eagle697
is one Smokin' Farker
If this belongs in the competition or food handling feel free to move. I wasn't sure where to put it.
I am still unpacking from a competition this weekend and noticed some things that really bothered me. This was the first time i have attended a cooks meeting and noticed them telling everyone that they must be aware and follow all state and local food service regulations. My wife is a state health inspector and she holds our feet to the fire when it comes to this stuff. But, i noticed a number of teams that do things that i found quite questionable and was wondering if this is common practice. I have always kept my meat below in a cooler until it was time to start smoking. It may sit out for 10-15 minutes but eh temperature is still below 40. I noticed several teams that left their meat sitting out for a few hours (one guy even over night). I was talking to someone about it and he said they did it because they like the meat temp higher at the beginning of the smoke to increase taste and tenderness. I asked my wife and she said this would be a violation of the health regs if the meat was above 40.
Is this a common practice in competitions or even in backyards? I have no problem letting a steak heat up to room temperature before i grill it, but letting larger cuts of meat sit for hours scares me. Any info or feedback would be great. Thanks
I am still unpacking from a competition this weekend and noticed some things that really bothered me. This was the first time i have attended a cooks meeting and noticed them telling everyone that they must be aware and follow all state and local food service regulations. My wife is a state health inspector and she holds our feet to the fire when it comes to this stuff. But, i noticed a number of teams that do things that i found quite questionable and was wondering if this is common practice. I have always kept my meat below in a cooler until it was time to start smoking. It may sit out for 10-15 minutes but eh temperature is still below 40. I noticed several teams that left their meat sitting out for a few hours (one guy even over night). I was talking to someone about it and he said they did it because they like the meat temp higher at the beginning of the smoke to increase taste and tenderness. I asked my wife and she said this would be a violation of the health regs if the meat was above 40.
Is this a common practice in competitions or even in backyards? I have no problem letting a steak heat up to room temperature before i grill it, but letting larger cuts of meat sit for hours scares me. Any info or feedback would be great. Thanks