Reply #6: So when you say "wash it" do you mean just rinse with water?

[Duer 157099]

When I want to make med rare hamburgers, I do as you suggest and grind my own, but I always think about "what about the surface" because even when I have a rare steak, the surface is always seared.

I never knew how to resolve it unless I cut away all the surface meat and cooked it. But you mention washing it, which I (strangely) never considered. But to kill bacteria, you need warm water and soap, but won't that mess up the meat?