Just Cooking
Master Chef
oh geeze...... I've been thawing on the counter, thawing and refreezing for most of my adult life... I figure if I make a huge mistake now, I've had a happy 78 years...
Ross
Ross
Yes there is always a risk. I would never freeze defrosted meat again either.
When bacteria multiply, they produce a toxin that is not inactivated by heat. So no matter how high the temperature at which you cook it, it can be unsafe to eat after a period of time at room temperature. Federal food safety laws require food service establishments to refrigerate food that has been at room temperature for more than two hours.Wouldn't cooking it kill any bacteria anyway? It's not like in 2 hours it is starting to rot.
I'd cook it and enjoy it. I would cook it to the high end of the temp range, but that is just because of my OCD.
Wouldn't cooking it kill any bacteria anyway? It's not like in 2 hours it is starting to rot..
Wouldn't cooking it kill any bacteria anyway? It's not like in 2 hours it is starting to rot.
I'd cook it and enjoy it. I would cook it to the high end of the temp range, but that is just because of my OCD.
Food bourn bacteria dies immediately at 160 degrees
CD
I tossed it. It may have been a full 3 hours on the counter. I fell asleep. If this was survival cooking, I'd have chanced cooking it.
In any case "they" recommend allowing meat that's been in the 'fridge to come to room temp before cooking.A fridge thawed cornish game hen. It was very chilled when I took it out and seasoned it. I let it get to room temp, and then some. i stuck it back in the freezer real quick, and then down to the fridge. Please tell me I can BBQ it safely. I don't want to toss it.
Are statistics in my favor?
"They" don't recommend that for poultry but for red meat. And it's not the food safety experts that recommend that; it's TV chefs who don't know better.In any case "they" recommend allowing meat that's been in the 'fridge to come to room temp before cooking.
Make sure you cook it fully and not just on the outside.