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[eppo]

So yesterday i went to a friends house for a BBQ. I brought some smoke meats...

Spare ribs

beef ribs

Chicken

Moinks

His mother asked for some chicken, so i take it out, and put it on the table. A few minutes later i hear...

"AHH, THIS CHICKEN IS NOT COOKED!!! ITS PINK!"

I didn't have to say anything because my buddy told her that I smoked it for 5 hours, it had to be done (although that was the ribs, not the chicken, but whatever. Hate to tell you, but RAW chicken Isn't even pink.

Either way, I smoked them in cherry wood, and they were DELICIOUS. His sister had some and commented on how juicy they were.

Smoked the beef and spares with hickory on my mini-WSM. Soooooo good. Always love me some beef ribs, insanely tender and juicy.

In the process of building a UDS. once that's done, I'm going to throw some spares, and a half rack of beef ribs on for her maiden voyage.

I just had to vent, then i started reminiscing about yesterdays Q.

thanks for reading.

 

[smokinhusker]

No problem on the venting!!! I'm really picky about burgers and if there's pink, I'm not going to eat...just me I guess. 

Glad it all turned out good!

 

[bmudd14474]

Ive had that happen to me too. Its frustrating.

 

[chef jimmyj]

I worked in a Diner in the 90's and did Pork Tenders as a special. I roasted them to 150*F so there was the slightest pink hue. Every customer over 60 sent it back complaining it was still raw! Gueats under 60 raved abought how tender, juicy and perfectly cooked they were. To this day if making Pork for Mom, 84, I cook one piece to 160*F and the rest 145*F...I can't imagine trying to explain the whole " Pink Smoke Ring " in Chicken. Feelin' your pain...JJ

 

[diggingdogfarm]

You can't fix stupid!
I've had way too many bad experiences with idiots who think that you can judge doneness by color. (that's what thermometers are for)

There's more to meat staying pink than just the smoke ring we're all familiar with.

Harold McGee had a good article on it a few years ago, but i can't find it now.

Anyway, there's this that I found with a quick search......

"Normal fresh muscle has a pH ranging from 5.3 to 5.7. When thoroughly cooked, the myoglobin, oxymyoglobin, and metmyoglobin pigments of normal meat are converted (i.e. denatured) to denatured hemichrome, the grey pigment of cooked meat. Meat with a pH of 6.0 or higher can remain pink at 159.8 °F. The rate at which normal muscle pigments change to form the grey denatured hemichrome is affected by pH. The higher the pH, the longer the cooking time and/or higher the final internal temperature required for denaturation to be complete (Mendenhall, 1989). A high pH reduces the amount of myoglobin denatured by cooking, resulting in a pink color rather than the expected grey cooked color created by denatured hemichrome (Trout, 1989)."

More at......
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Factsheets/Color_of_Cooked_Ground_Beef/index.asp


~Martin

 

[pops6927]

It took about three tries before I could convince my son's father-in-law to try my cured and smoked chickens and turkeys, only until I made my own cured and smoked ham for Easter and explain the curing process again to him that, the next holiday, Memorial Day, would he actually try a cured and smoked chicken.. he nibbles at it, then pauses, and said, "Da(ng) good!" and now asks why didn't I bring him some of those "funny pink birds?", lol. (at 7/4 party, son and I made brats instead).

 

[sqwib]

I don't believe these folks are idiots that's a bit harsh, just not well informed, I used to get the same all the time when doing chicken till I educated my dinner guests, they do trust in my ability as a cook but people associate pink with raw.

You can't blame folks for being careful, especially older folk, considering all the foodbourne illness out there. You have to remember that, what may get us sick and make some of us spent a little extra time in the bathroom could kill an elderly person.

I'd be lying if I said it doesn't bother me to hear oh it's pink is it done?

The last time I heard that from my wife, I cooked her a piece of chicken for about 5 hours until it was mush and yes it was pink, 
[h1]Hallelujah[/h1]
she believes me now!

I think restaurants serving true smoked foods should have some type of statement on this to put peoples minds at ease.

And as Eppo pointed out raw chicken is not pink it's translucent.

Funny pink birds...luv it!

 

[diggingdogfarm]

Ignorance is excusable, the stupidity part comes in when folks with strongly held beliefs can't be persuaded otherwise in spite of the facts.


~Martin

 

[eppo]

Glad to see that i'm not the only one. The thing that bothered me most was that she is kind of a loud mouth, and yelled it out. 

I think i'm going to scratch chicken off the list of things to bring to parties!

 

[sqwib]

Ignorance is excusable, the stupidity part comes in when folks with strongly held beliefs can't be persuaded otherwise in spite of the facts.
~Martin

So your saying that someone that has strong beliefs that can't be persuaded is an idiot. Listen to how that sounds.

 

That sounds more like a bull headed, stubborn or even close minded individual but not an idiot, glad I don't have that problem lol

My point is to try and educate them before just labeling them an idiot, if they are ignorant and you try to educate them and they still disagree then they are Bull headed, stubborn or one of those folks that just can't be wrong.

I know If I was a newbie and read that statement, "You Can't Fix stupid", I would be afraid to ask questions on this forum.

I understand your point I just felt the wording was a little harsh.

 

[diggingdogfarm]

My point is to try and educate them before just labeling them an idiot, if they are ignorant and you try to educate them and they still disagree then they are Bull headed, stubborn or one of those folks that just can't be wrong.

Oh, I've tried and tried to educate some to the point where I've lost my patience (even showing them that they're wrong with a thermometer). I won't try to justify their stupidity by calling it hard-headedness or whatever. LOL :biggrin:

I know If I was a newbie and read that statement, "You Can't Fix stupid", I would be afraid to ask questions on this forum.

That would be stupid! :wink:


~Martin

 

[mdboatbum]

So let me make sure I have this right...Someone who has lived 60-70 years or more and has believed (rightly so for the most part) that undercooked chicken or pork has the capacity to make them violently ill, is presented with a meal that, to their understanding from what they've seen and heard most of their life, contains undercooked chicken and or pork, questions and/or refuses to eat it. This makes them an idiot?

id·i·ot  (

d

-

t)n.:

A person of profound mental retardation having a mental age below three years and generally being unable to learn connected speech or guard against common dangers. The term belongs to a classification system no longer in use and is now considered offensive.

Semantics aside, I tend to kinda accept that most people are gonna be a little leery of pink chicken and pork, and either explain it in advance or offer them an alternative. I know this is shocking, but some older folks might be a little bit set in their ways, and no matter how many times or different ways you try to explain that that pink chicken is perfectly safe, they're going to be hesitant to eat it.  If they do agree to eat it, no matter how moist and delicious it is, they're not going to enjoy the meal because in the back of their mind, a lifetime of following contradictory food safety guidelines is telling them they're gonna get sick. How about, instead of raving on and on about how you're right and they're wrong, you just fix then a hamburger or an overcooked piece of chicken and let them enjoy their dinner? Isn't the point of BBQing to bring people together and enjoy a meal?

 

[diggingdogfarm]

So let me make sure I have this right...Someone who has lived 60-70 years or more and has believed (rightly so for the most part) that undercooked chicken or pork has the capacity to make them violently ill, is presented with a meal that, to their understanding from what they've seen and heard most of their life, contains undercooked chicken and or pork, questions and/or refuses to eat it. This makes them an idiot?

I'm talking about meat that is fully cooked (and proven fully cooked), but pink, no, I'm NOT saying that someone is an idiot for refusing to eat under-cooked and potentially very unsafe meat (that's wise), that's a totally different issue. The people I'm insisting are stupid are the ones that are just as eppo described, they refuse to eat it, but run their big mouth in a rude and disrespectful way or otherwise cause some kind of a scene in spite of the facts. I reserve the right to call such people, stupid!
There are always alternatives to eat at any of my gatherings, but that doesn't always stop those described above from carrying-on stupidly!!!



~Martin

 

[sqwib]

Glad to see that i'm not the only one. The thing that bothered me most was that she is kind of a loud mouth, and yelled it out. 

I think i'm going to scratch chicken off the list of things to bring to parties!

That would have bothered me too.

Dude don't scratch off an item for one person's opinion.

Ask yourself, did anyone else enjoy the chicken? YES your buddy's sister and I'm sure others.And your buddy was informed enough to let the "Pink Lady" know it was indeed cooked!

Continue to do what you're doing and don't sweat one persons comment.

 

[eppo]

from my point of view, it would be common sense. the reason why uncooked beef is pink, is because it started out that way, the raw meat was red/pink. RAW chicken is not pink in color, so why would you think it would turn pink if it was undercooked?

Either way, the ribs were BAD ASS! I'm going to keep on smokin'. 

 

[piaconis]

We also have to remember that a lot of the food bourne illnesses that the older crowd experienced back in the day has been eliminated, due to safer food practices, but they still have that experience.  Sometimes, it takes a little grace and understanding.

 

[akjoefuss]

Good discussion! I had to train myself to “trust” the thermometer. As for someone flapping their cob hole I hate that, if you don’t want to eat it then don’t! But don't ruin it for everyone else! 

The more I read on this forum the more I like it!