Can burgers be eaten pink?

[Shinyshoes1]

we went to a BBQ yesterday and I bit in to a burger and it was pink in the middle and so was my friends, she brought this up with the BBQ chef and he got really offended and sat there and stuffed it into his mouth to prove a point.

I still didnt eat mine even though he tried to tell me they can be eaten that way.

Views please

No. It's uncooked, raw meat. Steak tar tar (or something) is raw beef but it has to be prepared very fresh because there's a higher chance of food poisoning from mince (due to the surface area I think). Burgers need to be thoroughly cooked. I hope no one was ill

Yes. I like mine pink but oonly if homemade or a good quality burger.

If it was made from beef, then you will be fine. No different from eating a rare steak.

But if it was pork or chicken, definitely no.

No no no no no ! A steak only has one surface where with a burger, each little piece of the mince has a surface iykwim? So much more dangerous to undercook a burger ( although I wouldn't eat a rare steak either) . You were right to stay away

the problems lies with 'surface bacteria'. on a steak you cook the whole surface so it is safe. with minced beef / steak the surface (and its bacteria) will be mixed through so it is generally unsafe to eat a pink burger that you have not made yourself and in your case i wouldn't have eaten it.

however, i would agree that if you mince it yourself (or get your butcher to do it) and you know its reputable then i would eat it pink but you are still taking a risk. but hey if we ate how the environmental police (sorry health) dictates then we'd eat bugger all!