Easy sandwiches are sometimes the most effective. Whether or not it’s a basic PB&J or a grilled cheese, some sandwiches with only a few components are such crowd pleasers that they’ve grow to be American classics. Nonetheless, one humble regional sandwich custom hasn’t but grow to be palatable nationwide: the cannibal sandwich.

This Wisconsin delicacy won’t be on many plates outdoors the Higher Midwest, however it’s a savory deal with that has been loved in its residence state for generations, and you’ll nonetheless discover it there at present.

Whereas probably nonetheless uncommon to some shoppers, the contents of a cannibal sandwich are notably much less stunning than its title. This dish options uncooked, minced beef served on a single slice of rye bread — making it an open-faced sandwich — with uncooked, white onion on high. 

Even when that description doesn’t make you crave this surprising meals custom, the fact is that the cannibal sandwich isn’t far faraway from an appetizer many people know and love: steak tartare. Extra importantly, this uncooked, beefy sandwich is a bit slice of Wisconsin historical past.

The place does the cannibal sandwich come from?

Somebody well-versed in German delicacies might discover the cannibal sandwich acquainted. Whereas the precise origin of the Wisconsin specialty is troublesome to pinpoint, it’s typically acknowledged because of the wealthy historical past of German immigration to the state. Germans have been the largest immigrant group to settle in Wisconsin in the course of the nineteenth century, and in accordance with Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR), about 40% of the state’s residents at present establish as having German roots. 

Beloved components of Wisconsin delicacies like cheese, bratwurst, and beer are seen indicators of the state’s Central European influences within the twenty first century. However one different dish arrived with this inflow of German immigrants, and it seems strikingly just like the cannibal sandwich. 

Mett — also referred to as hackepeter — is a well-liked meal in Germany that includes uncooked floor pork seasoned with salt and pepper, unfold on half a roll, typically topped with uncooked onion. On condition that cattle are the second-largest agricultural commodity in Wisconsin, it’s no shock that the German model of the dish advanced into the beef-centric cannibal sandwich over time.

Is it fit for human consumption a cannibal sandwich?

In accordance with the United States Division of Agriculture (USDA), consuming uncooked or undercooked beef is unsafe as a result of it would include dangerous micro organism. (For this reason the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Meals Code requires restaurant menus to place an asterisk subsequent to gadgets with sure uncooked or undercooked components, like beef or eggs, together with a warning on the backside of the menu.)

That mentioned, diners typically devour uncooked beef — whether or not as a tartare, carpaccio, or very uncommon steak — and often do superb. You tackle some danger, however you possibly can observe preparation pointers to make your dish safer to eat.

To start out, use recent, good-quality beef. (This isn’t the time to purchase one thing on sale or near its best-by date.) Keep away from leaving the meat out at room temperature for prolonged durations earlier than consumption, and chorus from utilizing pre-ground beef.

How do you make a cannibal sandwich?

As an alternative of selecting the pre-packaged floor beef from the grocery retailer, which is sourced from a number of components of the cow and presents a better danger of contracting E. coli when eaten uncooked, a cannibal sandwich needs to be made with steak. Beef tenderloin is the most suitable choice—that is the lower used for beef tartare—however different tender, lean cuts like high sirloin or eye of spherical additionally work properly and are extra budget-friendly.

That is the type of dish it’s best to head to a butcher to supply meat for. They may advise you on what’s freshest and may doubtless grind the steak for you. Alternatively, you possibly can grind or finely chop the steak at residence.

You’ll see just a few refined variations in how cooks make the cannibal sandwich. Some might put butter on the rye earlier than spreading the meat on high, and the dish is sometimes completed with parsley. One of the crucial widespread toppings is a slice of chilly pepper jack cheese, which acts virtually like a second slice of bread on high. 

At its easiest, you simply want just a few components to get pleasure from this delicacy. Unfold the bottom steak on a slice of rye bread, season with salt and pepper, then high with diced or sliced uncooked onions, and savor this regional deal with. Who is aware of, you may find it irresistible a lot that it turns into a staple at your loved ones gatherings and Christmas celebrations, simply because it has for therefore many Wisconsinites.