Warming to room temperature before cooking

[Jim Malter]

Hi All-

I tried something a bit different with a deboned 8 lbs shoulder. After defrosting on Tuesday, and storage in the fridge until Friday night, I rubbed with garlic/salt/pepper and let sit out overnight in the sink. Next morning, went onto the KK @225 indirect for 12 h until 185 degrees. Let rest for 30 minutes and served. Best one I have ever made.

Jim

[johnnyboy]

I hope someone out there can provide some technical info on this subject.

I know my wife wouldn't eat it. Having said that I have over the years had a fire or two go out on overnighters to wake up to a cold oven (K in my case), cold meat. I restart the fire and move on like nothing happened, and have never got sick.

Soooo, meat sitting in the sink overnight, maybe stupid question, but is the sink empty? no water?

[Sanny]

Hmm... violates almost every safe food handling recommendation out there. Not sure I'd advocate that one. The inside of the meat might not get hot enough to kill the screaming meemies that might grow during the overnight.

But I'd let a substantial cut of meat sit out for an hour, perhaps, before cooking. That would get the chill off.

[mguerra]

sterile?

I don't worry about this. The inside of the meat should have no contamination, only the outside surface. (This applies to whole cuts, not ground!) Cooking to an accepted finish temp should kill any bacteria. Another thing I never worry about is holding meat after cooking. When I pull cooked meat off the grill, I know the surface is sterile. I use clean implements and /or clean gloves, and foil the meat immediately. From that point, I don't care if it lays on the kitchen counter for 24 hours, and comes down to room temp. I will unfoil it and serve it. I've never gotten sick from this, nor have any of my guests. Unless the foil, implements or gloves were thick with pathogens, there should be no problem. This is my opinion and practice. And I am trained in Microbiology.

[johnnyboy]

Awesome Doc! Thanks again for the info. I think we're going to have to keep you around.

[primeats]

Botulism spores aren't killed by cooking. No foodservice, or food handler would ever advocate leaving any food out ,or thawed at room temp in a sink overnight. One of the most difficult organisms to kill are Listeria... check this out http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/164762.php Given all this information, I still eat raw beef and oysters and sashimi from time to time. With liberal use of Tabasco, and the occasional single malt or fine Cognac or Rum or vodka or.....

[Jim Malter]

Wow

I have never elicited such a diverse set of opinions.

I agree with several that the exterior could be contaminated- I rinsed it off, dried it and then let the meat sit out for about 8 h. Cooking to 185 interior should kill most anything short of mad cow (prions).

I also agree ground meat should never be treated this way.

The kitchen was probably about 60 degrees - I would not do this at 80.

We all survived fine and the meat was great.

jim

[mguerra]

not poultry!

To be clear, I would never be so cavalier with poultry! That stuff scares me, even "properly" cooked and handled. Beef and pork don't worry me at all to use the methods I described.

There are no reported cases of botulism related to barbecued meats.

[bryan]

Speaking of poultry. I imagined that last night I had a package of great legs. Rubbed with mayo and sprinkled with "Paula Deans House Mix" and put on Ralph @ 375 until that bronze color I have come to like so well. ( can find Paulas mix on web)

[JeffB]

The important thing to understand is that not everything that can make you sick (or kill you) can be killed by heat. The waste products of bacteria and byproducts of molds (mycotoxins) are not effected by the temperatures you would cook food to. Plenty of people around the world wouldn't bat an eyelash about leaving meat out over night and they aren't dropping like flies. However, if you can avoid it by just leaving it in the fridge, I don't see why you would take the chance.