I got home from work last night around 7, pulled a three pound vacuum sealed T-bone out of the freezer and forgot to put it in the fridge. It sat out around 11 hours. Would you smoke it to 140° and feel safe?
Pretty much my thoughts. I just thought maybe if it was frozen it might.. Oh well, I just pulled another one out.
A 3 pound T-Bone, from Frozen, would take 6-7 hours to Defrost. The surface was above 40°F maybe, 5-6 hours, and Vac sealed. Between 40 and 70°F, bacteria can grow but Very Slowly. So, the meat was only really above 70, what 3 to 4 hours? There could be some bacterial growth but not likely anything a Heavy Sear would not take care of. I would cook it. Of course I came late to this party and it's likely tossed already...JJ