Roast safe?

[rod g15]

Had a 2# pork roast in the crock pot on low for five hours. Had to unplug it and put it in the fridge. Don't know what the internal temp got to. Is it still safe to eat? Thanks.

 

[SmokinAl]

Without knowing the IT of the roast before you put it in the fridge, it's very hard to answer this question.

If it was me I would pitch it, but I'm no food safety expert.

I'm going to PM Chef Jimmy J who is our food safety moderator & he will be able to give you a definite answer.

As soon as he gets on here he will respond.

Al

 

[rod g15]

Thanks Al. I'll wait for his response.

 

[daveomak]

When putting warm/hot foods in the refer, rapid cooling is important....   be sure the meat is not wrapped or in a container...  it is best to place the meat on a wire rack and sheet pan or plate so the cold air circulates around the hunk of meat for rapid cooling...   That is the safest way to cool down warm food to be relatively sure it cools fast....

Meat should always be cooked to the final temp recommended by the FDA before it is cooled, to insure bacteria have been killed...

 

[atomicsmoke]

Not a food safety expert, just my 2c. This being a roast , not ground meat , the center was "clean". After 5h on low the bacteria on the outside layer was surely killed.

Wouldn't heating it again to safe IT make it OK to consume?

 

[lovethemeats]

Yes. I wouldn't trust it. Food safety is the #1 priority. I would pitch it to. You don't want to get you or your family sick from it. In a crockpot. I would have left it on low and added in more liquid then left. Whats the worst it could have happen. Too tender or meat falling apart. Invest in a decent Appliance timer so the next time this might happen to you. You can put it on the appliance timer and have it shut off if you prefer after 12 hours so it will still be ready when you arrive home.
I would rather eat overcooked meat then undercooked meat. No one likes spending hours on the toilet due to a bad piece of meat.

 

[atomicsmoke]

Yes. I wouldn't trust it. Food safety is the #1 priority. I would pitch it to. You don't want to get you or your family sick from it. In a crockpot. I would have left it on low and added in more liquid then left. Whats the worst it could have happen. Too tender or meat falling apart. Invest in a decent Appliance timer so the next time this might happen to you. You can put it on the appliance timer and have it shut off if you prefer after 12 hours so it will still be ready when you arrive home.
I would rather eat overcooked meat then undercooked meat. No one likes spending hours on the toilet due to a bad piece of meat.

Don't all slow cookers have their own timers?

 

[lovethemeats]

None that actually turn off.
Most will switch to low after a certain amount of time.
The Appliance timer will actually turn it off. Though I would not want the meat to sit there and cool off in the unit for a long period of time.

 

[atomicsmoke]

None that actually turn off.
Most will switch to low after a certain amount of time.
The Appliance timer will actually turn it off. Though I would not want the meat to sit there and cool off in the unit for a long period of time.

Why would you want it switched off? The "keep warm" setting is recommended holding food for up to 4h. Isn't that the safest method?

 

[lovethemeats]

You bet. But i have one that doesn't have that setting.
I agree with everything said. Even the one that said just pitch it in the trash.

 

[chef jimmyj]

2 pounds of intact meat on Low,185°-205°F, depending on make, for 5 hours would likely be over 165° and surely over 145 and cooked by USDA standards. I would not hesitate to heat and eat...JJ

 

[chef jimmyj]

 
Other meat safety tips:

• Using tongs or lifters to turn the meat, instead of a fork that pierces, will keep dangerous bacteria on the outside until the heat of cooking destroys them.
• Roasts that have been boned, rolled or stuffed may have bacteria on the inside because of the butcher’s knife or skewer transporting harmful bacteria to the inside. These cuts need to be cooked thoroughly to the well-done stage.
• Thermometers can carry bacteria to the inside. Sanitize the thermometer before using it and insert it after the heat of the oven or grill has destroyed the bacteria on the surface of the roast.
• Partial cooking followed by a finishing stage at a later time is a risky practice. Partially cooked food may feel hot on the surface when we touch it. But, in fact, it means we have warmed the inside of it to the bacteria’s favourite temperature and softened it making it easier for them to use. This allows bacteria to grow to dangerous levels. For example, if a roast is started in the oven or if ribs are parboiled for finishing on the barbecue, they should be placed on the barbecue immediately after coming from the oven or pot.
• If you use a brush to baste raw meat at the beginning of your cooking period, the brush becomes contaminated with the bacteria from the surface of the raw meat. If you baste the cooked, ready-to-eat meat with that same brush, you will recontaminate the cooked meat. Use a clean brush for cooked foods.
• Platters and utensils used to carry food to the barbecue will be contaminated from the raw meat. Do not use them to carry cooked food off the grill, use a clean platter and utensils.

Thanks for the input and some good tips but some inaccuracies also. If you cut and paste, you need to give credit to the author. This article... http://www.homefamily.net/2011/08/17/why-is-it-safe-to-eat-roast-beef-medium-rare-but-not-hamburger/ Contains some contradictions and opinion not consistent with USDA/FDA and CDC facts. The highlighted portion does not apply to Intact meat like a roast or ribs and is an approved practice in restaurants. With proper handling before and after, chilling below 70 in 2 hours and below 40 in 4 hours, is completely safe. Thanks again...JJ