# Boston butt.  Did I mess up big time?



## v8maro (Apr 28, 2018)

Accidentally left it out on the counter overnight for 6 hours exactly. When I went to bed it WAS partially frozen. Got up this morning and wanted to die. I put it on the smoker anyways for now. I also probed it once in the smoker. The IT read 34*.

Toss it?


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## bdskelly (Apr 28, 2018)

It’s remarkable that the IT was still 34 after 6 hours on the counter. I hope one of our resident safety experts chime in.


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## SmokinAl (Apr 28, 2018)

Sounds to me like it's still almost frozen!
I wouldn't worry about it.
It should be fine!
Al


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## gmc2003 (Apr 28, 2018)

I'm not an expert but after reading this thread I would cook them. 

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/dumb-mistake-with-boston-butt.274918/#post-1823451

Chris


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## v8maro (Apr 28, 2018)

I tossed it. Oh well. New one was 16$. I'm feeding 10+ people tonight. Don't need to risk that many people. If it was myself I'd do it and deal w it lol.


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## v8maro (Apr 28, 2018)

Btw when I temped it it was on for almost an hour already. When I was putting it on the outside was pretty darn room temp (68*)


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## daveomak (Apr 28, 2018)

You are good to go.....   I would crank the temp up in the smoker to kill any pathogens in the outer layer of the meat..  Maybe even rub salt into the exterior..  Between heat and salt, pathogens will not survive...   After 30-60 minutes at the elevated temperature, it will be safe to lower the temperature to your normal cooking temperature...   
If you have any doubts, there is a "super pasteurization" step you can take....
Below is a chart that show time and temp to kill food borne pathogens...  A higher temp kills them faster than a lower temp...   However, holding the meat at a given temperature for a longer period of time, kills more pathogens...    
The benefit of the lower cooking temperature is...  You can hold the meat IT for a longer period of time and kill many more pathogens and you won't turn the meat into shoe leather...
I very often use the pasteurization table below and choose a low temperature...  Then I hold that temperature for an hour or so past the time given as OK...   That insures additional pathogens have been killed without overcooking the meat...  Kind of a safety margin...   I'm way too old to get ANY type of food poisoning...  And often, my family will eat what I prepare..  kids, grandkids and it would be crushing, at the very least, to think I poisoned one of them...

So, I would cook the meat you described and take extra measures and feed it to my family... no worries...  
As is evident in the chart below, extending the time at a given temperature, increases the lethality of the given temperature....  At 140 deg. F, you can hold a pork roast for a very long time and not have it dry out...


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## motolife313 (Apr 28, 2018)

Sounds just thawed me ,nice work.


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## noboundaries (Apr 28, 2018)

Well, its too late now, but that was still a good piece of meat. Thawing on a counter is DEFINITELY NOT RECOMMENDED, but you just learned a bit of a lesson in the thermodynamics of heat transfer. It is an old wives tale that a cold piece of meat will reach room temp in an hour when moved from the fridge to the counter. A four ounce piece of meat might get close, but an 8-9 lb butt, impossible.

Cold meat absorbs heat energy from its surroundings. The greater the difference in temperature between the meat and the surrounding environment, the greater the heat absorption. A partially frozen butt will still be at 32F. It has to absorb a LOT of heat energy to thaw, heat energy that just isn't available in a 70F room. Stick in in 70F water though, and it will absorb heat 25 times faster due to the density of molecules touching the meat compared to air.  Stick it in a 250F smoker, and those same air molecules are carrying a LOT of heat energy they can transfer to the meat, that's why it read 68F after an hour (which should be a friggin' clue to how hot the room would have to be for those who still believe cold meat can reach room temp in an hour on the counter......sorry, pet peeve).

When you probed it and it read 34F, that should have put your mind at ease. A lesson for next time.

And you did the right thing; when in doubt, throw it out. You can serve your guests with peace of mind.


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## dr k (Apr 28, 2018)

Yes when temps are so close together 37 fridge steak and room temp 67 that 30° difference will get a steak's IT to 50° in two hours. 13° rise in two hours,


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