Food Safety concern: Is My Brisket ruined?

[forluvofsmoke]

I checked out my water thaw on my brisket this morning to find alot of meat juices in the bottom of the cooler. The vac-packaging had a small tear/cut which wasn't noticable while in a frozen state. The temperature of the water was still safe, though no additives were used (salt, sugar, cure), and it is chlorinated municiple water straight from the tap.

Do I dare cook this meat? I was planning to hold this in the fridge until the 4th, and smoke with spares and other goodies. Now, I don't want to take the chance on it after finding this situation.

I'm concerned that pathogens in the water could have multiplied during this soak, and contaminated the meat. The red/pink coloring of the meat is very dull, almost a shade of grey.

Thanks for any advice.

Eric

 

[pignit]

If the meat has been kept at safe temps.... I wouldn't let discoloration from being in water stop me from cookin it up and eating it. We brine things all the time.... soak stuff to get the salt content down. As long as it has been kept cold enough I wouldn't think water leaking into the bag with the meat would effect it other than discoloration. Might have a little effect on the texture of the bark but I would think that would be the worst of it. My opinion is to cook her up. I may be overlooking something.... see what other responses you get. From what you've described I don't see anything that would present contamination or an unsafe situation to spoil the meat.

 

[rbrinton2373]

As long as the water and the meat did not exceed 40 degrees for more than 8 hours it should still be pleanty safe for consumption. the vacuum seal is more for freshness/preservation than keeping it safe from pathogens and basically keeps it from turning brown from oxidization.

 

[tasunkawitko]

eric -

enjoy that brisket - it's going to spend so much time above 160 degreees that you could drag it though a manure field and it will be ok ~

alright, that was a bit of an exageration - even i would have to draw the line at a manure field....

 

[travcoman45]

Temp is the important factor, as long as it was in the safe zone, all should be a go, the reason fer the grayer color is the blood was soaked outa the meat, sorta like the stuff ya see in the store an the pad underneath is all red.

Don't really thin yall have any troubles with it at all, give her the sniff test, yer nose knows!

 

[pineywoods]

Eric I'm not sure I understand what method you were using to defrost the meat. Was this in a cooler of ice or was it cold running water running on it?

 

[forluvofsmoke]

Thanks, guys!

Tip, I did do the sniff a few minutes after I saw your post. The one I smoked last week didn't smell like this one and they were both purchased the same day...between that and the color...not worth the risk to me. I think it probably was just starting to turn bad...the toxins can't be cooked out, so I pitched it.

I soo much wanted to do this brisket, too...last week's turned out really great...........sigh. Ah well, 20 bucks in the trash can is better than friends and family in the big "H". I've got plenty of other meat to smoke.

Thanks again.

Eric

 

[capt dan]

Good job Eric, if your nose says "no", then pitch it. Why invest all the time and fuel for something you will be wondering about for 2 days after you serve it. Not worth it. Better to be remembered for not having any brisket than for folks to remeber you by having a crappy one that made em sick!

 

[tasunkawitko]

yep, as travco says, the nose knows.

i butcher a lot of deer, and sometimes a few millimeters on an outside layer get a little discolored andfunky. a person can cut that off and have good meat underneat, but with a brisket, i don't know if this would work becauase of the necessity of the fat cap.

 

[bonedadddy]

Shucks, You just gave away my secret to awesome Bark !!! hehe

I am with everyone else on this thread...as long as the meat was below 40 degrees, you should be good to go! Good luck and great smoke!

 

[forluvofsmoke]

It was just cold water and vac-packaged meat resting in a covered cooler, with the meat submerged. I check the temp of the water periodically with a calibrated pocket thermometer and to sure it won't get above 40*. I've done this alot and never had an upset until now.

Eric

 

[forluvofsmoke]

I'll wait for another smoke...closest Sam's is 90 miles away. That's where these 2 briskeies I had came from...$1.88/lb...had to to grab 'em.

I really wanted to do another and duplicate last weeks great smoke, but, I got all year to do another...I won't last that long though! LOL!

That is the best Q I ever had...I'd have never guessed it...I didn't really like smoked beef until lately.

Eric

 

[pineywoods]

Probably a good call Eric here it is from the USDA

Cold Water Thawing
This method is faster than refrigerator thawing but requires more attention. The food must be in a leak-proof package or plastic bag. If the bag leaks, bacteria from the air or surrounding environment could be introduced into the food. Also, meat tissue can also absorb water like a sponge, resulting in a watery product.

The bag should be submerged in cold tap water, changing the water every 30 minutes so it continues to thaw. Small packages of meat or poultry – about a pound – may defrost in an hour or less. A 3- to 4-pound package may take 2 to 3 hours. For whole turkeys, estimate about 30 minutes per pound. If thawed completely, the food must be cooked immediately.

Foods thawed by the cold water method should be cooked before refreezing

 

[pignit]

The nose always..... always knows. Always better safe than sorry.