While it often feels like America has one monolithic food culture, plenty of local, under-the-radar traditions still exist— especially during the holiday season. Though often unique in the best way, like Watergate salad or pecan balls, these favorites are almost always regionally famous for a reason—because they are both nostalgic and delicious. However, one holiday staple from Wisconsin might be famous for all the wrong reasons.
Every year around the holidays, a notice from Wisconsin’s Department of Health Services makes the rounds. The annual PSA advises Badger State residents that they should not partake in the holiday tradition of “tiger meat” or “cannibal” sandwiches.
“Some #Wisconsinites consider tiger meat or cannibal sandwiches to be a #holiday tradition, and it’s a DHS tradition to warn you that eating raw or undercooked meat can make you sick,” the notice on X (formerly Twitter) reads.
Did you double-take on the “raw or undercooked meat” part? Us, too. Not to yuck anyone’s yum, but it’s a whole other issue when food safety is on the line. So what, exactly, are Wisconsinites eating for pre-Christmas dinner that has the Health Department professionals concerned?
What Are Cannibal Sandwiches?
While the name implies something sinister, the cannibal, or tiger meat, sandwich consists of raw ground beef, salt and pepper, and onions served on bread, according to “Wisconsin Public Radio.”
The popularity of the cannibal sandwich isn’t unique to one Wisconsin town, either. According to the “Milwaukee Journal Sentinel,” one Milwaukee butcher shop supposedly sells 1,000 pounds of raw beef for the sandwiches on Christmas Eve alone, with another 600 to 700 pounds going out the door on New Year’s Eve.
It seems the Wisconsin delicacy draws inspiration from the German dish mett, which is raw ground pork seasoned with spices and sometimes topped with onion. The cannibal sandwich has been served around the holiday season—and at weddings—in Wisconsin for years, despite consistent warnings from state and national health departments.
As you might imagine, eating ground beef tartare is like playing a game of Salmonella roulette. While steak tartare is passable (albeit still a little risky) when handled properly by a restaurant with careful preparation and access to quality beef, simply grabbing ground beef from a store and hoping for the best presents a bit more risk. There have been eight Salmonella outbreaks tied to consuming raw ground beef in the state of Wisconsin since 1986, according to the USDA, and hundreds of people are left sick from cannibal sandwiches each year.
As the USDA sees it, there’s really only one safe alternative: Cook your beef with the same toppings before serving. To kill the bacteria, ground beef should be cooked to a temperature of 160 degrees F (71 degrees C) before serving.
So, maybe this year, you should stick with a different Wisconsin holiday favorite—like Kringle, cheese balls, or stollen—because, trust us, no one wants to spend their Christmas Eve in the hospital after indulging in a little raw beef.
