To add a couple more things... Bacteria (which can cause microbial contamination) is basically located on the skin of the animal (not the muscle meat), and E. coli is located in the digestive system of the animal. Cross contamination from the digestive system through any number of ways during slaughter is how the muscle meat can get contaminated with E. coli. Poor slaughtering methods. The meats that we eat skin and all - poultry, for the most part - are especially prone to spoilage because of the microbial contamination from the skin. For example, (source: On Food and Cooking - by Harold McGee) "a typical piece of pork in the supermarket will have a few hundred bacteria per square centimeter (a cut from muscle meat without any skin), while a piece of chicken (which contains the skin) may have 10,000 in the same area. This simple statistic is the reason for cleaning hands, knives, and cutting boards thoroughly with hot, soapy water after handling chicken and before handling other foods, and for cooking poultry well, especially its surfaces." "Bacteria and molds break down the surface layer of meat..." A way to lower the potential of E. coli contamination is to use grassfed beef. Studies have found that animals fed corn silage and animal by-products are more likely to carry E. coli 0157:H7 than animals that are grass-fed. It has to do with the acidity in the digestive system of the animal due to the type of feed. The grassfed animals have more acidity in the digestive juices which destroys E. coli to begin with. Our own gastric juices can destroy 99.99 percent of the NORMAL type of E. coli found in grassfed animals. By contrast, a high percentage of the ACID-RESISTANT E. coli from grainfed animals can survive the acid bath in our stomachs which could cause major health problems. Yet one more reason why I use grassfed beef.... Luckily, it's raised "naturally" and still processed in a small plant one animal at a time. -Grainlady

One of DS's favorites is the Korean Barbecued Beef that I adapted from Betty Crocker's International Cookbook. This recipe makes good use of sirloin steak which is one of my least favorite cuts. But it works great in this dish. Korean Barbecued Beef (Bul-Ko-Kee) Bul-ko-kee is Korea's national dish and may have been the inspiration for Japan's teriyaki, which it resembles. In Korea the dish is usually sprinkled with sesame seeds before serving. 4 servings 1 # beef boneless top loin or sirloin steak 1/4 c. soy sauce 1 1/2 Tablespoons sugar 2 Tablespoons sesame or vegetable oil 1 1/2 teaspoons liquid smoke 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 3 green onions, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped Trim fat from beef; cut beef diagonally across grain into 1/8" slices. (For ease of cutting, partially freeze beef about 1 1/2 hours.) Mix remaining ingredients, stir in beef until well coated. Cover & refrigerate for 30 minutes. Drain beef; stir-fry in 10-inch skillet or wok over medium heat until light brown, 2-3 minutes. Serve beef w/ hot cooked rice. (I add a some water to the marinade & toss it in the wok along w/ a bit of cornstarch mixed in water to thicken the 'sauce'. Like to have a bit of sauce w/ my rice.) Normally serve this along w/ some fresh steamed broccoli.

The top sirloin roast is also one of my favorites. I'll be having a 12-14 lb. roast cut for me next weekend. I'll dry age it until Christmas, at which time it will have lost about 2-3 lbs. I'll sear it, douse it with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and slow roast at 200F until medium rare. Served with a demi glace drizzle and a fork, it's one of my favorite meals of the year. I hope to chronicle the whole process here/on my food blog.

Oh, no! I thought I was posting on the Kitchen Table forum. Anyone feel like photographing ground beef today? LOL