Eating meat that has been let out overnight?

[Fiasco]

Okay, I believe I already know the rational answer to this question, but you know how it is with smoked meat--the stuff is solid gold and you hate to toss it. I smoked a marinated pork loin last night, wrapped in two layers of heavy duty foil IMMEDIATELY after coming out of the smoker, and then wapped the whole thing in a towel. I spaced and didn't notice the towel when I was putting all the other meat away into the fridge and discovered it this morning, some 12 hours later. I opened it up and of course it looks and smells wonderful, but I am concerned about the growth of bacteria. Now, before I toss it out, is it possible to reheat the meat to specific temp that would kill any and all bacteria that may have formed, or is this a lost cause? Thanks for your help!

[muebe]

I would not chance it. I know it is hard to throw away :-\ But you could get very ill and food posioning is not fun....

[Fiasco]

Yeah, I think you are right, although I have run into this before (when I was younger and more ignorant) and never had a problem. But food poisoning IS awful. I just thought that because I literally took the loin with tongs from the smoker, placed it in foil, wrapped it tightly, then wrapped THAT tightly in foil, then wrapped it all on a towel, where would the bacteria possibly come from?  I can understand uncovered food getting spoiled, or even if I had touched it with my hands (much less sneezed on it!), but otherwise, having pulled it at 165 degrees, when all bacteria would have been killed, where would the "new" bacteria come from?

I will likely toss it, but I would still like to know where this bacteria we are talking about would come from if the food was wrapped tightly immediately from the smoker?

Thanks for your advice! ::)

[muebe]

Bacteria is all around us. A moist, warm environment is the perfect breeding ground for bugs and tightly wrapped foil is not going to stop them. You made the right choice ;)

[Fiasco]

You know, I am just going to have to make more. Darn.

Thanks again.

[Quarlow]

Good choice, You may not realize it but everything has some form of bacteria on it. Even the foil you wrapped it in even though you may not have touched it. It just needs the right conditions to start growing. Of course I am one to talk cause I do eat leftovers frfom the fridge that have been there up to a week. It is good and cold in my fridge but once in awhile I hit it wrong. I have colitis and anything that gets me goes threw me so fast it doesn't be come a problem, but it is not a good practice.

[GusRobin]

The bacteria is there. 165 doesn't kill all the bacteria. It just slows it from spreading. Freezing, or at least the temps you get with a normal freezer , does not kill it either. It just keeps it from growing. To kill it with heat, you need to get in the 240* range (may  be a bit lower but it is above the boiling point). The exception is if it is a very acidic environment. That is why you can "boil" can things like salsa, but have to pressure can less acidic stuff. The pressure canner gets it above 212* (boiling pt of water) to temps high enough to kill the bacteria.
With dry curing the cure and or salt environment keeps the nasties from growing.
With all that said, we all have probably left food out longer than safe, eaten and nothing has happened. Chances are that you will survive based upon the odds, but is it worth the gamble?

[iceman]

Even the air has bacteria in it. Dang stuff is everywhere. Good choice Fiasco.  ;)

[OU812]

My question is, what was the Internal Temperature of the meat when you noticed it?

Below 140 F chuck it.

[classicrockgriller]

My question is, what was the Internal Temperature of the meat when you noticed it?

Below 140 F chuck it.

12 hrs on a pork loin was probably room temp. Yuck!

[OU812]

Yep