Food Safety??!!

[yojimbo]

I set the alarm so that my first pork but would sit out at room temp (71 degrees) about 45 minutes before going in the smoker.  Well, the alarm didn't go off so it sat out for an hour and fifty minutes :-[.   It went right in a preheated smoker.  Does anyone advise with this length of time at room temp I toss it or should it be safe?

Pleas help, I got about 9 hours.

[Habanero Smoker]

When recipes call for setting food out at room temperature, the temperature they are referring to is 68°F. If you had handled the meat properly since the time you purchased it should be alright. The FDA recommends that you do not leave meat unrefrigerated for more than two hours. That two hours is accumulative, which would include the time you had it in your car while driving home. But there are also other factors to consider. If you had already applied the rub, and the rub had salt, that would slow down the growth of bacteria.

If it were me, and since your room temperature was 71°F; I would go ahead and smoke it.

Oh! by the way. Welcome to the forum.

[yojimbo]

Thanks Hab!!!  Good to be here.  Been smoking in the Bradley for about a year and just now doing my first pork butt and submitting only my second post!! 

[yojimbo]

Turned out AWESOME!!!  Accompanied by the Golden Mustard BBQ sauce out of the Smoke & Spice book, it was out of sight.  Thanks again Hab.   ;D

[Habanero Smoker]

Glad everything worked out.

[Stickbowcrafter]

I am a little too cautious maybe but I always wipe (with a paper towel) the meat, utensils and prep area with a 50/50 water/vinegar solution. It might be overkill but I've never had food bug problem in 10 years of smoking.

-Brian