Beef Cook - Short Ribs and Chuck Roast

[ncsmoker]

Allan I'm going to disagree with you on that article as it focus's on meat plants. I would never buy pre-tenderized meat. Remember also that you cannot compare articles written about meat plants with home items. Also look at the technology used in the testing. They totally coated the steak with e-coli something that would never happen in the butchering process. The testing is flawed. Also remember there are different standards between the looser Canadian standards and the very strict US standards. There has not been an e-coli recall in the US for anything other than hamburger since I have been watching the recalls. The main reason is that large pieces of beef are removed from the cutting line to a different part of the plant and treated differently. Remember chicken should always be cooked well done 165. Pork can be done to lightly pink in the middle 150-155. This kills the trichinosis and e-coli. It's important to have an instant read thermometer for thinner pieces of meat.. My favorite is this Taylor www.amazon.com/Taylor-9842-Commercial-Waterproof-Thermometer/dp/B00009WE45/ref=pd_tcs_subst_k_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=07DHHGYBMYHDGTSQTVV5

Even my small slaughter house where I get my heritage hog done, has a USDA inspector on site every day.

I proposed that tenderizer since we were talking about Chuck and spare ribs smoked long and slow. I'll be honest I use it on London Broil and marinate it with a teriyaki marinade and cook it medium rare(140), where ecoli is killed, and have never had a problem. Never use it on chicken. I sometimes use it on lean pork chops as the new pork has so little fat in it.

I'll be honest I put off buying mine for quite a while, but now that I have it I use it more often than I thought I would.

Tom

[rangerone]

Tom, I agree that your recommendation for using the tenderizer on Chuck and spare ribs is a non-issue due to the final high internal temperatures achieve. I certainly was not trying to suggest that this was unsafe. But if used for other purposes, there can be a risk involved. Read this article for suggestions on proper use of jaccard blade tenderizers. It is near the bottom of the article.

Mechanical tenderizing has been used both in Canada and USA for years, and it has been reported that people have become ill in both countries (I think the numbers are small). Both countries have identified it as an issue, and talked about mandatory labelling of mechanically tenderized meat, as it accounts for about 25% of all meat sold and in many cases can not be easily detected by eye. People can buy this type of product with out knowing it. The labelling of such meat is now mandatory in Canada.

Standards are all well and good. As to which standards are more strict, well that is complicated and open for debate, but ultimately not that important. Overall, I believe both countries have good standards. Following the standards that are in place is what matters. Looking at the recalls for both countries shows that work needs to be done in this area not only for meat, but all foods.

Tom, I have to disagree with you that the testing in the video is flawed. This experiment was not to reproduce the proper amount or concentrations of the bacteria, but to demonstrate how far into the meat the tenderization process can push the bacteria. It demonstrated this perfectly.

I am pretty tough on food safety because, as I mentioned before, i have been sick from food. From this quote I found at amazing ribs.com, I am not the only one. This quote is not limited to meat, but all types of foods.
"The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that in one recent year roughly one in six Americans got sick from foodborne illnesses, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die. The bad guys are certain types of bacteria, viruses, and parasites."

So be cautious and be safe!!

[ncsmoker]

Allan here is a chart for cooking different meats from Amazing Ribs showing USDA recommendations and chef uses. I agree choose your temperature and be safe! Beef and pork don't get Salmonella so it can be cooked to a temp that kills e-coli, Tricinosis in pork is killed at a lower temp than e-coli.

cdn.amazingribs.com/images/accessories/long_magnet_flat_lg.jpg

Here is the article it came from:
amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/meat_temperature_guide.html

Be safe in cooking your meat and use a good instant read thermometer for smaller cuts or even checking the Maverick.

Tom

[ncsmoker]

Allan I know you are getting ready to cook a chicken here is a good article on the science of it at AmazingRibs.

amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/mythbusting_chicken_is_done_when_juices_run_clear.html

Again take care and be safe in what you smoke.

Tom

[rangerone]

Thanks for the links Tom. Amazing Ribs is one of my favourite web sites. They first introduced me to the Smokenator.

Just finished my butterfly chicken today and posted my results. It was awesome.