Beef Wellington and Norovirus

[Robenco15]

So this past Christmas I prepped a beef wellington after work, pre-searing the tenderloin and cooking it SV, laying out the prosciutto and duxelle, and wrapping it around the cooked tenderloin. I then wrapped it tight with saran wrap (which helped me wrap the prosciutto/duxelle mixture around the beef) and then vacuum sealed that and put it in the fridge.

 

3 hours later ( 11pm) my stomach hurt and I proceeded to be sick all night and spent the next day in bed. I obviously had to cancel my dinner party. I did, however, put the vacuum sealed wellington in the freezer, which is where it is today. I went to the doctor and she said I probably have the norovirus. I was back to normal come Saturday so it was a 24 hour thing.

 

This weekend I'd like to make the beef wellington, but I fear that I unknowingly contaminated the wellington as I prepped it (yes I washed my hands plenty, but the norovirus is a pretty strong virus). I don't believe freezing it kills the virus so I think the only way to do it would be to cook the tenderloin to 140f, which kinda also kills the meat, but better safe than sorry right? One of my dinner guests is pregnant, so I don't think I have any other choice but to cook it past 140f.

 

Or is this just not worthy the risk at all. Just hate knowing I have two (yeah, I made two that night) beef wellingtons in my freezer that I may not be able to eat. That is $$$

[Duvel]

Regardless, whether you had a Noro, Rota or any other virus or stomach bug - given the usual incubation times at three hours before you showed the first symptoms you were infectious. And regardless of your personal hygiene, if you prepare something for consumption while being infectious with a bug thats transmitted via droplet infection you will have compromised your food. I would bin it ...

 

Just my two cents.

[Robenco15]

17 minutes ago, Duvel said:

Regardless, whether you had a Noro, Rota or any other virus or stomach bug - given the usual incubation times at three hours before you showed the first symptoms you were infectious. And regardless of your personal hygiene, if you prepare something for consumption while being infectious with a bug thats transmitted via droplet infection you will have compromised your food. I would bin it ...

 

Just my two cents.

 

So you wouldn't even bother with cooking it past 140f to kill any virus that may be present? I get that. I can see myself throwing it away.

Edited January 21, 2020 by Robenco15 (log)

[Duvel]

I would throw it - not worrhwhile taking the risk (at least for me). But I am in general a cautious person ...

[liuzhou]

You had a shitty 24 hours. Do you want to risk going through that again? Bin it!

[chileheadmike]

I would not serve it to others, especially no one expecting. I might cook it for  myself though, thinking I now have some immunity for that virus. 

[Darienne]

Probably not what you wanted to hear, but I would also join the binners.

[Robenco15]

Yeah I was 90% leaning towards throwing it away. I’ll do that. Two beef wellingtons gone. Sucks. 

[liamsaunt]

I am sorry to hear that you were ill.  I have had norovirus and it is just awful.  I would definitely throw those wellingtons away.  

[gfweb]

5 minutes ago, Robenco15 said:

Yeah I was 90% leaning towards throwing it away. I’ll do that. Two beef wellingtons gone. Sucks. 

It sucks, but yeah.

[KennethT]

I know you've already made your decision, but in case anyone in the future comes across this, here's info from the CDC:

https://www.cdc.gov/norovirus/about/prevention.html

 

It basically says that norovirus is relatively heat resistant - it can survive 145degF as well as quick steaming processes like with shellfish.

[lindag]

2 hours ago, Robenco15 said:

Yeah I was 90% leaning towards throwing it away. I’ll do that. Two beef wellingtons gone. Sucks. 

My sympathies...that’s a big investment in both time and money.  A shame to waste it.

[pastrygirl]

If you were going to braise it to death and cook to 180f and nobody was pregnant, maybe. Otherwise better safe than sorry. 

[AlaMoi]

norovirus survives 145'F and better.

strip off anything 'coating' the roast and trash that bit,  use the meat for a dish heated/held well beyond 140'F

 

as noted, the infection occurred well prior to your 3 hour 'issues' - and regardless of "I'm careful" the potential of having contaminated anything handled is pretty high.

[paulraphael]

On 1/21/2020 at 5:57 PM, AlaMoi said:

norovirus survives 145'F and better.

 

 

Do you have a source for this? I've read that it survives "up to 140F."

 

My inclination would to keep it and eat it myself. Actually I'd share with my girlfriend ... she has that strange genetic marker that makes her immune to norovirus. 

 

You shouldn't have to worry about making yourself sick again. You now have immunity to that particular strain. 

[FeChef]

Im with the I would eat it crowd. But i wouldn't serve it to anyone else, especially a pregnant woman.

[chromedome]

1 hour ago, paulraphael said:

 

Do you have a source for this? I've read that it survives "up to 140F."

 

My inclination would to keep it and eat it myself. Actually I'd share with my girlfriend ... she has that strange genetic marker that makes her immune to norovirus. 

 

You shouldn't have to worry about making yourself sick again. You now have immunity to that particular strain. 

The CDC says "up to 145 F," and it's wise to always assume that some survive at those marginal temperatures. Given that the infective dose is believed to be 1-10 individual virus particles (source: FDA Bad Bug Book 2nd ed.) even a few survivors would be problematic.

 

The CDC also cautions that immunity isn't a reliable assumption, in part because of the numerous strains of the virus and in part because it's unknown how long the  immunity actually lasts.

[boudin noir]

 If you froze it immediately after you composed it, I would thaw it out enough to remove all that surrounds the beef. Then I would sear the total exterior of the fillet. Then cook the fillet. Discard the surrounds.

Edited February 17, 2020 by boudin noir (log)