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Topic: Malicious Microbes??????
From: James Slaton,
Subject: Re: Grilling fish and seafood

Smoky,

You said this in a recent reply about cooking seafood: From a health standpoint, any malicious microbes will be on the exterior and be quickly exterminated.

That's a great relief to know, but what makes seafood so unique? Poultry and pork have dangerous beasties on the inside of the meat (using the term loosely), don't they? Isn't that why you have to be sure to thoroughly cook poultry?

Why you're dispensing info, is it a bad idea to use glass cutting boards? I've never used anything but wood, but was recently given a glass board as a gift. I'm skeptical about using my Henkel knives on the damn thing because I just can't imagine it's good for the edge. I don't even like using my pocket knife for cutting plastic off wine bottles before uncorking them.

Thanks for being such a wellspring of cooking information.

James Slaton

Hi James,

Most poultry available in the US is raised in conditions which foster the growth of salmonella and Staphylococcus bacteria and, during their slaugter and dressing, this is spread around rather than irradicated. Poultry houses try several things to reduce the bacteria count. Sometimes they work.

Pork may carry trichinae (a nematode type worm) in their bodies which, if not killed by heating to at least 137°F., will have a wild party in your body and make you sick.

Except for some species, i.e. lionfish, puffers which are naturally poisonous and barracuda which become toxic from feeding on fish which have fed on "red tide" organisms, fish are pretty safe and clean. If they lay around long enough to be dangerous they signal by their odor not to eat them.

Shrimp, not taken in severely polluted water, are marinated in lime/lemon juice and eaten raw in lots of places. If you get fresh shrimp and wash them good, they're safe. Fish, likewise, are eaten raw.

Raw oysters from polluted waters or during red tides are not safe unless cooked.

Not many folks are as lucky as I in gathering their food. I am careful when and where I buy seafood -- normally right off the shrimp boat, into my ice chest and those not eaten quickly go into a package filled with water and into the freezer. When thawed, they are just like fresh. Fish get the same treatment whether boated or bought. I normally buy oysters by the sack, eat until I and all around are stuffed. Grill a few. Put the rest in a recyled whiskey barrel with salty water and eat them over the next few weeks.

As for beef, I don't trust store ground beef for burgers and rarely buy it for any reason. I catch chuck cheap and grind my own. Therefore I feel safe when I eat a rare burger.

Re: Cutting boards. It has been proven that wooden cutting boards have an antiseptic quality that plastic boards don't have. Like you, I would never use glass. I won't even carve on a glass or porcelain dish.

Re: Knives. I don't like the Henckels. They are too brittle. They will hold an edge, but require too much first time honing and will snap quickly. Lost the first 1/2" of my chef's knife early. Gave all but a couple away. I favor Chicago Cutlery or Forschner (now Victorinoix?). Some pretty good blades coming out of Brazil now.

Filled your ear up,
Smoky

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