Anthony Bourdain Had Serious Doubts About Eating This Popular Meat At Restaurants. Here's Why

Mike Coppola/Getty Images

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain was known for having many fiery food opinions, and he wasn't afraid to let those opinions fly. While the well-traveled chef admitted to Conan O'Brien that underdone iguana was the worst meal he ever ate, a far more pedestrian food also raised Bourdain's ire. According to "Kitchen Confidential," the chef's best-selling expose of the restaurant industry and the hardworking individuals who keep it going, he wasn't a fan of certain dishes containing ground beef. "Beef Parmentier? Shepherd's pie? Chilli special? Sounds like leftovers to me," Bourdain stated.

Bourdain didn't completely avoid ground beef when dining out, as the chef openly professed his love for In-N-Out Burger. However, it's worth noting that the chain makes its patties from freshly ground meat. So it may help to dive into the recipes named in the book to better understand his claim. Beef Parmentier (also known as Hachis Parmentier) is a French dish that draws comparisons to shepherd's pie in that both feature ground beef topped with mashed potatoes. As for chili, the ground beef in this dish is heavily concealed by all the other elements. Bourdain was known to call out the practice of using leftovers in new, sometimes very pricey dishes (which was one of the reasons he hated brunch). So he may have been inferring that these preparations are perfect for hiding meat that isn't as fresh and flavorful as it once was.

Oksana Mizina/Shutterstock

The suspicion Anthony Bourdain raised in "Kitchen Confidential" isn't far-fetched. Consider, for instance, that Wendy's chili is made from leftover meat patties. However, the restaurant doesn't see this aspect as a negative. In fact, Wendy's is transparent about the practice and upholds it as a great way to reduce food waste. A Redditor claiming to work for the restaurant said of the meat, "It's not gross. It's perfectly good burger but Wendys has high standards." Obviously, an item like this probably won't appeal to someone looking for a fresh meal, but some folks may have other qualms. For instance, are there any safety risks that come with repurposing ground beef?

If the meat is handled properly, it should be fine. Cooked ground beef must be refrigerated in temperatures of 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower, and any meat placed in cold storage should be used within two days or less. Refrigeration is crucial for keeping food out of the "danger zone" of 40 degrees Fahrenheit to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, as bacterial growth is most likely to occur within this range. It's also important to highlight that restaurants in the U.S. are subject to frequent visits by health inspectors, who call out unsafe practices and require establishments to take swift action. As a trained chef, Bourdain had tastes that were more sophisticated than those of the average diner, and that may help explain his aversion.