something new to debate

[gypsyseagod]

according to cooking club magaizine and the newest usda guidlines(not rules..just guidelines) it is now advisealbe to cook chicken to 170f(sorry keuh) i still go to 190 for mine. but it is also now the usda advise to not wash chicken before cooking as the splatter splash can cross contaminate your whole sink area. considering we all slow smoke- do you think this would make a difference- contaminate the pit if say smoking @ 250-275 for hours... i'm real careful about washing & sanitizing- no matter what meat. the washing thing does make sense.... on the other hand- i believe in washing ALL meat before cooking,and i'm very careful not to splash/splatter.opinions &expertise weigh in is what we need here.

 

[hawgheaven]

I'm with ya' on the washing of meat... that is a must. When I am done, I always sanitize the sink and surrounding area.

As far as the grates go, I'm thinking that as long as you clean them between uses, there should be no problem. I've had my smoker going on three years now... I haven't made anyone sick yet (as far as I know...)

 

[ba_loko]

I'll also continue to take my poultry to 190. And, anytime I handle meat, I wash my hands and untensils and anything it may have touched. I do that with any kind of meat......and vegetables too!

 

[flagriller]

Yes, I still think you should wash it, especially if it was frozen. If your concerned about cross contamination in the kitchen, mis some bleach with water, 100 ppm and wipe the area clean, which you should be doing anyway. Or use a commercial product like clorox wipes.
The easiest way to "wash" is to fill the sink with water first, then put each piece in one at a time adgitate with you hand, drain, repeat.

 

[t-bone tim]

I NEVER was any beef or pork ( unless it's been cured )...it is not needed ,IMO, however I do wash all poultry ( although I'm not sure it does any good ) as it is the cooking temperatures that we all must adhere to that KILL the harmful bacterias that make us ill ....


and yes was and sanitize your sink area is a must after not only washing poultry ,but even just opening the packages ....

I work for a retail store here and our company will not cut or package ANY POULTRY it all comes in pre-packed ,to help prevent cross contamination of other meat.

 

[kueh]

It's actually something old to debate......washing. Remember when Ready To Serve meant you could eat whatever out of whatever container directly. Good grief, people get sick from strawberries, bean sprouts, lettuce, spinach.... There was even a problem with apple juice, a supposedly pasteurized product.

Wash everything you would take internally. Just makes sense.

Yes wash the chicken and yes wash everything straight away. You reduce any contamination from entering into the chicken. Unfortunately, you introduce chance of contamination by further processing like deboning, slicing, and yes, injections. Just make sure everything is a clean as you can make it and you reduce your chances of getting sick.

Funny thing.... I heard (myth ?) that eggs should not be washed for fear of contaminating the interior of the egg in case there is contamination on the shell. Watching a show, How It's Made, hitech egg operations use a pressurized bleach solution to clean the eggs. Sounds contradictory to me.

USDA ...... I can think of a few alternative descriptions for that acronym. This is a politcal organization. Much like the FDA. They exist for their own good. Not yours.

I don't understand the American (now infecting everyone) idea to suing someone else for their own stupidity. ie I smoke, I get cancer, I sue the tobaco companies. OR I eat at McDougals (name changed to make fun of the guilty), I get overweight, I sue them.

If I don't cook properly, and I get sick, it's my fault. Harvies should take a lesson from that. Remember a few years ago, some people got sick, some died I think, from eating at Harvies. Harvies was found guilty of NOT PROPERLY COOKING their product. Harvies then starts a smear campaign, blaming the contamination on imported Canadian beef.

One of my favourite methods of cooking chicken is poaching. After cleaning the whole chicken, you place the chicken in a pot of boiling water, bring the water back to a boil, cover, then turn the heat OFF (yes that's right). In one hour, remove the chicken and slice as you like. The chicken turns out extremely moist. I'm sure the USDA would frown on this cooking method. This method is at least a thousand year old. The recipe has been modified to reduce the pinkish in the bones in recent times.

 

[kueh]

Ooops, I starting ranting, sorry. Well, USDA rules/guidelines/whatever are meaningless. As already stated, we will wash our chicken because it makes sense. We will wash our work tools and area after because it makes sense.

If you shouldn't wash chicken because of the possibility of spreading contamination, then I say.... What's wrong with the chicken that you're not telling us ? Maybe just boycott chicken. A lot simpler.

On washing, I watched my mother cook many times. She washed almost everything. Vegetables received a soaking, then rinsing, sometimes another rinsing. Meats were scraped and washed.

I smoke some chicken and cooked it to 180°. The texture was terrible. Next time, pull 165° and then "foil". It'll reach at least 170°. I've smoke a few whole pork loins. I usually cut it two..... light meat, dark meat. Next time, pull light meat 155°, dark meat 160°. Let Nature (carryover heat) take it's course.


Sorry for more ranting.......

 

[richoso1]

I'm with Kuel's last paragraph. I've done the right thing, and I did not care for the texture, even when cooked in the O-V-E-N. I do believe in the carryover factor. I do rinse the birds and afterwards I use a mixture of water and plain white vinegar to sanitize the cleaning areas.

 

[lilholdem-nb]

LMFAO!!!!!!!!! I cant beleive this. Do not wash an egg for fear of contaminating the inside of the egg? lol. I only wash poultry and thats it. I live in a small town of 900 people and know the butcher personally and he is very clean so thats prolly why I have no fear of putting beef/pork straight to cook without washing. The more tv shows you watch the more paranoid you'll become. I come from a stock whos average lifespan is 75 years which is the canadian national average. I think being obsessed with cleanliness can actually be more of a sickining/pickling of the brain then the actual cleaning of the meat in which you thinks contaminated. Just my 2 cents.

P.S. If your not quit sure after cooking just wash er down wit a shot or 2 of white lightning to ease your mind that everythings killed.

 

[deejaydebi]

I think it's a personal thing - and personally I wash all meat and veggies (except hamburger) I even wash my hodogs because there packed in a brine. Not alot but some. I do my poultry to about 170°F minimum, unless it's a lunchmeat Deli type sausage then I go up to 180°F to 190°F.

 

[kueh]

In British Columbia, it is (was?) illegal to serve sunny-side up eggs. This was a shock to me when I was there a few years ago.

It would be nice if we could all have butchers we could trust......

TV.... possible information overload.......
Internet Forums .....possible b*s* overload......

It's true. Modern humans are not a physically strong as our ancestors just a few generation ago. A lot of research suggest that over-cleanliness has weakened our immune systems. Many kids do not play in dirt (not filth) like we (well, the older generation ) and these kids are more susceptible to illnesses as adults because they didn't develop immunities from the bacteria found in common soil. In fact, most modern antibiotics are developed from bacteria. Penicillin was extracted from bread mould. There was another modern antibiotic derived from a culture from a mud puddle (from a tv show).


Oh no...... more ranting .......:(