mmmm caesar salads -- but are they safe??

[unblock]

i've never liked salads. it was years before i discovered that vinegar is a migraine trigger for me. just try finding a salad dressing without vinegar in the supermarket....

anyway, i recently discovered that most restaurant caesars actually contain no vinegar. i even made one at home myself, and it was yummy!

but here's my concern: every recipe i've seen calls for one egg to be boiled for between 60 and 90 seconds, depending on the recipe. really, just enough to warm it up to allow it to spread evenly, but surely not hot enough to kill any bacteria (particularly salmonella).

but, i've never heard of people getting sick from caesars.

so, what's the verdict? safe, or not safe?

:shrug:

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

1. Here's what the USDA says:

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Egg_&_Egg_Product_Safety/index.asp



Egg & Egg Product Safety
Eggs can be part of a healthy diet. However, they are perishable just like raw meat, poultry, and fish. To be safe, they must be properly refrigerated and cooked.

The Importance of Egg Safety
Unbroken fresh shell eggs may contain certain bacteria that can cause foodborne illness. The bacteria are Salmonella Enteritidis (SE). While the number of eggs affected is quite small, there have been some scattered outbreaks. Currently the government, the egg industry, and the scientific community are working together to solve the problem.

What Part Carries Bacteria?
Researchers say that if present, the SE are usually in the yolk or "yellow." But they can't rule out the bacteria being in egg whites. So everyone is advised against eating raw or undercooked egg yolks, whites, or products containing them.

Who Should Be Extra Careful?
People with health problems, the very young, senior citizens, and pregnant women (the risk is to the unborn child) are particularly vulnerable to SE infections. A chronic illness weakens the immune system, making the person vulnerable to foodborne illnesses.

Taking Steps at Home
Proper refrigeration, cooking, and handling should prevent most egg safety problems. Persons can enjoy eggs and dishes containing eggs if these safe handling guidelines are followed.

1. Don't Eat Raw Eggs
This includes "health-food" milk shakes with raw eggs, Caesar salad, Hollandaise sauce, and any other foods like homemade mayonnaise, ice cream, or eggnog made from recipes in which the raw egg ingredients are not cooked.

2. Buy Clean Eggs
At the store, choose Grade A or AA eggs with clean, uncracked shells. Make sure they've been refrigerated in the store. Any bacteria present in an egg can multiply quickly at room temperature.

Don't wash eggs. At the plant, government regulations require that USDA-graded eggs be carefully washed and sanitized using special detergent. Then the eggs are coated with a tasteless, natural mineral oil to protect them.

3. Refrigerate Eggs
Take eggs straight home and store them immediately in the refrigerator set at 40°F or slightly below. Store them in the grocery carton in the coldest part of the refrigerator and not in the door.

4. Use Eggs Within Recommended Times
Use raw shell eggs within 3 to 5 weeks. Hard-cooked eggs will keep refrigerated for 1 week. Use leftover yolks and whites within 4 days.

If eggs crack on the way home from the store, break them into a clean container, cover it tightly, and keep refrigerated for use within 2 days.

5. Freeze Eggs for Longer Storage
Eggs should not be frozen in their shells. To freeze whole eggs, beat yolks and whites together. Egg whites can be frozen by themselves. Use frozen eggs within a year.

If eggs freeze accidentally in their shells, keep them frozen until needed. Defrost them in the refrigerator. Discard any with cracked shells.

6. Handle Eggs Safely
Wash hands, utensils, equipment, and work areas with warm, soapy water before and after contact with eggs and dishes containing eggs.

Don't keep eggs — including Easter eggs — out of the refrigerator more than 2 hours.

Serve cooked eggs and dishes containing eggs immediately after cooking, or place in shallow containers for quick cooling and refrigerate at once for later use. Use within 3 to 4 days.

7. Cook Eggs
Many cooking methods can be used to cook eggs safely including poaching, hard cooking, scrambling, frying, and baking. However, eggs must be cooked thoroughly until yolks are firm. Scrambled eggs should not be runny. Casseroles and other dishes containing eggs should be cooked to 160°F as measured with a food thermometer.

8. Use Safe Egg Recipes
Egg mixtures are safe if they reach 160°F, so homemade ice cream and eggnog can be made safely from a cooked base. Heat the egg-milk mixture gently. Use a food thermometer to check the temperature or use a metal spoon (the mixture should coat the spoon). If in-shell pasteurized eggs are available, they can be used safely in recipes that won’t be cooked.

Dry meringue shells are safe. So are divinity candy and 7-minute frosting, made by combining hot sugar syrup with beaten egg whites.

Meringue-topped pies should be safe if baked at 350°F for about 15 minutes. Chiffon pies and fruit whips made with raw, beaten egg whites cannot be guaranteed safe. Substitute whipped cream or whipped topping.

To make key lime pie safely, heat the lime (or lemon) juice with the raw egg yolks in a pan on the stove, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 160°F. Then combine it with the sweetened condensed milk and pour it into a baked pie crust.

Cook egg dishes such as quiche and casseroles to 160°F as measured with a food thermometer.

Egg Product Safety
The term "egg products" refers to eggs that have been removed from their shells for processing. Basic egg products include whole eggs, whites, yolks, and various blends, with or without non-egg ingredients, that are processed and pasteurized. They may be available in liquid, frozen, and dried forms.

Are Egg Products Pasteurized?
Yes. The 1970 Egg Products Inspection Act requires that all egg products distributed for consumption be pasteurized. They are rapidly heated and held at a minimum required temperature for a specified time. This destroys Salmonella but it does not cook the eggs or affect their color, flavor, nutritional value, or use. Dried whites are pasteurized by heating in the dried form.

Can Egg Products Be Used in Uncooked Foods?
Egg products can be used in baking or cooking (scrambled eggs, for example). They have been pasteurized, but are best used in a cooked product. Consumers should be sure that the internal temperature of the cooked dish reaches 160°F. Egg products can be substituted in recipes typically made with raw eggs that won't be cooked to 160°F, such as Caesar salad and homemade mayonnaise. Although pasteurized, for optimal safety, it is best to start with a cooked base, especially if serving high-risk persons: people with health problems, the very young, the elderly, and pregnant women.

What Are Some Buying Tips?

* Containers should be tightly sealed.
* Frozen products should show no sign of thawing.
* Purchase refrigerated products kept at 40°F or below.
* Avoid hardened dried egg products.


Storage Times for Egg Products

* Frozen egg products - 1 year
* If the container for liquid products bears a "Use-By" date, observe it.
* For liquid products without an expiration date, store unopened cartons at 40°F or below for up to 7 days (not over 3 days after opening).
* Don't freeze opened cartons or refreeze frozen cartons that have been thawed.
* Unopened dried egg products can be stored at room temperature as long as they are kept cool and dry. After opening, keep refrigerated.
* Use reconstituted products immediately or refrigerate and use that day.


Other Egg-type Items
Certain egg-type items are not presently considered egg products. These items, which are under the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) jurisdiction, include freeze-dried products, imitation egg products, and egg substitutes. Inspected, pasteurized egg products are used to make these items.

No-cholesterol egg substitutes consist of egg whites, artificial color, and other non-egg additives. Direct questions about egg substitutes to the manufacturer or to the FDA.

USDA Dried Egg Mix
USDA dried egg mix is a dried blend of whole eggs, nonfat dry milk, soybean oil, and a small amount of salt. (This is a government commodity product, not usually available commercially.) To reconstitute, blend 1/4 cup with 1/4 cup water to make one "egg." The reconstituted mix requires cooking.

* Store USDA Dried Egg Mix below 50°F, preferably refrigerated. After opening, use within 7 to 10 days.
* Use reconstituted egg mix immediately or refrigerate; use within 1 hour.

[short bus president]

2. it's a gamble

but all in all a REALLY safe gamble. The vast, vast majority of eggs that you buy in a store are not gonna make you sick if eaten raw or undercooked. But the one in several-hundred-thousand that will make you sick doesn't look any different from the rest.

You can also buy pasteurized whole eggs, to get rid of that last little niggling bit of doubt, tho, and enjoy 'em worry-free.

[VelmaD]

10. This from the man...

who wouldn't eat uncooked brownie batter out of the bowl with me because it had raw eggs in it. Sheesh. :eyes: :P

[seemunkee]

3. I'd do it.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12022671&dopt=Abstract
2.3 million infected out of 69 billion produced.

[trackfan]

4. We usually take the risk, but you can use,

in some recipes, hard-boiled egg, or even mayonnaise instead of a coddled egg. We even use raw eggs when we've got one fresh out of the hen that day, though.

[supernova]

5. Make cesar dressing w/ egg beaters

or something similar. All of those products are pasturized.

I do the same thing when I'm baking, that way I don't worry about eating the raw brownie mix or cookie dough. Which is what I wind up doing with half of it! :rofl:

[A HERETIC I AM]

6. I make a Caesar dressing that kicks ass and i use a raw egg ....

Never had a problem. As the above poster's info suggests, Salmonella is very rare in fresh eggs so don't worry about it. You don't need the egg in the recipe, but it does make for a creamier, deeper taste.

My Dressing;

The best way to make it is in one of those small blenders that have the little jar accessory. Mine is a Braun but Proctor Silex and Hamilton Beach make them too.

2 Large cloves fresh garlic

Juice of 1/2 of a large lemon (Reserve the 2nd half to be added to taste.

1-2 Anchovy fillets (It IS NOT CAESAR DRESSING if it doesnt have Anchovies)

Dash of Worcestershire sauce

Fresh ground black pepper

1 Raw egg.

Approx. 4 Tablespoons EV Olive Oil (More if needed. The olive oil, the egg and the Lemon juice will form an emulsion to make it a very creamy dressing)

Blend thoroughly for 30 seconds or so in your blender. Taste and if you want it more tart, add some more lemon juice.

I have made the mistake in the past of putting too much of each ingredient and this mix seems to work pretty well, but if you like it more garlicky, by all means add more garlic, etc.

[unblock]

7. what i made was very similar

i used anchovy paste instead of filets, and no worcestershire sauce (migraines, again).

mmmm.

do you boil your egg for 60-90 seconds or just go raw?

[A HERETIC I AM]

11. I use a raw egg......

It seems to me that the acid in the lemon juice cooks it a bit anyway. And Anchovy paste is just fine, i think. I usually buy the fillets in Olive Oil and end up throwing away the rest of the tin! The one advantage to using the tinned ones is that you can use some of the oil from it in the mix for a bit more zing.

[A HERETIC I AM]

8. One other thing........

A proper Caesar Salad Is made with Romaine lettuce (not ICEBURG) and has ROMANO cheese. Freshly grated Romano, Preferably Pecorino Romano. Not too much, not too little. And Croutons. You can make your own or buy them. I use the Caesar Salad ones you can usually find in the Produce area.
Enjoy!

[Rising Phoenix]

9. only once

I love caesars and get them all the time when I go out, only once did I get ill, and man did I get ill, I was violently sick, so be careful where you get it, if you make it yourself you should be ok

[Divameow77]

12. I LOVE Caeser salads

but this stupid diet, I can only eat FF dressings

[OldLeftieLawyer]

13. Here's the killer recipe

Don't boil the eggs - just stick them into a 300 oven for 60 seconds. That's another kind of pasteurization. But, really, it's most likely unnecessary.

I got this recipe from a chef in a restaurant in Denver that was renowned for its Caesar Salad. Supposedly, the owner got it from Caesar Cardini, who came up with the idea of this brilliant salad. It's gotten so corrupted over the years, it's refreshing to see the simplicity and taste the genius of the original. (By the way, using anchovy paste is just not the same in this recipe.)

We've been fixing this for almost 30 years - we even have a special glass bowl that's used only for Caesar Salad. I hope you get to try it, and, if you do, I hope you enjoy it (it's worth the work):



2 medium heads romaine lettuce
two dozen croutons made from good Italian bread
½ cup plus 10 Tbs. olive oil
3 tsp. chopped garlic
2 pasteurized eggs
salt
freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbs. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tb. freshly squeezed lime juice
1/3 cup freshly grated Locatelli
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/3 cup freshly grated Romano
10 flat anchovies

Separate and wash and dry the romaine leaves. Do not break them. Wrap in a towel and put aside.
Cut Italian bread into 2-inch squares. Heat 6 Tbs. of the olive oil in a heavy skillet until its surface almost shimmers. Add the bread cubes, and keep turning and adding more olive oil until all are evenly browned. Turn off the heat, toss in the chopped garlic, stir vigorously, and then drain the croutons on paper towels.
Break the romaine leaves and toss them into a large glass bowl. Add salt, pepper and the olive oil, and toss vigorously. Break the eggs, and toss the salad even more vigorously. Pour lemon and lime juices over the salad, and toss thoroughly until completely blended.
Combine cheeses in a bowl, and add to the dressed romaine.
Add anchovies.
Toss croutons and garlic on top.
Serve.

[unblock]

15. that sounds AWESOME!

thanks!

[put out]

14. I, too, love caesar salad, but I became very ill

about 10 years ago after eating one, made with the traditional raw egg at a very good restaurant. It had been my birthday weekend and for a few days my family shared with me only food we had prepared at home, and my SO and I shared our restaurant meals with each other. Except for the caesar salad; I was the only one who ate that. It was very tasty.

I was so sick 36 hours later, and it lasted for five or six days. I didn't feel at all like myself for a week after the main symptoms had subsided. I went to my doctor once and to the ER once. It had to have been the egg in the caesar, or maybe contaminants on the romaine.

I don't know that it's not worth a roll of the dice if you're healthy. I had eaten hundreds of them before this incident and everything was just fine. And I know this is anecdotal and all, but I don't get the salads anymore unless the dressing is made without raw eggs. They're not as good. :cry: