Professional Style Cooking, From a Professional.
Friday, 11 September 2009
Canadian Style Beef Stew en Casserole
Broiled or Roast Beef, The Two Terms are Really one and the Same.
These two terms are really one and the same. Broiled meat is ROASTED in front of a fire or heat source. In colonial, pioneer and the days before stoves, meat was cooked before the fireplace. Since that time, many Canadians have never tasted meat which has truly been roasted.
Modern Roasting
In the modern North American kitchen, meat or poultry is seldom, if ever, roasted.
We may BAKE IT, in the oven, (reflected heat); in which case the result is very similar to roasting; but nine times out of ten the meat or poultry will be braised.
And in that one instance out of ten, when we do roast (bake) something; the baking methods have changed in the past few years.
Roasting (baking) is now so simply done, with temperature-controlled ovens. In plain, shallow, open pans; with out covers that it is hard to believe so much confusion exists over the method --or that a uniformly browned meat will result.
Searing is not really necessary. The meat is placed fat side up, on a rack (a better tasting gravy is produced, if coarsely cut vegetable-a mirepoix- are placed under the meat) in a shallow pan, and the fat drips over the meat as it cooks, keeping it moist and juicy. Water should NEVER, EVER, under any circumstance, be used with any meat or fowl which is to be roasted.
Water is used only to steam (braise) less tender cuts prepared in the oven or on the top burners. The addition of any type of liquid, or tight cover, produces steam and you are automatically braising.
Have you ever wondered: why all the great international chefs-those in major hotels and restaurants-have a European background?
One of the great unanswerable mysteries to the culinary world is why so many North Americans, buy a good roasting cut and then throw their money away; because they choose to braise, steam and most often overcook the meat.
Perhaps it would help and save a lot of money, if they actually learned how to cook, which this cookbook can help at least you to do.
ROASTING METHODS
Note: Regardless of the method used, the successful roasting of any meat (or vegetable, for that matter) requires an adequate amount of fat. Preferably this will be present through natural "marbling" of the meat but leaner cuts can be "larded". The fat gives the meat flavour, prevents it from drying out thus giving a juicy product and aids in the breakdown of the connective tissue thus making it tender. Fat, of course, must be added for all vegetables.
Basic, Even Temperature Roasting Method=While all meats can be cooked successfully from the frozen state, it is probably best to let them stand for at least an hour at room temperature, especially if you are going to use a meat thermometer.
1. Wipe the meat with a damp cloth, do not wash.
2. Rub with salt in proportion to 1/2 tsp. per lb. of meat. Use garlic, onion, or pepper, if desired.
3. Place meat, fat side up on a rack, in a shallow pan (so as not to steam the roast). A layer-cake pan is ideal for a small roast, and your broiler pan is excellent for a larger roast. If no fat is on the meat, lay thick strips of bacon, salt pork, side pork or suet on it. This fat will self-baste the meat and no other basting is needed.
4. Roast in constant low temperature oven--300--325 F. for all meats except fresh pork; it may be cooked at 350 F. Low heat cooks the meat more evenly, more slowly, and browns it last, not first. Best of all, it costs less to cook.
5. Insert a meat thermometer, if one is available, into the meat so the bulb reaches the center of the thickest part. It should remain there during the entire roasting period. It will register the temperature of the meat on a scale plainly marked "rare" "medium" "well done" etc. This is the one sure method of telling exactly when a roast is done.
MIRACLE ROASTING METHOD
This is beef cooked to PERFECTION, rare all the way through.
Roast beef in a very slow oven (200 F), allowing about 1 hour per pound.
Old Fashioned Searing Method- Some die-hards still insist this method gives a better flavour.
Sear the meat in a very hot oven (500 F.) for 20 to 30 minutes, or until it is well browned. Reduce the heat to a moderately slow (325 F.) oven for the remainder of the roasting time. In reckoning the time, include the time the meat is being seared. For a rare roast, allow approximately 16 to 18 minutes per pound; for medium allow 18 to 25 minutes per pound; for well-done allow 27 to 30 minutes per pound, but remember too much cooking toughens meat and many an excellent cut is ruined in this manner.
Modern Roasting
In the modern North American kitchen, meat or poultry is seldom, if ever, roasted.
We may BAKE IT, in the oven, (reflected heat); in which case the result is very similar to roasting; but nine times out of ten the meat or poultry will be braised.
And in that one instance out of ten, when we do roast (bake) something; the baking methods have changed in the past few years.
Roasting (baking) is now so simply done, with temperature-controlled ovens. In plain, shallow, open pans; with out covers that it is hard to believe so much confusion exists over the method --or that a uniformly browned meat will result.
Searing is not really necessary. The meat is placed fat side up, on a rack (a better tasting gravy is produced, if coarsely cut vegetable-a mirepoix- are placed under the meat) in a shallow pan, and the fat drips over the meat as it cooks, keeping it moist and juicy. Water should NEVER, EVER, under any circumstance, be used with any meat or fowl which is to be roasted.
Water is used only to steam (braise) less tender cuts prepared in the oven or on the top burners. The addition of any type of liquid, or tight cover, produces steam and you are automatically braising.
Have you ever wondered: why all the great international chefs-those in major hotels and restaurants-have a European background?
One of the great unanswerable mysteries to the culinary world is why so many North Americans, buy a good roasting cut and then throw their money away; because they choose to braise, steam and most often overcook the meat.
Perhaps it would help and save a lot of money, if they actually learned how to cook, which this cookbook can help at least you to do.
ROASTING METHODS
Note: Regardless of the method used, the successful roasting of any meat (or vegetable, for that matter) requires an adequate amount of fat. Preferably this will be present through natural "marbling" of the meat but leaner cuts can be "larded". The fat gives the meat flavour, prevents it from drying out thus giving a juicy product and aids in the breakdown of the connective tissue thus making it tender. Fat, of course, must be added for all vegetables.
Basic, Even Temperature Roasting Method=While all meats can be cooked successfully from the frozen state, it is probably best to let them stand for at least an hour at room temperature, especially if you are going to use a meat thermometer.
1. Wipe the meat with a damp cloth, do not wash.
2. Rub with salt in proportion to 1/2 tsp. per lb. of meat. Use garlic, onion, or pepper, if desired.
3. Place meat, fat side up on a rack, in a shallow pan (so as not to steam the roast). A layer-cake pan is ideal for a small roast, and your broiler pan is excellent for a larger roast. If no fat is on the meat, lay thick strips of bacon, salt pork, side pork or suet on it. This fat will self-baste the meat and no other basting is needed.
4. Roast in constant low temperature oven--300--325 F. for all meats except fresh pork; it may be cooked at 350 F. Low heat cooks the meat more evenly, more slowly, and browns it last, not first. Best of all, it costs less to cook.
5. Insert a meat thermometer, if one is available, into the meat so the bulb reaches the center of the thickest part. It should remain there during the entire roasting period. It will register the temperature of the meat on a scale plainly marked "rare" "medium" "well done" etc. This is the one sure method of telling exactly when a roast is done.
MIRACLE ROASTING METHOD
This is beef cooked to PERFECTION, rare all the way through.
Roast beef in a very slow oven (200 F), allowing about 1 hour per pound.
Old Fashioned Searing Method- Some die-hards still insist this method gives a better flavour.
Sear the meat in a very hot oven (500 F.) for 20 to 30 minutes, or until it is well browned. Reduce the heat to a moderately slow (325 F.) oven for the remainder of the roasting time. In reckoning the time, include the time the meat is being seared. For a rare roast, allow approximately 16 to 18 minutes per pound; for medium allow 18 to 25 minutes per pound; for well-done allow 27 to 30 minutes per pound, but remember too much cooking toughens meat and many an excellent cut is ruined in this manner.
Thursday, 10 September 2009
Deep Fried Chicken My Way--With a Touch of Class
**** My Fried Chicken***
This is my own personal recipe, and until now, a secret, even from my wife and kids. At the time I developed it I had not studied much of American cooking history and was still very impressed by the Kentucky Fried Chicken advertising. The real secret is not the spices used but marinating the chicken in buttermilk for a long time—NOTE the spices are very similar to Chinese five spice. For two to four chickens and sometimes up to six depending on size use:
½ tsp. ground ginger ½ tsp. paprika
½ tsp. thyme ¼ tsp chilli powder
¼ tsp. oregano ½ tsp. celery seed
¼ tsp. basil 1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. onion powder ½ tsp. coriander
½ tsp. garlic powder ½ tsp coriander
½ tsp. curry powder ¼ tsp. cumin
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper 2 cups buttermilk
½ tsp. black pepper
¼ tsp. white pepper
In a bowl, combine the first seventeen ingredients; then add the buttermilk, mixing thoroughly. Pour the batter over chicken pieces and marinate at least twenty-four hours and up to five days.
Now mix another 4times the above dry ingredients and add:
3/4 cups all purpose
whole wheat flour 1/4cup cornstarch
1. Dredge the marinated chicken pieces in the dry herb/flour mixture.
2. Fry dredged chicken in a large skillet with hot peanut-oil @375 F. Once chicken has reached a golden brown colour, finish cooking in the oven.
3. Or it may be deep fried at the same temperature.
Gourmet Fried Chicken
No. 1
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. Paprika
1 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. Poultry seasoning
2 tbsp. powdered chicken broth
1/3 cup corn starch
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup fine bread crumbs
2 Frying chickens cut up
!. Combine first fifteen ingredients in shallow roasting pan or plastic bag.
2. Dredge chickens in seasoning mix. Let stand at least 10 minutes.
3. Dredge again.
No. 2
1 chicken, cut into serving pieces, or use 8 to 10 leg pieces (drumsticks and thighs), trimmed of excess fat.
! Tbsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. allspice
OR
Fines Herbes mix:
1 tsp. minced tarragon
1 tsp. minced chervil
1 tsp. diced chives
1 tsp. minced parsley
PLUS
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed and finely minced
1 tsp. cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
1 egg
1 cup flour
Salt and pepper to taste
In a bowl, mix chicken with salt, pepper, spices, garlic chilli, egg, and 2 tablespoons of water. When thoroughly combined, blend in flour, using your hands, Keep mixing until most of the flour is blended with the other ingredients and chicken is coated (add more water or flour if mixture is too thin or too dry; It should be dry but not powdery and not too wet-it has to adhere to the chicken.
No. 3
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. basil 1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp. ground ginger 2 tsp. garlic salt
3 Tbsp. Msg. (optional)
1 Tbsp. celery salt
1 Tbsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp dry mustard
4 Tbsp paprika
2 cups plain flour
Dried bread crumbs (commercial)
2 eggs
Chicken pieces (your choice) Vegetable oil
Mix all ingredients together, in a large bowl, except for bread crumbs, eggs chicken and oil. Put bread crumbs in a shallow bowl. Now begin to dip the chicken pieces in egg, one at a time, making sure they are well covered in egg. After you dip a piece of chicken, immediately turn them over in the bread crumbs, making sure they are well covered in the spice mix.
This is my own personal recipe, and until now, a secret, even from my wife and kids. At the time I developed it I had not studied much of American cooking history and was still very impressed by the Kentucky Fried Chicken advertising. The real secret is not the spices used but marinating the chicken in buttermilk for a long time—NOTE the spices are very similar to Chinese five spice. For two to four chickens and sometimes up to six depending on size use:
½ tsp. ground ginger ½ tsp. paprika
½ tsp. thyme ¼ tsp chilli powder
¼ tsp. oregano ½ tsp. celery seed
¼ tsp. basil 1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. onion powder ½ tsp. coriander
½ tsp. garlic powder ½ tsp coriander
½ tsp. curry powder ¼ tsp. cumin
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper 2 cups buttermilk
½ tsp. black pepper
¼ tsp. white pepper
In a bowl, combine the first seventeen ingredients; then add the buttermilk, mixing thoroughly. Pour the batter over chicken pieces and marinate at least twenty-four hours and up to five days.
Now mix another 4times the above dry ingredients and add:
3/4 cups all purpose
whole wheat flour 1/4cup cornstarch
1. Dredge the marinated chicken pieces in the dry herb/flour mixture.
2. Fry dredged chicken in a large skillet with hot peanut-oil @375 F. Once chicken has reached a golden brown colour, finish cooking in the oven.
3. Or it may be deep fried at the same temperature.
Gourmet Fried Chicken
No. 1
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. Paprika
1 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. Poultry seasoning
2 tbsp. powdered chicken broth
1/3 cup corn starch
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup fine bread crumbs
2 Frying chickens cut up
!. Combine first fifteen ingredients in shallow roasting pan or plastic bag.
2. Dredge chickens in seasoning mix. Let stand at least 10 minutes.
3. Dredge again.
No. 2
1 chicken, cut into serving pieces, or use 8 to 10 leg pieces (drumsticks and thighs), trimmed of excess fat.
! Tbsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. allspice
OR
Fines Herbes mix:
1 tsp. minced tarragon
1 tsp. minced chervil
1 tsp. diced chives
1 tsp. minced parsley
PLUS
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed and finely minced
1 tsp. cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
1 egg
1 cup flour
Salt and pepper to taste
In a bowl, mix chicken with salt, pepper, spices, garlic chilli, egg, and 2 tablespoons of water. When thoroughly combined, blend in flour, using your hands, Keep mixing until most of the flour is blended with the other ingredients and chicken is coated (add more water or flour if mixture is too thin or too dry; It should be dry but not powdery and not too wet-it has to adhere to the chicken.
No. 3
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. basil 1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp. ground ginger 2 tsp. garlic salt
3 Tbsp. Msg. (optional)
1 Tbsp. celery salt
1 Tbsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp dry mustard
4 Tbsp paprika
2 cups plain flour
Dried bread crumbs (commercial)
2 eggs
Chicken pieces (your choice) Vegetable oil
Mix all ingredients together, in a large bowl, except for bread crumbs, eggs chicken and oil. Put bread crumbs in a shallow bowl. Now begin to dip the chicken pieces in egg, one at a time, making sure they are well covered in egg. After you dip a piece of chicken, immediately turn them over in the bread crumbs, making sure they are well covered in the spice mix.
Canadian Chicken, Béchamel – The American Maryland Style
This is, truly,
A time honoured French
And French Canadian method of preparing chicken.
1. Disjoint chicken, leaving breast whole.
2. Season, each piece of chicken with salt and pepper, dip in flour, beaten egg and soft crumbs and place in greased pan.
3. Bake, uncovered in moderate oven (350 F.) from 40 to 45 minutes, basting frequently with 1/2 cup of fat melted in 1/4 cup hot water.
4. When the chicken is done, make a Béchamel Sauce from the fat left in the pan.
a. Stir in 2 Tbsp. of flour to make a roux, cook 1minute.
b. Slowly stir in 1 cup chicken stock and 1 cup milk or cream.
c. Cook until thickened.
5. Add button mushrooms, if desired. Serve the chicken with the sauce poured around it. Serves 6.
A time honoured French
And French Canadian method of preparing chicken.
1. Disjoint chicken, leaving breast whole.
2. Season, each piece of chicken with salt and pepper, dip in flour, beaten egg and soft crumbs and place in greased pan.
3. Bake, uncovered in moderate oven (350 F.) from 40 to 45 minutes, basting frequently with 1/2 cup of fat melted in 1/4 cup hot water.
4. When the chicken is done, make a Béchamel Sauce from the fat left in the pan.
a. Stir in 2 Tbsp. of flour to make a roux, cook 1minute.
b. Slowly stir in 1 cup chicken stock and 1 cup milk or cream.
c. Cook until thickened.
5. Add button mushrooms, if desired. Serve the chicken with the sauce poured around it. Serves 6.
Wednesday, 9 September 2009
Follow up to: Another Meat Recall--The Continuing Deadly Problem With Meats in Canada.
Published, by Al (Alex Alexander)D. Girvan, on 09/09/2009 17:18 Pacific Daylight Time
Unacceptable a year after listeriosis, our food is no safer.
A year after listeriosis, the foods we buy are no safer (Vancouver Sun). As usual, we haven't learned the lessons that we should from those outbreaks. When the Canadian Food Inspection Agency first announced a recall of foods containing pistachios in early spring, 25 products sold under three different brand names ( brand names no longer mean anything), were ensnared in the salmonella scare. By the time the food-safety investigation was finally completed in June, the recall captured 70 products and 18 brands in Canada all containing potentially contaminated pistachios from Terra Bella Inc. of California. At the end of it all, the second largest pistachio company in the United States admitted that; not knowing their own business, they didn't realize salmonella contamination could occur on raw pistachios. I can only wonder how many other cases went unreported? The striking revelation, made on the heels of a recall that was drawn-out because took time for manufacturers to figure out whether they used the tainted ingredient, is hardly a boost of confidence for consumers who are still digesting a string of listeriosis post-mortems about how Canada's food system and government??? failed Canadians last August. Twenty-two people, most of them elderly Canadians living in provincial long-term facilities or hospitals, ( good way of reducing health costs), died after consuming deli meats contaminated with listeria produced at a government-inspected plant operated by a leading food Company.
Whether the listeriosis outbreak has led to an overall improvement in the awareness of food safety among industry is very, very, arguable.
There's no doubt more rigorous tracking of listeria and sophisticated sanitation protocols are in place at Canada's federally regulated meat plants, where operators were shaken by the realisation that steps taken at Maple Leaf Foods Inc., an industry leader in Canada, (one can only wonder about other countries), weren't as good as they needed to be to deal with the ubiquitous bacterium. But the agency is still wrestling with a resource problem (maybe it's time we cut politician?s salaries and put our resources where they belong) that sees one meat inspector responsible for an average of five facilities?? --the ratio probably should be about five inspectors for one facility--while struggling with a new oversight system that favours auditing of company paperwork over time on the plant floor. And the food safety system is much more than listeria and ready-to-eat meat plants, especially as the Canadian Government becomes more and more kiss-ass and the system becomes increasingly globalized (Americanized) and the ingredient chain (some Canadian fast-food chains are now, illegally, importing beef blood from Mexico, in order to improve the flavour of their hamburgers) in processed foods becomes more complicated.
Far exceeding the danger of Swine Flu, public health officials believe cases of food-borne illnesses affect between 11 to 13 million Canadians every year and kill up to 500 people. The globalized food system makes food-borne illnesses the largest class of emerging infectious diseases in Canada, a fact that appears to have caught the POLITICIANS and Public Health Agency of Canada off guard, according to Sheila Weatherill, who came to this conclusion after completing her independent investigation into, last year's listeriosis outbreak.
I still feel reasonably good about the level of safety of food in Canada, but our vulnerabilities are substantial. We could have a food-borne illness outbreak tomorrow that would affect people from one end of this country to another. We don,t know how to address that appropriately at the moment. We are continuing raw manure on crops and we also feed these organisms that cause food-borne illness in humans to animals that we then eat as food and produce that is fertilized by the waste materials from them. Look people, try to think, that's just not too terribly bright in my mind.
I really believe what is fundamentally changed about food safety in Canada,and it is probably the best omen for the future, is that some level of public awareness has arisen at a number of levels of the past 12 months because, ultimately, I don't think you can affect the kind of cultural change that I think most people would say is fundamental to the strongest possible food safety system without that level of awareness. We need to seriously rethink our SPENDING PRIORITIES and FREE TRADE agreements.
In the meantime, watch for the latest recall to trickle out, and watch for more people mysteriously dying.
Unacceptable a year after listeriosis, our food is no safer.
A year after listeriosis, the foods we buy are no safer (Vancouver Sun). As usual, we haven't learned the lessons that we should from those outbreaks. When the Canadian Food Inspection Agency first announced a recall of foods containing pistachios in early spring, 25 products sold under three different brand names ( brand names no longer mean anything), were ensnared in the salmonella scare. By the time the food-safety investigation was finally completed in June, the recall captured 70 products and 18 brands in Canada all containing potentially contaminated pistachios from Terra Bella Inc. of California. At the end of it all, the second largest pistachio company in the United States admitted that; not knowing their own business, they didn't realize salmonella contamination could occur on raw pistachios. I can only wonder how many other cases went unreported? The striking revelation, made on the heels of a recall that was drawn-out because took time for manufacturers to figure out whether they used the tainted ingredient, is hardly a boost of confidence for consumers who are still digesting a string of listeriosis post-mortems about how Canada's food system and government??? failed Canadians last August. Twenty-two people, most of them elderly Canadians living in provincial long-term facilities or hospitals, ( good way of reducing health costs), died after consuming deli meats contaminated with listeria produced at a government-inspected plant operated by a leading food Company.
Whether the listeriosis outbreak has led to an overall improvement in the awareness of food safety among industry is very, very, arguable.
There's no doubt more rigorous tracking of listeria and sophisticated sanitation protocols are in place at Canada's federally regulated meat plants, where operators were shaken by the realisation that steps taken at Maple Leaf Foods Inc., an industry leader in Canada, (one can only wonder about other countries), weren't as good as they needed to be to deal with the ubiquitous bacterium. But the agency is still wrestling with a resource problem (maybe it's time we cut politician?s salaries and put our resources where they belong) that sees one meat inspector responsible for an average of five facilities?? --the ratio probably should be about five inspectors for one facility--while struggling with a new oversight system that favours auditing of company paperwork over time on the plant floor. And the food safety system is much more than listeria and ready-to-eat meat plants, especially as the Canadian Government becomes more and more kiss-ass and the system becomes increasingly globalized (Americanized) and the ingredient chain (some Canadian fast-food chains are now, illegally, importing beef blood from Mexico, in order to improve the flavour of their hamburgers) in processed foods becomes more complicated.
Far exceeding the danger of Swine Flu, public health officials believe cases of food-borne illnesses affect between 11 to 13 million Canadians every year and kill up to 500 people. The globalized food system makes food-borne illnesses the largest class of emerging infectious diseases in Canada, a fact that appears to have caught the POLITICIANS and Public Health Agency of Canada off guard, according to Sheila Weatherill, who came to this conclusion after completing her independent investigation into, last year's listeriosis outbreak.
I still feel reasonably good about the level of safety of food in Canada, but our vulnerabilities are substantial. We could have a food-borne illness outbreak tomorrow that would affect people from one end of this country to another. We don,t know how to address that appropriately at the moment. We are continuing raw manure on crops and we also feed these organisms that cause food-borne illness in humans to animals that we then eat as food and produce that is fertilized by the waste materials from them. Look people, try to think, that's just not too terribly bright in my mind.
I really believe what is fundamentally changed about food safety in Canada,and it is probably the best omen for the future, is that some level of public awareness has arisen at a number of levels of the past 12 months because, ultimately, I don't think you can affect the kind of cultural change that I think most people would say is fundamental to the strongest possible food safety system without that level of awareness. We need to seriously rethink our SPENDING PRIORITIES and FREE TRADE agreements.
In the meantime, watch for the latest recall to trickle out, and watch for more people mysteriously dying.
Another Meat Recall--The Continuing and Deadly Problem with Meat inCanada
Published, by Al (Alex Alexander)D. Girvan, 09/09/2009 16:56 Pacific Daylight Time.
Consumers should avoid eating certain President's Choice brand steaks, roasts and ground beef products that are being pulled from store shelves due to possible contamination with E. coli, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency says.
The agency issued the health hazard alert Tuesday as an expansion of a voluntary recall of beef products in the U.S. by JBS Swift Beef Company in Greeley, Colo.
It affects:
Fresh beef steaks roasts and ground beef bearing best-before dates between April 29 and June 16, inclusive, sold in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada.
Fresh beef knuckle roasts, four to five pounds (about 1.8 to 2.27 kilograms) in size, sold from Apr. 30 to June 10 at Sue's Market at 205 Don Head Village Blvd. in Richmond Hill, Ont.
The agency advises consumers who have purchased the affected products to throw them out.
As of Tuesday, no illnesses associated with the contamination had been reported.
Food contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 may not look or smell spoiled, but eating it may cause serious and potentially life-threatening illnesses.
CFIA list of products affected by the recall
PC cab sirloin tip stk marinating sc.
PC cab sirloin tip oven roast sc.
PC cab strip loin grilling stk sc.
PC cab strp loin prem oven rst sc.
PC cab tenderloin grilling stk sc.
PC cab tnderloin prem. oven rst sc.
PC cab flank marinating steak sc.
PC tnt top sirloin steak cp.
PC tnt top sirloin beefeater steak.
PC tnt top sirloin cap steak.
PC tnt top sirloin steak.
PC tnt top sirloin oven roast.
PC tnt top sirloin steak.
PC tnt top sirlion steak cp.
PC tnt top sirloin roast.
PC tnt top srln c/o beefeater.
PC tnt top srln cap stk bnls.
PC tnt top srln cap stk bnls.
PC tnt top sirloin steak.
PC tnt top sirlion steak cp.
PC tnt top srln c/o beefeater.
PC tnt top sirloin oven roast.
PC cab beef ground xlean sc.
PC cab beef ground lean sc.
HOW MIGHT WE ELIMINATE THE PROBLEM OF DANGEROUSLY CONTAMINATED MEATS???
IT IS REALLY VERY EASILY DONE; ALL WE NEED TO DO IS GO BACK TO LOCALLY GROWN AND PRODUCED BEEF AND BEEF PRODUCTS. WE NEED TO LOOK AFTER CANADIANS AND THE CANADIAN ECONOMY BY SUPPORTING THE LOCAL FARMER, BUTCHER, AND PRODUCER INSTEAD OF MAKING THE CORPORATE GIANTS RICHER. REMEMBER WHAT IS TRUE FOR HAMBURGER IS TRUE OF ALL GROUND BEEF AND ALL OTHER MEAT AND MEAT PRODUCTS.
The answer is very simple: go back to Canadian and locally owned retailers who actually care about the consumer. Canadians need to realise, the source of the problem is not the meat, but the processing and handling methods, which are in use today. A butcher once said to a home economics teacher: "Do teach cooks that there are some good cuts of meat other than porterhouse? The customers of this meat dealer made it difficult for him to sell all parts of the animal. When he bought porterhouse or loin, he had to buy the whole hind quarter. For some cuts he had little demand.
Now days, in the United States, and to supermarkets, most large hotels and restaurants in Canada, only loins or other whole sale cuts are sold. This means the institution has to buy only the cuts which sell. Special cuts are usually shipped to local stores. Because of this policy, beef is no longer freshly ground in store, but rather in the harder to control food processing plants.
.The Federal labelling laws on fat content still apply. So at least a customer has some idea of where the meat is coming from and exactly when it was ground. Canada must also tighten laws as to re-cutting, re-fluffing, and re- packaging meat, and require that all imported meats or ground products containing previously frozen or meats of foreign origin be labelled as such. Research has more than proven that the boxes and containers used for all frozen food products greatly contribute to contamination.
There must also be strict government inspection, not only as to meat quality, but also to bacterial and other chemical content, of all imported meats and especially any thing coming up into this country from the United States.
Clear-wrap packages, give you more of a visual choice, but as previously explained, are still no indication of freshness or quality. The meat should be red, with fat uniformly mixed. Fresh ground beef can be stored only in the coldest part of your refrigerator and should be used or frozen within two days.
To freeze ground beef, remove from market packaging and divide into specific recipe portions Wrap in plastic freezer wrap, waxed paper, or foil and then place in airtight, sealed, plastic, freezer bags. Freeze up to three months only.
When buying packaged ground beef, be sure there are no tears in the packaging and always check the expiration date. Bulk ground beef is now often sold in round, sausage like, chub rolls, vacuum-packed in a wrapper you cannot see through. Don't buy it. With this type of packaging you?re completely at the mercy of the market, since you cannot see the meat to make any visual judgements, and you know it can not be fresh. But since it is usually lower priced, if you do decide to buy some, pay attention to the expiration date(if there is one on the original packaging) and cross your fingers.
Since E coli 0157:H7 is found in the intestines of animals(ie. in the feces): if all animals were thoroughly washed, just before slaughter, and immediately after evisceration and skinning, there would be little or no chance of this contamination.
'I'd never seen anything like this,' expert says of listeria test results
Dangerous pathogen found in two-thirds of meat samples from hospitals, nursing homes in Toronto in August: CBC probe
Last Updated: Thursday, October 9, 2008
5:28 AM ET Comments134Recommend125CBC News
Two-thirds of meat samples taken from Toronto-area nursing homes and hospitals in mid-August for testing were contaminated with the bacteria listeria, according to records obtained by CBC News and the Toronto Star in a joint investigation.
Health officials warned the public in August about an outbreak of listeriosis, the illness caused by Listeria monocytogenes. The outbreak has been linked to the deaths of 20 Canadians and prompted the largest food recall in Canadian history.
Vinita Dubey, Toronto's associate medical officer of health, said the test results illustrate the extent of the contamination.
"I'd never seen anything like this," Dr. Dubey said after reviewing the test data for the first time.
'The fact that so many came back positive shows how contaminated the source was.'
Vinita Dubey, Toronto associate medical officer of health"Usually in our food investigations, we'll send a number of samples for testing and most will be negative. The fact that so many came back positive shows how contaminated the source was," she added.
The Ontario Ministry of Health and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in mid-August ordered public health units across the province to collect samples of processed meats such as turkey, ham and roast beef as part of the investigation into the outbreak. A federal government source confirmed Wednesday that half of the samples tested positive for listeria, and Toronto was a hot spot.
Toronto Public Health inspectors collected 26 samples from nursing homes, hospitals and HIV/AIDS hospices on Aug. 14 and Aug. 15. Seventeen of those samples ? roughly two-thirds of the total ? tested positive for a dangerous strain of listeria.
"There shouldn't be any positives," said Rick Holley, a microbiologist who teaches at the University of Manitoba. "The reality is if you did a survey in the market, you might find one or two at most out of this sample [size] that are positive.? And it is a particularly virulent strain of listeria. It's one of the bad ones."
The results are also disturbing given that the samples were taken from institutions that house the elderly and infirm, Holley said. The highest risk groups in listeriosis outbreaks include people with weaker immune systems, such as children, pregnant women and the elderly.
So now , how safe are the other processing plants in Canada? This cannot just be isolated to Maple Leaf??
--Canalta
"In an environment where these products are going to be consumed by that minority of the population that has some predisposition to some serious infection, this would represent significant challenge for those people," he said.
Maple Leaf Foods has now confirmed that the test results, which it received on the evening of Aug. 16, prompted it to launch the massive recall of its meat products on Aug. 17.
"When we looked at [the test results], we felt it was important to do more and that's why we closed the plant and recalled 191 products," said Linda Smith, a spokeswoman for Maple Leaf.
The test results obtained by the CBC and the Toronto Star show that the meat had various levels of contamination, when the standard set by Health Canada calls for zero tolerance.
The meat samples that tested positive for listeria had best-before dates ranging from early August to early October. Holley said this suggests the meat from the Toronto Maple Leaf Foods plant was being contaminated over a period of nearly two months.
"Whatever the defect was here, it had to be a continuing source of contamination. There had to be a reservoir of the bacteria growing."
Long-standing problems threaten Canadian food safety, experts warn
Flaws in Canadian Food Inspection Agency's inspection and public warning systems flagged in 2005 review
Last Updated: Wednesday, September 24, 2008
6:51 AM ET Comments141Recommend126CBC News
Canadian food officials were made aware of serious problems in the inspection system that could threaten public safety three years before an outbreak of the food-borne illness listeriosis that has been linked to 18 deaths, according to an internal report by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
A food inspector in Montreal takes cheeses that may have been cross-contaminated with listeria away to be destroyed. (Peter McCabe/Canadian Press)
The 2005 report, titled the Food Emergency Response Review, documented problems with some of the CFIA's food inspection procedures, delays in issuing public warnings about potentially dangerous food products, and a lack of followup after problems were identified.
"The safety of food in Canada is somewhat unpredictable," Rick Holley, professor of food microbiology and food safety in the department of food science at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, said after reading the report. "There should be a reasonable level of confidence that the food that we eat is not going to make us sick."
CFIA review
Read the in-depth CBC report on the CFIA's internal review.
The inspection agency's review was conducted from January to March 2005 by the CFIA's corporate planning, reporting and accountability branch. CBC News obtained the review using the federal Access to Information Act, as part of a joint CBC News/Toronto Star investigation into food safety.
The reviewers were trying to answer three key questions: who is responsible for what when the agency recalls bad food, what followup is conducted once the food has been recalled, and how do investigators assess risk?
The blunt review concluded that there was "no clear policy on when a recall requires public warning," that there was no "common understanding of what is meant by recall followup," and that "processes and strategies do not appear to be in place for systematically dealing with repeat [recall] offenders."excerpts from 2005 CFIA Food Emergency Response Review
Within CFIA there is no common understanding of what is meant by recall followup, more specifically for longer-term followup.
Concerns have been raised that too much reliance is being placed on information provided by the establishment, or in the case of imports, the foreign country.
In some areas, it has been noted that inspection staff may not be receiving sufficient hands-on experience in inspection activities and interview techniques.
This situation [problems in the inspection and warning process] results from confusion regarding who has the lead. It causes delays in obtaining required information, questions are raised about the laboratories concerning the appropriateness of taking additional samples and/or different advice [is] given to the area field staff on the need to expand the investigation to other projects or firms.
Information on recalls could be shared more widely: a public warning may be issued depending on the seriousness of the health risk. There is no clear policy on when a recall requires public warning.
Many of the concerns highlighted in the 2005 review were raised in two previous internal reviews dating back to when the agency was first established, in 1997. Canada's auditor general also expressed similar concerns in 2000.
It's difficult to determine whether changes have been made to the CFIA's procedures as a result of the report, as agency staff have refused to be interviewed on the subject by CBC News and the Toronto Star.
CFIA food inspectors say problems still exist, according to Bob Kingston, president of the Agriculture Union of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, which represents inspectors. After circulating the internal review to union members, Kingston said one inspector wrote to him in an e-mail that, "Industry just calls a voluntary recall and no enforcement action is taken. We have no teeth to speak of."
Kingston said a second inspector wrote in another e-mail: "If a recall is deemed ineffective, food safety will ask for the recall to be repeated and a letter is written.? Some inspectors may have time to do followup inspections, but mostly they move on to the next complaint/recall."
Mike McBane, national director of the public health-care advocacy group the Canadian Health Coalition, called the 2005 report "shocking."
"No clear policy on a recall. Can you imagine? An emergency response program that has no policy on recalls?"
Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced on Sept. 3 that the government would conduct an investigation into the recent listeriosis outbreak, which was tied to meat from a Maple Leaf Foods plant in Toronto. The report is due before March 15, 2009. Investigators will not draw conclusions nor make recommendations about civil or criminal liability of individuals or organizations.
Critics such as Amir Attaran, the University of Ottawa's Canada Research Chair in law, population health and global development policy, who has read the 2005 CFIA report, are calling for a full government inquiry into the outbreak.
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