I like to sear the outside of my meat, just enough to kill whatever has been exposed to the air, maybe a few minutes each side. The inside then is raw, but the outside is cooked. I've been doing this for about 3-4 weeks and so far I haven't gotten sick or anything. I LOVE raw meat. Even the tougher cuts become quite edible. It's not stringy, tough or difficult to chew and it's starts melting in your mouth like butter.