Hi everyone,

I'm really happy to have found this forum; there's a lot great information here  

I'm currently planning to transition from cooked to raw meat. Once I decide on an online source (feel free to offer suggestions) and make space for a chest freezer, I'll be diving in. In the interest of full disclosure, I should note that I don't have any particular plans to start eating a fully raw diet (although anything's possible). Right now I'm more interested in "primal" eating, as interpreted by Mark Sisson's Primal Blueprint. Ultimately, I'm just going to forge my own path through trial and error and decide what works best for me. I'm sure the information and experiences shared here will be very helpful in that regard.

I'd love any feedback/suggestions regarding the following:

What are the best cuts of beef (or bison or lamb, since I'll be trying those too) to start off with? Should I start with the more tender cuts? I don't want my initial experiences to be so miserable that I give up after a few weeks.

Any particular types of fish that would be good for a newb? I actually don't care for cooked fish at all, but if I can find a source for (affordable) wild caught fish, I'll probably try it at some point for the sake of variety. I feel obligated to mix it up a little, for diversity's sake.

I know we're eating this stuff raw, but are there any particular "preparation" steps that are necessary? Just the other night I tried some raw steak. I only had a small amount, because it was regular grain fed and non-organic, but I had to fight the urge to excessively rinse it because the blood made me a little squeamish. Eventually I just slapped it on a plate and ate it with some lemon juice and mustard, but is the blood something you just get used to? Should I be rinsing it thoroughly?

And, speaking of the lemon juice and mustard -- I'd really love to hear any "recipes" -- favorite marinades/dressings/etc, that you're willing to share. (God knows, I'm going to need all the help I can get while starting with this)

Any comments, questions, suggestions are welcome and appreciated. Looking forward to spending more time here : )