Few words have the power to simultaneously sour stomachs and whet appetites like the mention of raw meat. Indians abhor the idea. Ethiopians consider it their
national dish. We once knew a Russian butcher who insisted a plate of raw bacon was the ultimate companion to a glass of vodka. Attitudes amongst American eaters, though, are decidedly more skeptical.
Yes, we've read The Jungle, we've seen Food, Inc. and we remember what our mothers told us about touching an unwashed cutting board. Still, there is something about eating raw beef so primally decadent, so unabashedly rich, that it makes ignoring the 'uncooked food' warning printed at the bottom of the menu well worth it. Hell, if Lady Gaga is wearing it, why shouldn't be eating it?
If you do decide to throw E. coli caution into the wind and sample some raw beef, Los Angeles may be the ultimate destination. Here is a round up of some of the city's more intriguing uncooked offerings (children, the elderly, and pregnant women be forewarned).
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| chow.com |
| Yuk Hwe |
Found at a few meat-centric restaurants in Koreatown,
Yuk hwe is popular as a topping for
bibimbap or as an
anju, a
soju-friendly appetizer. Thin 'noodles' of raw beef are marinated in soy, garlic, and sesame oil then topped with a raw quail egg and matchsticks of crisp Korean pear.
Baek Ha Chong, 3929 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles (323) 935-5554
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| Flickr/eeto |
| Beef Carpaccio |
9. Beef Carpaccio: Leave it to the Italians to create the most
semplice version on the list. Near transparent slices of raw beef are lighty dressed with olive oil and lemon (and perhaps a little mustard). A nest of arugula and a few slices of Parmesan make a fine accompaniment.
Angelini Osteria, 7313 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles (323) 297-0070
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| streetgourmetla |
| Kibbeh Nayeh |
8. Kibbeh Nayeh/Cig Kofte: Perhaps you've heard of Lebanese
kibbeh (kibbe), the fried football-shaped croquette made of minced beef, bulgar wheat and pine nuts.
Kibbeh nayeh is simply the uncooked version, with the above ingredients ground to form a rich spread somewhat akin to a robust
pâté. A close cousin is the Armenian version,
chi kofte. Both go well with garlic sauce and a mound of fresh pita.
Hayat's Kitchen, 11009 Burbank Blvd., North Hollywood (818) 761-4656; House of Bastruma, 2487 E Washington Blvd., Pasadena (626) 345-9090
7. Kitfo: In Ethiopia, butchers often serve
kitfo, chopped beef doused with clarified butter and spices, moments after it is carved from the animal. In Little Ethiopia, the version arrives as a glistening bowl of red flesh, ready to be sopped up by spongy
injera bread.
Merkato, 1036 1/2 Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles (323) 935-1775
6. Mettwurst/Teewurst: A source of pride amongst German
wurstmachers due to it's necessarily high quality ingredients,
mettwurst consists of ground pork funneled into a sausage casing and smoked for days at a time.
Teewurst, made with two parts raw pork to one part raw bacon, is prepared in a similar fashion, although it's 30-40% fat content makes it much more spreadable over a crusty roll.
Continental Gourmet Sausages, 6406 San Fernando Rd., Glendale (818) 502-1447
Location Info
1576 Colorado Blvd., Eagle Rock, CA
Category: Restaurant
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