Is Rare Steak Safe? What Australian Food Safety Advice Says

Is rare steak safe? The Food Safety Information Council (FSIC) says whole cuts such as steak can be cooked to taste, rare included, as long as the outside is fully cooked to kill surface bacteria.

Minced, rolled, stuffed and mechanically tenderised meat is different, and FSIC says it should reach 75C in the centre.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) advises pregnant women, older people and people with weakened immunity to make sure meat is thoroughly cooked.

Here is what each authority says, and why.

Is Rare Steak Safe? Why Whole Cuts Differ From Mince and Chicken

According to the Food Safety Information Council, food poisoning bacteria on an intact whole cut sit on the outside, so a steak with a fully cooked surface can be eaten rare, while mince and poultry need cooking right through.

The Council's thermometer guidance says whole pieces of meat such as steak can be cooked to taste, from rare to well done, as long as the outside is fully cooked to kill external bacteria.

Its condition covers the whole outside, so sear the edges of a steak as well as its two flat faces, turning it with tongs.

Processing changes the picture. The Council's red meat advice explains that when meat is minced, has a bone removed, is rolled or is slit for stuffing, bacteria can penetrate into the centre rather than staying on the surface.

That is why the FSANZ food safety basics recommend cooking all poultry, whether whole, roasted or minced, and all meat that has been minced or rolled to at least 75C in the centre.

The same surface logic sits behind a blue steak, the extreme end of rare.

When Is Rare Steak Not Safe? Mince, Rolled and Tenderised Meat

Rare is not suitable for mince, rolled or stuffed roasts, or mechanically tenderised, marinated or moisture-enhanced meat, which the Food Safety Information Council says should reach 75C in the centre of the thickest part.

The Council treats these products as an exception to its cooked-to-taste rule, because bacteria can be introduced into the meat during processing. Food poisoning bacteria can then be present all the way through, not just on the surface, so it says they should be treated like stuffed, rolled or minced meat.

Mechanical tenderising uses fine needles or blades to break down tougher fibres, and moisture-enhanced meat has usually had a solution injected into it. Neither is always obvious from the outside, so ask your butcher whether a cut has been needled, injected or moisture-enhanced before you cook it rare.

Rolled and stuffed roasts belong in the same group, and FSIC advises defrosting them completely first so they cook right through.

Raw dishes are a separate category again. Steak tartare is never cooked at all, and FSANZ lists raw and semi-cooked meat among the higher-risk foods for vulnerable people.

Can You Eat Medium Rare Steak When Pregnant?

FSANZ lists pregnant women, and their unborn and newborn babies, among the vulnerable people at greater risk of food poisoning, and advises them to make sure meat is thoroughly cooked rather than raw or semi-cooked.

On its page on food safety for vulnerable people, FSANZ gives thoroughly cooked meat as the safer choice in place of raw and semi-cooked meat. It also advises using cooked meat straight away or within a day of cooking, and reheating leftovers until steaming hot.

FSANZ warns that Listeria can cause severe illness, miscarriage or death, and can grow even in the fridge, although thorough cooking destroys it.

On toxoplasmosis, Pregnancy, Birth and Baby, the Australian Government-funded service run by Healthdirect, lists raw or undercooked meat as a way to catch it, says it can cross the placenta and infect an unborn baby, and advises making sure any meat you eat is properly cooked.

The same FSANZ advice covers older people and anyone whose immunity is weakened by illness or medication. If you are pregnant or in one of these groups, ask your GP or midwife what thoroughly cooked means for you.

What Temperature Makes Steak Safe in Australia?

FSIC and FSANZ give two key figures: 63C with a 3 minute rest for steaks and other whole cuts, and 75C in the centre for minced, rolled, stuffed and tenderised meat and all poultry.

The table sets out that guidance by meat type, with the source for each line.

FSIC says steaks should reach 63C, which it calls medium rare, then rest for 3 minutes to kill bacteria and parasites such as Toxoplasma gondii. It lists medium at 71C and well done at 77C, and the healthdirect food safety guide uses the same figures but labels 63C rare.

The Cost Cut Meats doneness scale describes eating quality instead: rare finishes at 55 to 60C and medium rare at 60 to 63C after resting, so rare sits below FSIC's 63C.

How to Cook Rare Steak More Safely at Home

Following FSANZ and FSIC advice at home comes down to cold storage, fridge defrosting, a fully cooked surface and keeping raw and cooked meat apart.

FSANZ advises keeping perishable food at 5C or colder, so start with beef that has stayed chilled all the way home, the same test that decides whether it is safe to order meat online.

It also advises storing food in containers so raw and ready-to-eat foods do not touch, habits that help you store meat safely.

FSANZ says not to thaw frozen food at room temperature, but in the fridge or the microwave, so plan ahead to defrost meat safely.

Sear every face and edge, in line with FSIC's fully cooked outside. Then switch to clean tongs and a fresh plate: FSIC warns never to put cooked meat on the plate that held it raw, and FSANZ advises one board and knife for raw meat and a separate set for food eaten without cooking.

If mince or sausages share the pan or grill, cook them to 75C as FSANZ recommends, and check with a meat thermometer.

Conclusion

FSIC guidance allows a rare steak from an intact whole cut with a fully cooked outside, while mince and tenderised meat need 75C.

FSANZ advises pregnant women and other vulnerable people to choose thoroughly cooked meat.

Our bulk packs and whole primals arrive chilled, never frozen, ready to portion at home.