Per Mariam-Webster:

Mince: to cut or chop into very small pieces

And it is basic food safety knowledge that most bacterial growth on red meats is on the outside due to the muscle density compared to poultry. That’s why you can be served medium or rare steak and not medium chicken. Searing the outside of a steak kills the entirety of the bacteria that are on the surface. The meat must be fresh if you’re going to eat it raw, and you are supposed to carve away the outside layers all around when preparing it regardless, which is how I prepare my own tar-tar.

I have seen commercial kitchens and I have trust issues with undercooked food. I trust myself to make tar-tar at home because I understand how to handle the meat properly. I need to actually know the restaurant before I’ll risk eating tar-tsr there. I’ve had food poisoning that’s nearly killed me before, and it’s not an experience I’d like to repeat.

Fun facts: Beef (and I think bison) contaminants tend to be on the outside and should at minimum be seared; ground/minced should still be cooked thoroughly because those outsides have been mixed with a dirty grinder, poultry/salmonella and pork(trichinosis parasite?) are inside and need thorough cooking. Also the way the US washes the bloom off the eggs makes the eggs less likely to cross contaminate and spread salmonella BUT need to be kept in the fridge and salmonella can penetrate the shell and should be cooked through a little runny yolk is fine but sunny side up is risky. Fresh farm eggs done properly can be eaten raw after a brief dunk in some boiling water to clean and sanitize before cracking.

Minced is simply a size of cut, and it's the size tartare is traditionally cut to. Also, licking a knife is a classically risky activity regardless of what it's been cutting, that's a terrible analogy.