BS: Warm Meat: and where to put it

Subject: BS: Warm Meat: and where to put it
From: Wesley S
Date: 07 Sep 07 - 02:14 PM

OK - Here's the debate around our office. You've cooked some meat. Beef, pork, chicken - it doesn't matter. When can you put it in the refrigerator? If the meats too warm when you put it in is there a chance it will get tainted with bacteria? So what temp should your meat be when you put it in?

Subject: RE: BS: Warm Meat: and where to put it
From: Peace
Date: 07 Sep 07 - 02:16 PM

No comment!

Subject: RE: BS: Warm Meat: and where to put it
From: catspaw49
Date: 07 Sep 07 - 02:20 PM

Personally I never put my meat in a cold place if I can possibly avoid it.

Where the hell do you work Wes that this is a topic? BTW, tell your officemates that bacteria are never the problem whereas size is. Chilling tends to shrink the meat.

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: Warm Meat: and where to put it
From: Joe Offer
Date: 07 Sep 07 - 02:22 PM

Sounds like the plot for a blues song.

But in case you actually ARE talking about warm meat, I've been reading about food safety lately, trying to convince my mother-in-law that she's going to poison us. All the sources I've read, say put hot food into the refrigerator for storage as soon as possible - don't let it cool on the counter.

-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: BS: Warm Meat: and where to put it
From: Becca72
Date: 07 Sep 07 - 02:26 PM

I've heard that your meat should go in the fridge right away. Sitting out too long is where you run into the trouble with bacteria, which thrives at room temperature.

Subject: RE: BS: Warm Meat: and where to put it
From: bobad
Date: 07 Sep 07 - 02:28 PM

The faster to cool the better - common sense.

Subject: RE: BS: Warm Meat: and where to put it
From: Wesley S
Date: 07 Sep 07 - 02:28 PM

I really am after at least some serious replies by the way. This topic started after I mentioned that my mother in law used to make smoothies for my son that were made from raw eggs. I put a stop to that - if she does it now it's behind my back.

Subject: RE: BS: Warm Meat: and where to put it
From: MMario
Date: 07 Sep 07 - 02:46 PM

If the meat is at 160 degrees F or above it is okay "sitting out" - if it falls below 160 then it should be cooled to below 45 degrees F as quickly as possible.

Subject: RE: BS: Warm Meat: and where to put it
From: heric
Date: 07 Sep 07 - 02:56 PM

Maybe don't place it next to something that needs to remain chilled.

Subject: RE: BS: Warm Meat: and where to put it
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 07 Sep 07 - 03:00 PM

Why no raw eggs?
G

Subject: RE: BS: Warm Meat: and where to put it
From: catspaw49
Date: 07 Sep 07 - 03:04 PM

It has something to do with fish I think Giok. Salmonella or something.

Sorry Wes.............

Spaw (Incapable of serious reply most times--not in my Mudcat job description)

Subject: RE: BS: Warm Meat: and where to put it
From: MMario
Date: 07 Sep 07 - 03:12 PM

raw egg has been linked to salmonella. virtually never occurs in a home situation - but most people feel better safe then sorry. (especially with infants/young children)

Subject: RE: BS: Warm Meat: and where to put it
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 07 Sep 07 - 03:18 PM

Correct MMario, and if you make proper mayonnaise, raw eggs are essential.
The French have been eating Steak Tartare for years, and they aren't dying off like flies, well not noticeably from where I sit anyway.
Giok

Subject: RE: BS: Warm Meat: and where to put it
From: Amos
Date: 07 Sep 07 - 03:57 PM

IT's a lot less likely to get bacteria in the cold fridge than it is cooling down on the counter. Where's the beef?


A

Subject: RE: BS: Warm Meat: and where to put it
From: Jeri
Date: 07 Sep 07 - 04:11 PM

A lot of the 'rules' are for food service because they can get a lot of people sick. You probably won't at home. At most you'll have family members and friends who ate a particular meal sick with the 'stomach flu' a day or so later.

You want to keep foods hot, or cool them as fast as possible. You can put them in the fridge uncovered for a couple of hours, you can put them in the freezer for a short bit to start cooling them faster. Sliced meats and meats in parts cool faster than big whole pieces.

The bottom line is this: the more time a food spends at an unsafe temperature - 40° to 140°F - the more chance bacteria can grow to levels that can cause illness.

Putting food into the refrigerator has nothing to do with getting bacteria into it.

Jeri, former food and food facility inspector, and foodborne illness investigator.

Subject: RE: BS: Warm Meat: and where to put it
From: Jean(eanjay)
Date: 07 Sep 07 - 04:52 PM

The reason for not putting warm meat into a fridge is because it raises the temperature in the fridge which may affect other chilled foods already in there. However, I do it all the time and it has never caused us a problem.

I have also put it in a freezer briefly first or I put it in a dish standing in another dish of ice cubes and then get it into the fridge as as soon as possible.

Subject: RE: BS: Warm Meat: and where to put it
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 07 Sep 07 - 06:51 PM

Once it's warm it definitely belongs in the fridge. While it's hot it can be ok to let it cool down to warm, to avoid over working the fridge. Of course it all depends on what you mean by warm. Anything within range of blood heat is great for helping bugs to breed.

When I was a kid we never had luxuries like fridges. We ate it while it was still hot. But then we had meat rationing...

Subject: RE: BS: Warm Meat: and where to put it
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Sep 07 - 12:32 AM

Wesley, I have glass shelves in my fridge, so I always slide a bamboo hot pad in under the pan or bowl that is hot. And most fridges have a "cold spot" (to do with the air flowing through from the freezer) that you might take advantage of by placing the hot dish where it gets cooled most quickly. I haven't had a problem of hot bowls warming the fridge substantially. The thermostat "notices" the temperature and runs the blower to keep it cool.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Warm Meat: and where to put it
From: katlaughing
Date: 08 Sep 07 - 12:48 AM

Or, you could go vegetarian.:-)

Subject: RE: BS: Warm Meat: and where to put it
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 08 Sep 07 - 09:31 AM

Agree with Mmario and Jeri, also = make sure you put cooked meat at the top of the fridge, and raw meat on the bottom shelf, (stops blood dripping onto your cooked meat and spoiling it).

Subject: RE: BS: Warm Meat: and where to put it
From: GUEST,petr
Date: 08 Sep 07 - 12:59 PM

i was pretty surprised to see my aunt & uncle in Prague
keeping cooked meat in the pantry, and theyve lived to their 70s so far
as well as raised several children.
(the did have fridge as well, but it was too full)

Subject: RE: BS: Warm Meat: and where to put it
From: Rapparee
Date: 08 Sep 07 - 01:10 PM

After thorough cooking I immediately plunge my meat into a bucket of liquid helium. No bacteria growth at all!

Subject: RE: BS: Warm Meat: and where to put it
From: Stringsinger
Date: 08 Sep 07 - 03:17 PM

Put it in the garbage. It'll less environmental and physical damage there.

Frank

Subject: RE: BS: Warm Meat: and where to put it
From: Bobert
Date: 08 Sep 07 - 05:07 PM

Goin' down to Clarsdale, baby
Gonna get my hambone boiled
Yeah, I'm goin' down to Clarksdale
Gonne get my hambone boiled
Benn up in Memphis
And my hambone done got spoiled...