Posted by hans on April 20, 1998 at 14:13:58:
In Reply to: Looking for a recipe posted by Matt Kessel on April 17, 1998 at 14:05:30:
: As a youth my grandfather made a traditional German dish that he called "hackenpater" (sp?). It was a steak tar-tar with various herbs and spices that was served on rye bread with capers. Does anyone have this recipe or know a different name it might be found under? Thanks in advance.
Hackepeter is minced pork with salt, pepper and onion. Very common in Germany and also called Thueringer Mett, sometimes filled into casings and cold smoked.
In Germany, the pigs are individually inspected for trichinosis or infestation with a microscopic worm called Trichinae. A potentialy lethal and debilitating disease causing micro organism. Trichinosis can also be present in other animals, like bear and deer. It is transmitted by rat feces. Deer and bear that roam garbage dumps can pick it up through rat droppings.
In the USA the hogs are not inspected that closely and you will take your chances eating raw pork. However, the pigs are usually raised in clean surroundings and that will exclude rat infestation.
One way around that is to freeze the porkmeat to below -20F for a few days and take it from there. Freezing will kill this microscopic worm, unlike bacteria.
BTW: Trichinae is killed at temperatures above 136F. So it is ok to eat roasted pork "a point" or medium-medium well.