A question of safety

[The Z]

I would have eaten it. I have done just that very thing before and completely understand your quandary. As food science has improved over the years many practices have changed and new 'standards' of hygiene have emerged. What was once commonplace is now unacceptable.

I guess what we need to look at is 'risk management'. What is the probability that something will do you harm and... is it worth the risk? I have worked with and cooked around a number of people with culinary training. In that kind of training food safety is, of course, paramount. I probably do things all the time that would make food safety inspectors cringe. I may not eat or serve lettuce chopped with a raw chicken knife, but.....

I was raised on a farm by people without culinary training. They were robustly healthy, as am I. And I have cooked for MANY people. Many. And, while I endeavor to be more cautious in my preparation for guests and family, I have no doubt that my practices would make a trained professional gasp. I have never killed anyone or, as far as I know, caused anyone to become the least bit sick from my practices.

Others have compared your situation to 'Russian Roulette' or 'driving without your seatbelt fastened your whole life' but, even if your forgetfulness had consequences, it is unlikely that it would have had the potential for disaster that the comparisons might.

[jennyema]

Originally Posted by Hopz

Then it sat covered for about 8 hours.... previous bacteria dead... no new bacteria allowed to enter the mix... then boiled again for an hour... nothing alive in there to make toxins.

where am I missing the boat here?

You are missing the boat by assuming that your cooked meat is not swarming with new bacteria while sitting at an unsafe temperature for 8 hours.

If that were true, you would never have to refrigerate cooked food!

Bacteria develops on cooked and uncooked food.