A. No, according to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.

"Most people have gotten the message that raw meat can make them sick and could even be deadly, " said Jim Larson, director of meat safety and inspection.

A cannibal sandwich, also known as steak tartare or tiger meat, is a traditional ethnic treat made of raw sirloin, often served on rye bread with thinly sliced onion.

Investigators tracing a holiday salmonella outbreak in Dodge County in 1994 linked it to raw ground beef. It sickened nearly 160 people ages 2 to 90.

While diarrhea is the main symptom of salmonella infection, a strain of E. coli sometimes found in meat can be more severe, even deadly. It 's especially dangerous for small children and old people.

What was really surprising about the 1994 outbreak, Larson said, was how much raw beef was being served and how often people -- even those who got sick -- said they 'd eat it again.

So after warning against serving raw meat at all, the department does offer some advice if you can 't give up the tradition: Wash your hands thoroughly. Use only a whole cut of meat, not trimmings, ground in a sanitized grinder.

Keep it cold. Serve it in small amounts, in dishes set on ice. Don 't leave it on the buffet table all afternoon. Don 't add raw eggs.

"None of this is going to eliminate the risk. It might reduce it a little, " Larson said.

Speaking of raw eggs, the department also warns against making eggnog with raw eggs.

-- Anita Clark

Have a concern? Look for Safe & Sound on Fridays in the Local section. Send questions to: aclark@madison.com; 608-252-6138; Safe and Sound, P.O. Box 8058, Madison, WI 53708.