USDA WARNS Pittsburgh Restaurant: Don’t Serve HORSE MEAT Again!

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has warned a Pittsburgh eatery, Cure Restaurant, not serve horse meat again or face criminal prosecution.

The restaurant is accused of hosting a special dinner with Canadian chefs on May 8 that included horse tartare, an uncooked version of the meat.

Cure released this statement from chef/co-owner Justin Severino:

“On Monday night we hosted a collaborative dinner with chefs from Canada, a Québécois feast. One of the courses included horse tartare, which is traditional Québécois. It was sourced from a sustainable horse farm in Alberta, Canada. This dish was available for one night only and it is not part of the Cure menu.” A USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service spokesperson says Severino received a warning letter for illegally bringing horsemeat into the country. h/t

An inspection determined there were no other horse products brought in by the restaurant or on its menu. The warning letter carries no penalties, but means the restaurant could criminally prosecuted if it serves horse again.