The Original Caesar Salad (Tijuana) vs My Caesar | Best Caesar?

The Original Caesar Salad (Tijuana) vs my Caesar... two dressings, two builds, one final verdict on the best Caesar salad and which one makes the death-row cut. ↓

CHAPTERS
00:00 OG Caesar Salad History
00:57 OG Recipe: Caesar Cardini, Tijuana tableside origin
01:13 OG mise: garlic, anchovies
01:42 Crouton prep
02:42 OG dressing build: yolk, garlic, lemon, Worcestershire, olive oil
06:30 JZ's Recipe - "Panko Crunch"
11:36 JZ's dressing build: mayo, cotija, mustard, serrano tatemado, lime juice
13:40 Toss & Plate the Original
14:30 JZ's salad build + ingredients
17:31 Side-by-side plate
17:46 Taste test w/ Jennifer: texture, salt, acid, umami, spice
19:02 Final verdict + which makes the death-row cut
19:26 Thoughts and recipe CTA

📝 RECIPES:
(When the blog posts go live, I’ll add recipe link)
YIELD: 2 SALADS

OG CEASAR
30g lime juice
25g Parmesan cheese, finely ground
12g dijon mustard
10g anchovies, minced and kept in oil
8g garlic, minced and kept in oil
6g Worcestershire sauce
20g egg yolk
45g oil (half neutral/half olive oil)
9 turns from a pepper mill
5 (100g) romaine lettuce leaves, whole

In an appropriately sized bowl, combine the dijon, Worcestershire, Parmesan, garlic, anchovies, lime juice, pepper, egg yolk, and whisk well to incorporate. Slowly drizzle oil into the bowl while whisking until emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Toss the romaine leaves into the bowl and gently toss to coat in the dressing. Plate and top with two croutons, drizzle leftover dressing on top and sprinkle some extra Parmesan on the salad.

Croutons
4 half inch rounds of good french bread
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Fresh cracked black pepper

Preheat an oven to 400F (204.4C). Place on a sheet tray fitted with a rack. Place in the oven. Bake bread for around 15 mins or until golden brown but still tender in the middle. Remove and brush with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and reserve.

JZ CAESAR
Boquerones en vinagreta
Parmesan cheese
Romaine lettuce leaves whole
Diamond Crystal kosher salt

PANKO CRUNCH
YIELD: 1 PT

30g unsalted butter
8g garlic, smashed
1g fresh thyme, tied with butcher’s twine
63g panko breadcrumbs
2g Diamond Crystal kosher salt

In an appropriately sized pan, heat the butter until just starting to melt. Add the thyme and garlic and continue heating while stirring until the butter starts to foam but not brown. Add the panko into the pan and cook while stirring until they are golden brown. Transfer to a bowl lined with paper towels, remove garlic and season with the salt.

70g pumpkin seeds, toasted and chopped into very small pieces
20g fried shallots
10g Korean chile flakes
3g Diamond Crystal kosher salt

Combine everything into a bowl (including the toasted panko) and whisk to combine well. Store in an airtight container for 5 days max.

JZ's CESAR DRESSING
YIELD:1.25 QTS

315g mayonnaise
135g lime juice
90g cotija cheese, grated
75g garlic, peeled
45g worcestershire sauce
45g water
20g Serrano chile, tatemado
15g dijon mustard
6g Diamond Crystal kosher salt
230g neutral oil

Combine everything in a blender except the oil and puree on high, slowly stream in the oil until thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt if needed.

FINISHING THE SALAD
In an appropriately sized mixing bowl, add some dressing to the bottom of the bowl and add the romaine leaves, season with salt and toss to dress the lettuce to your liking. Place each leaf and top with the panko crunch liberally. Continue until you are done. Place some boquerones onto the salad and grate with parmesan. Crack some pepper over it to finish. Serve.

⚙️ GEAR
Wooden spatulas • https://amzn.to/4m9dAPF
Microplane • https://amzn.to/4ouhO5S
Whisk • https://amzn.to/45cdgJT
Sheet tray • https://amzn.to/3Jpgm4t
Full kit → https://www.amazon.com/shop/goatboyintl

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#CaesarSalad #OriginalCaesar #SaladDressing