Undercooked chicken liver (pate) and food poisoning

[larryroohr]

Came across this and thought I'd pass it on here. A chicken liver pate thread a while ago recommended cooking the livers just until pink inside. I made some following that advice, it was delicious and I didn't have any problems, but....

"University of Aberdeen scientists bought raw chicken livers from a typical range of supermarkets and butchers over a two-year period and, after testing in the lab, discovered the bug Campylobacter in 81% of them."

http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-chicken-liver-pate-potential-source.html

[slkinsey]

Campylobacter cells are destroyed at temperatures above 48C. Something like the Momofuku chicken liver pate is cooked to 63C and is still pinkish.

Edited March 8, 2012 by slkinsey (log)

[larryroohr]

Thanks for that Sam. 15c is not a small difference. More scare journalism possibly. If Momo actually checks the temp so they know this thats different from someone throwing them in a super hot pan and quickly searing which would leave a larger differential outside to inside.

Since I started this I guess I'll pick some livers up and make some more pate, and cook hot checking the internal temp to see what they look like at 48c for my own info. I'll pull livers out at timed intervals, let them rest a minute and check. Call me curious and a bit paranoid when it comes to food poisoning. Last time I made this with input from that topic it was so good, worth doing just to enjoy it again.

Actually with an 80% infection rate if it was a real problem you'd think we would have heard about it by now.

Larry

Edited March 9, 2012 by larryroohr (log)

[ScoopKW]

I'm not familiar with the Momofuku recipe. But there could be some curing salt added to keep the interior pink and to more effectively kill off the nasties. Most of the pâté recipes I come across use a little Prague #1.

[Ashen]

This is actually a fairly well know thing, at least in the UK.

BBC link about catering food poisoning from chicken liver pate

[slkinsey]

I'm not familiar with the Momofuku recipe. But there could be some curing salt added to keep the interior pink and to more effectively kill off the nasties. Most of the pâté recipes I come across use a little Prague #1.

Nope. It's equal parts ground pork and pureed chicken liver with shallots, fish sauce, sugar, salt and 5-spice. It's a crumbly spreadable pate, kind of in-between the spreadable mousse style and the sliceable country style.