yep...  I'd eat it....  Heck, I've sliced off a hunk of elk and venison to munch on, after the kill...   Whole muscle meat is considered sterile...   Proper technique when butchering and attention given to cross contamination...  serve me up some with whatever sauce they would recommend...


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## ravenclan (Apr 27, 2018)

nope! there is still that chance no matter who prepares it. look at the guy who prepares puffer fish. too much to chance for me and i like cooked chicken.


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## HalfSmoked (Apr 27, 2018)

Sorry JJ your on your own here. Email me from the hospital so I can send a card asap.

Warren


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## atomicsmoke (Apr 27, 2018)

I don't have a problem with raw meat in general. I eat carpaccio, steak tartare, sushi. Heck when i was a kid we sampled sausage mix before stuffing. My grandma raised chickens, she never cooked a store bought chicken. As far as I remember she had high hygiene standards. Never thought about trying chicken raw though. 

Now....i would say "No , thank you"
But i said the same to sushi less than 20 years ago....now i could eat it every day , 3 times a day. So ....never say never.


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## ghostguy6 (Apr 27, 2018)

I guess I'm the exception. I have eaten raw chicken tartar from one of those safe to eat raw chickens. I think they call it Blue Foot Chicken and is apparently quite a delicacy. Would I do it again, no but because the taste and texture did not suit me. I fairly sure there was enough acid to keep the meat sterile before consuming.

If I remember correctly, chicken sashimi is lightly seared to sterilize the outside of the meat and left raw in the middle which as a whole is sterile.


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## zippy12 (Apr 27, 2018)

I ate a Quizno's Chicken sandwich about 10 years ago for lunch.  About 6PM the bubble guts kicked in! Soon after both ends of me were spewing death!   Lasted 4 days!

Always safe temps on ALL meats!   Never ate fast food again!


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## motocrash (Apr 27, 2018)

I'd try it.Not sure I would like the texture though.:confused:


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## zwiller (Apr 27, 2018)

I'd try a little on a dare after a few beers but does not sound appetizing.  I think sushi is more of a health thing rather than flavor (as it is commonly eaten in rolls and sauce etc).     

I am getting intimately familiar with the pasteurization tables Dave has made popular and lowering my IT slightly.  That said, I am not entirely convinced it makes things better especially poultry.


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## noboundaries (Apr 27, 2018)

I'm 36 hours into a bout of either food poisoning from drinking bad chicken broth, or some bug I picked up traveling recently. I can't even conceive of eating raw chicken.


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## BKING! (Apr 27, 2018)

I’ve never had it before. I assumed texture would be weird but I saw a guy eat it on tv once and apparently it was real tender. I figure it would taste different than cooked chicken since raw fish and cooked fish has a different flavor.


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## Bearcarver (Apr 27, 2018)

Nope!!  Not Me or Mine!
No Raw Chicken.
Pork to 145°+
Beef 137° to 143°.
No Raw Fish, no matter what Japanese name you put on it.


Bear


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## idahopz (Apr 27, 2018)

When my son was young, he had significant allergies, so we raised our own egg and meat chickens. We fed them grass clippings, and kept the population to a reasonably comfortable level - they had plenty of room to forage and no crowding.

I've been to farms where chickens are raised, and the stink is almost vomit-inducing unbearable, which is likely due in large part to microbial contamination - we had nothing like that with our home grown chickens.

Although we did not do anything close to sashimi chicken, we did cook it under the recommended temperature for the most flavorful juicy chicken we had ever eaten.


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## myownidaho (Apr 27, 2018)

For me it’s a textural thing. Just a touch of pink is as far as I’ll go, just because I don’t like the mouthfeel of chicken cooked less than that.


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## atomicsmoke (Apr 27, 2018)

While raw chicken or turkey does not stimulate my salivary glands i will gladly eat cold smoked chicken or turkey.


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## atomicsmoke (Apr 27, 2018)

idahopz said:


> When my son was young, he had significant allergies, so we raised our own egg and meat chickens. We fed them grass clippings, and kept the population to a reasonably comfortable level - they had plenty of room to forage and no crowding.
> 
> I've been to farms where chickens are raised, and the stink is almost vomit-inducing unbearable, which is likely due in large part to microbial contamination - we had nothing like that with our home grown chickens.
> 
> Although we did not do anything close to sashimi chicken, we did cook it under the recommended temperature for the most flavorful juicy chicken we had ever eaten.


Definitely thinking about raising my own chickens at some point in the future.
I am tired of bland chicken. And i tried everything from factory chicken, to grass fed, to ree range, to friendly farmer, to organic....some taste better...but none are satisfying.


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## bbqbrett (Apr 27, 2018)

I think I would pass on that.


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## chef jimmyj (Apr 27, 2018)

Interesting comments and pretty much what I expected. My family consists of my wife of 30 years and three grown daughters and their spouses. Mom and the girls grew up with Chef Dad and as young kids have seen their share of exotic food. However as adults, how adventurous they are at trying the new and increasingly exotic varies greatly. The oldest has eaten Horse but mom and the middle girl would not even consider trying it. Some of us could live on Sushi while others think it's disgusting. Peoples taste varies greatly and one mans delicacy is anothers poison...Thanks for participating...JJ


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## SonnyE (Apr 27, 2018)

I'm a realist. And if it was eat it raw, or starve to death... I'd be chewin.
But since the SHTF hasn't happened yet, I'll continue to cook mine.
Afterward, all bets are off. That Pork on the grill might be pork, or it might be a Leg of Liberal, I'd be hand turning on the spit.
I've been with hunters that would eat raw liver, or raw heart, but I've never been _that_ hungry yet.


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## johnmeyer (Apr 27, 2018)

I've eaten severely undercooked chicken, and it was NOT tasty. 

By contrast, I always steal a few nibbles of beef when I grind it, and have had steak tartare, and it is really tasty. Also, I love sushi.

So, even if the chicken were raised in antiseptic conditions, I wouldn't touch eating it raw.


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## dls1 (Apr 27, 2018)

Well, I guess I'm an exception in that I've eaten torisashi (chicken sashimi) a number of times in Japan and I found it to be quite good. The last time I had it, in Kyoto around 3 years ago, it was served on a platter with breast meat, liver, and gizzards, all thinly sliced and dressed with soy sauce, ginger, and garlic. Also on a platter was chicken tartare.

As ghostguy6 referenced in post #18, most of the chicken used for raw consumption in Japan stems from a chicken breed that was developed in Canada that itself was derived from a very specific French type of chicken called Poulet de Bresse. The Canadian derivative is known as the Poulet Bleu, AKA Blue Foot Chicken. These chickens live a pretty pristine life and grow and mature much longer before being slaughtered making them much larger than other chickens. They are then air-chilled and are certified to be salmonella free. The end result yields a chicken with a much more robust flavor and texture than the standard chickens you'll find in the U.S. Also, under a special license required by the Japanese government, these chickens are allowed to be served raw only if they’re slaughtered and consumed on the same day.

Like okie362 said in post #4, I've spent 5+ decades traveling regularly and extensively around the globe and over time I've visited around 75% of the recognized countries in the world. I learned early on that the best way to truly understand the people in a foreign land and their culture is to eat with them on their own terms. As the saying goes "When in Rome do as the Romans do" I've eaten many things, most of which would repel most Americans, and some have been great, and others downright nasty. Either way, it's an adventure.


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## browneyesvictim (Apr 27, 2018)

I don't know if chicken can carry parasites like fish can be prone to having. As I understand it, even for sushi/sashimi, the fish should go through a freeze cycle to mitigate risks due to parasites. But that is not for ridding toxins, or bacteria etc. Cooking fully of course is the best advise.


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## Kade (Apr 27, 2018)

Not a chance!


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## chopsaw (Apr 27, 2018)

myownidaho said:


> For me it’s a textural thing. Just a touch of pink is as far as I’ll go, just because I don’t like the mouthfeel of chicken cooked less than that.



I've had under cooked poultry twice . I will never , ever forget the  mouth feel ,,,,


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## zippy12 (Apr 27, 2018)




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## johnmeyer (Apr 27, 2018)

dls1 said:


> I learned early on that the best way to truly understand the people in a foreign land and their culture is to eat with them on their own terms. As the saying goes "When in Rome do as the Romans do" I've eaten many things, most of which would repel most Americans, and some have been great, and others downright nasty. Either way, it's an adventure.


I haven't travelled as much, but have travelled enough to agree -- almost -- with what you said. For instance, when I was in an English pub for a meal, I ordered steak and kidney pie (my first and last -- not a fan).

But if I ever travel to Japan, I will draw the line if served Fugu (the poisonous blowfish). I've been told that part of the fun is that you get a slight tingling on your lips from the residual venom. However, this is apparently the exact same sensation you get if you have actually been poisoned, and death is swift. I have also been told that part of the "fun" is not knowing, for that split second, if this is the last thing you will ever experience in this life.

About thirty people get poisoned each year, with a fatality rate of about 7%.

So some things in Rome are best left to the Romans.

[edit]I saw Zippy's video after I posted. Wow!


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## weedeater (Apr 27, 2018)

Sorry JJ but you are on your own here!  Raw chicken is a bridge too far for me. 

Weedeater


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## GaryHibbert (Apr 28, 2018)

JJ, I've been eating in truck stops for the last 42 years and have had food poisoning 5 times.  There's NO WAY I'd eat raw chicken, even if I could get psst the (IMO) disgusting mouth feel of it.
Gary


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## BandCollector (Apr 28, 2018)

bearcarver said:


> Nope!!  Not Me or Mine!
> No Raw Chicken.
> Pork to 145°+
> Beef 137° to 143°.
> ...



I'm with you Bear. . . . Even the Caveman learned to cook their meat!

Good luck with your experiment Chef Jimmy!

John


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## Bearcarver (Apr 28, 2018)

GaryHibbert said:


> JJ, *I've been eating in truck stops for the last 42 years and have had food poisoning 5 times.*  There's NO WAY I'd eat raw chicken, even if I could get psst the (IMO) disgusting mouth feel of it.
> Gary




Hmmm, with all the in & out of state traveling I've done, Truck Stops were my first choice.
There were two ways of calculating if the food was good or not:
#1  If there were a bunch of 18 wheelers in the Parking Lot, there was a good chance the food was good.
#2  Once you went inside, if the waitresses were ugly the food should be good, because the girls weren't the attraction.

Bear


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## atomicsmoke (Apr 28, 2018)

#1 If there were a bunch of 18 wheelers in the Parking Lot, there was a good chance the food was good.
---------
Seeing few 18 wheelers outside the truck stop restaurant could have meant they were serving sushi :-) -:)


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## idahopz (Apr 28, 2018)

atomicsmoke said:


> Definitely thinking about raising my own chickens at some point in the future.
> I am tired of bland chicken. And i tried everything from factory chicken, to grass fed, to ree range, to friendly farmer, to organic....some taste better...but none are satisfying.



Other than someone needing to tend the chickens every day, there is no downside to raising your own. I've never has better tasting chicken (no matter how you like it cooked), and the egg yolks were the most orange (and flavorful) I've experienced.  Definitely worth a try at least once.


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## daricksta (May 1, 2018)

No way would I eat it. I made a mistake over the past weekend where I left a couple of ribeye steaks and a couple of chicken breasts in our car overnight. Had to throw both packages out. I thought that maybe cooking the steaks would've killed the bacterial nasties but I didn't want to mess around with the chicken. Hated to waste the money on those meats but my wife was right that we shouldn't take the risk of cooking it and eating it.


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## wbf610 (May 1, 2018)

NOPE, not doing it.  I’m allergic to chicken.


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## okie362 (May 22, 2018)

bearcarver said:


> Hmmm, with all the in & out of state traveling I've done, Truck Stops were my first choice.
> There were two ways of calculating if the food was good or not:
> #1  If there were a bunch of 18 wheelers in the Parking Lot, there was a good chance the food was good.
> #2  Once you went inside, if the waitresses were ugly the food should be good, because the girls weren't the attraction.
> ...



Just don't taste the lot lizards!  (Sorry, I couldn't help it.  It just came out)


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## rc4u (May 22, 2018)

i watch so many people not wash and rub and defat the chicken now days ..not like my mama taught me.. i could never just rinse and throw on pan. oh and the turkey!! even tv just shows putting in pan after removing giblets...it takes me 20 minutes to clean one.. this does wash very much of the germ as its starts outside and not inside the meat...if you rub skin and meat portions good you are already 70 times better than restaurants that just open and throw.


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## RiversideSm0ker (May 22, 2018)

I just couldn't do it. My bite would be the unfortunate one. Plus the soft texture of raw chicken is something I don't think that I could get past. I will keep mine cooked but more power to you Chef :)

George


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## daricksta (May 23, 2018)

rc4u said:


> i watch so many people not wash and rub and defat the chicken now days ..not like my mama taught me.. i could never just rinse and throw on pan. oh and the turkey!! even tv just shows putting in pan after removing giblets...it takes me 20 minutes to clean one.. this does wash very much of the germ as its starts outside and not inside the meat...if you rub skin and meat portions good you are already 70 times better than restaurants that just open and throw.


The new thinking is to not rinse poultry before using. All it does is spread contaminated water inside the sink and potentially outside as well. I only trim skinless, boneless chicken breasts of extra fat and whatever small bones and bloody stuff I might find. For whole chicken and turkey, I toss the giblets package because no one in my family eats it. My mom loved the giblets but unfortunately she's long gone.


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## gmc2003 (May 23, 2018)

We rinse the chicken and try to cut off any and all of the weird fatties that we see. We also cook the neck, giblets and heart. My wife loves them. I also add a bouillon cube to the mix and use it for injecting.

Chris


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## chopsaw (May 23, 2018)

daricksta said:


> The new thinking is to not rinse poultry before using.



I agree , and stopped doing it . Sometimes it's hard not to . We were taught different  , but I see the logic .


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## SonnyE (May 24, 2018)

I can't recall ever rinsing chicken.
But then, it gets cooked so well here, it's sterilized.

Now game meat, I use to soak for 24 hours, fresh water and salt each 8 hours.
Really made Antelope taste fabulous!


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## johnmeyer (May 24, 2018)

I've seen many posts about not washing chicken, and have read the USDA page. I don't buy it at all because there are so many other ways that raw chicken juice gets splattered:

When you take the chicken out of the package, there is juice everywhere, and it spatters. 
When you cut it, juice spatters. 
When you pull the skin off, stuff goes flying. 
And, of course, your hands are completely contaminated, and then you touch things.​
The idea that rinsing the chicken is going to somehow introduce a whole new level of danger makes zero sense to me. In addition, whatever does get splattered is considerably diluted with water that contains (in my house) chlorine, which is added specifically to kill pathogens. 

When this has come up before, people have mentioned having seen how poultry is processed in a big poultry processing plant. I saw the big tanks in a poultry processing film, and having seen that, I much prefer to remove the last remains of the "slurry" of stuff that is leftover from the processing, not so much for safety, but for taste. 

Some safety advice, such as the steps you should take to prevent cross contamination, clearly make sense. This advice does not, and I have ignored it completely ever since I first heard about it.


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## daricksta (May 25, 2018)

SonnyE said:


> I can't recall ever rinsing chicken.
> But then, it gets cooked so well here, it's sterilized.
> 
> Now game meat, I use to soak for 24 hours, fresh water and salt each 8 hours.
> Really made Antelope taste fabulous!


I've always felt the same way about chicken. So far I've never worked with game meat. And I think you're the first person I've ever read who ate antelope meat. Is it a lot like venison or elk? And I've only eaten venison twice in my life, and one of the times was smoked jerky.


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