Raw pork

[TXCraig1]

scott r,

I don't think this video was referenced on this forum before but it does show the pizza maker putting raw sausage on a pizza at Grimaldi's: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qb8w5Kv_CDw.

Peter

That is exactly how I remember them assembling a pizza - right down to the hand motion as they apply the sauce. I did like their pies there under the bridge.

[TXCraig1]

And then his unwashed hands go right into a container of grated cheese and who knows where else.   And that's the problem in a commercial setting.  

Ignoring the "who knows where else" part, is that really a problem? He isn't making any ready-to-eat food nor is the cheese or anything else up there going to be served without being cooked. I don't see the concern?

[parallei]

Ignoring the "who knows where else" part, is that really a problem? He isn't making any ready-to-eat food nor is the cheese or anything else up there going to be served without being cooked. I don't see the concern?

Is it really a problem?  No, IF the cheese from that tub is only used on something cooked and the guy washes up before touching anything else.  The guy just wipes his hand on his apron or a towel after handling ground raw pork.  Not good.  Don't ask for fresh basil!  In my mind, the "who knows what else" is pretty important.

Look, I use raw sausage.  I'd trust you with handling raw ground meats.  Some places, not so much........

[TXCraig1]

Is it really a problem?  No, IF the cheese from that tub is only used on something cooked and the guy washes up before touching anything else.  The guy just wipes his hand on his apron or a towel after handling ground raw pork.  Not good.  Don't ask for fresh basil!  In my mind, the "who knows what else" is pretty important.

Look, I use raw sausage.  I'd trust you with handling raw ground meats.  Some places, not so much........

I agree the "who knows what else" is pretty important, but that is a separate issue. I also agree with the wiping your hands on your apron - or pants. I was at a Neo place in Calgary not too long ago where the cooks all wore black pants. You could tell the guys that made pizza (they all also worked in the kitchen and would go back and forth) because they all had white butts.

[Jet_deck]

If it is worth mentioning, Varasano pre cooked his sausage at the time of my last visit.

[widespreadpizza]

Question cause I am not sure ,  assuming there is sodium nitrate in said sausage,  is everything cool in that video?  -marc

[parallei]

Question cause I am not sure ,  assuming there is sodium nitrate in said sausage,  is everything cool in that video?  -marc

I don't associate fresh sausage with nitrates.  They are not cured and are meant to be consumed within a few days, or frozen like the mass produced stuff.  The fresh sausage I purchase locally, or make, is not cured. Not sure about the mass produced stuff.  But I suspect if it is labeled fresh, no nitrates.....could be wrong though.

Here's Johnsonville Sweet (which seems to be popular around this site):

"Pork, water, corn syrup and less than 2% of the following: salt, dextrose, spices, extract of paprika, monosodium glutamate, natural flavoris, BHA, propyl gallate, citric acid."  No nitrates.

Our locally made fresh Italian sausages contain: pork, spices, paprika, (some list sugar) and that is it.  The best, in my opinion,  contain very little paprika and manage to maintain a pronounced pork flavor.  No nitrates or "cure"....

[Warren Montney]

Raw sausage is the only way to go but I  don't think you can cook it in 90 seconds the big chains all went to precooked beef and sausage crumbles because of health issues and labor costs. but the product sucks. Make sure you do the following and you wont have any trouble 1) use plastic throw away gloves about .02 cents each . 2) always break the sausage into small pieces if you can fit a dime inside a piece its to big. 3) always always put the sausage on las,t on top of everything and never ever let raw sausage be covered in cheese unless you are baking a deep dish pie for 20-30 minutes . Covering it up with cheese will shield it from the heat and make it cook slower.You might have a pie tha'ts done but sausage that's not The reason big chains all use "cheese blends" is because , 1) don't use raw sausage and burger 2) they use conveyor ovens. When you use only soft mozzarella the juices from the meat and the sauce are supposed to blend with it for flavor.  This doesn't happen with a conveyor as the cheese cooks so fast it browns on top and doesn't have time to really mesh with the sauce.

[rcbaughn]

I think that pizza would be okay if he isn't the guy retrieving the pie, but if he is touching the pizza post bake then the chance of someone getting a touch of bacteria is a lot higher although most pork these days is raised pretty cleanly but poor butchering can mess even clean meat up.

Hopefully the prep guy is not the guy taking them out because raw sausage is pretty awesome on pies.

[TXCraig1]

Raw sausage is the only way to go but I  don't think you can cook it in 90 seconds the big chains all went to precooked beef and sausage crumbles because of health issues and labor costs. but the product sucks. Make sure you do the following and you wont have any trouble 1) use plastic throw away gloves about .02 cents each . 2) always break the sausage into small pieces if you can fit a dime inside a piece its to big. 3) always always put the sausage on las,t on top of everything and never ever let raw sausage be covered in cheese unless you are baking a deep dish pie for 20-30 minutes . Covering it up with cheese will shield it from the heat and make it cook slower.You might have a pie tha'ts done but sausage that's not The reason big chains all use "cheese blends" is because , 1) don't use raw sausage and burger 2) they use conveyor ovens. When you use only soft mozzarella the juices from the meat and the sauce are supposed to blend with it for flavor.  This doesn't happen with a conveyor as the cheese cooks so fast it browns on top and doesn't have time to really mesh with the sauce.

I've looked at it pretty closely after 60 seconds at 900ish. I'm confident it's fully cooked.

Im not sure the guy in the video could apply cheese or pepperoni at that speed with cheap loose fitting gloves. Maybe not even with latex.