Cut my losses?

(Ron) #1

So yesterday I put a corned beef into my crockpot, cooked it up for a good 10 hours, shut it off. Was waiting for it to cool down some before bed… well I forgot about it and discovered it sitting in my kitchen in a cold crockpot at 4 am (about 8 hours since turning it off) and put it in my fridge to decide what to do with it when I got home. People at work are of both options, so I’m asking the meat experts :slight_smile:

Should I just cut my losses and toss it, or can I throw it in my Instantpot for a while and kill anything that could be growing in it?

(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #2

My housemate does this kind of thing “accidentally” on a regular basis. He’s only been pretty sick from it once. How’s your stomach, pretty tough?

#3

It’s usually safe as long as you boil it for at least 5 min. We have often had food cooli g down on the stove during the night only to be reheated for dinner the next day. My mom will eat it cold in the morning too. It’s even good on the third day as long as it’s properly reheated every day. And it should be safer than in my family, as you put it in the fridge in the morning. You could most likely wait even until tomorrow to reheat and eat. Not that I’d recommend it.

(Britt) #4

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I’ve gotten food poisoning from spaghetti with meat sauce I left out overnight and decided to eat in the morning. I guess it all boils down to how lucky do you feel and how badly do you want it. I’ve never taken a chance on meat left out since then (unless it’s cured).

Good luck!

(Charlotte) #5

I learned after my first time playing meat roulette that when in doubt, throw it out is a good rule to live by. I was throwing up for a couple days.

(Christy) #6

I made an italian sausage soup in an HWC broth & accidentally left it sitting out overnight + some … had it 2 days later & it was excellent. I think it all depends on what you personally can stomach,

(Ron) #7

My stomach is pretty strong, I hate to throw it away, I may give a chance

(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #8

My old room mate would eat anything that sat out all night. He claimed if he cooked the bacteria until they were dead you could safely do it. So that dude microwaved old food all of the time. I think you may be okay if you heat it up to an appropriate temp again. Let us know how you do!

#9

Boil it for 5 min. That’s an appropriate temperature. Kills all the bacteria, but there’s still the slight risk of toxins. But those shouldn’t be much worse than causing slight discomfort, if any.

(Windmill Tilter) #10

I’m not sure I’d eat it, but it has a better chance of resisting bacteria than most meats. Corned beef has a very high salt content and it’s been nuked with nitrates and nitrites to resist bacterial growth. It’s the nitrates and nitrites that gives corned beef it’s characteristic color. Without those, it’s just brisket.

I’d still rather waste corned beef than risk a day on the toilet, but it’s your beef, and your toilet. :yum:

(bulkbiker) #11

Where’s your sense of adventure…?
No way would I toss that…slice off what you want to eat and heat it through?

(Eric - The patient needs to be patient!) #12

So the bacteria produce toxins and the toxins are usually not destroyed by heat. Some people can eat that and some can’t. I never risk it.

('Jackie P') #13

If the crockpot was cold, what was the actual meat like? Most people let food cool down before putting it in the fridge. I would guess it wasnt sitting there cold for that long.
I would definitely take a chance. Let us know how it was.
If we never hear from you again, we must conclude that it went badly!:roll_eyes:

(Scott) #14

If you have to post this question that is a sign that your brain is telling you to toss it.

(Eric - The patient needs to be patient!) #15

+1,000,000 Why risk it?

(Scott) #16

And it is a day older now.

(bulkbiker) #17

But looking at it logically… I cook meat eat what I want and let the rest get cold before putting it in the fridge…
So you have cooked some meat not eaten any and let it get cold before putting it in the fridge… where’s the difference?
Why waste perfectly good food?

(Scott) #18

To most food handling guides it is not that it gets cold but the amount of time that the temperature stays in “the danger zone”. After forgetting about food more than once I just go ahead and place it in the fridge hot after letting it set while I clean up. I let the fridge and the hot dish fight it out. If a restaurant did this (left it in the danger zone too long) and got it wrong it could get very costly.

(bulkbiker) #19

But doesn’t that raise the temp of everything else in the fridge thus potentially spoiling a fridge full rather than just one dish…?

(Scott) #20

No, the fridge’s job is to cool the air and will recover quickly. One warm dish will not convert it into an oven.