Raw pork, yes or no?
Medium-rare pork chops? A pink meatball? Um, better not. But why shouldn’t you actually eat pork raw? And what about pork tenderloin?
While chefs go completely over the top when people order a well-done steak, tartare made from pork fillet or carpaccio made from pork belly isn’t often served. Strange, really, because a rare steak tastes much better than a grey, overcooked entrecôte. Would the same apply to pork? Maybe a schnitzel would stay juicier if it wasn’t completely cooked through, and a pink meatball might be much more succulent. Yet people are warned against eating raw pork: unhealthy, don’t do it, naughty.
Stomach ache, nausea
The culprit is Trichinella spiralis, a parasite that can occur in horse meat, game and, yes, pork too. The trichinella larva travels through the body and causes the disease trichinosis. Stomach ache, nausea, fever and diarrhoea, followed over time by oedema, itching and chronic muscle pain: no, you really don’t want that. In extreme cases, trichinosis can even lead to encephalitis and heart and breathing problems, and it could even be fatal.
Pink filet mignon
And now the good news: pork in the Netherlands does not contain this parasite. All the meat sold here in supermarkets and butcher-shop displays is checked for trichinella. So there’s little risk in enjoying a beautiful pink pork tenderloin. According to experts, pork that isn’t cooked all the way through tastes much better than completely well-done ham steaks. Feel like experimenting? Don’t leave the pork chops on the grill for too long, let the filet mignon stay nicely pink inside and don’t worry if the saucages aren’t completely cooked through inside. Except when you’re on holiday in Eastern Europe: cook your schnitzel thoroughly there, because the parasite can still be found in countries such as Bulgaria and Romania.
