# Ribs interrupted?



## eats (Sep 29, 2016)

Had an emergency come up where I'm going to half to stop my ribs 3 hrs in and won't be home til tomorrow at noon. 

What can I do to save my slabs???

Thanks!


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## wimpy69 (Sep 29, 2016)

Fridge. Finish in oven tommorrow.


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## dirtsailor2003 (Sep 29, 2016)

Need to know more about your process. Did you get the internal temp of the ribs above 145? If so you can reheat them and eat. 

If not then you should not eat them.


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## chef jimmyj (Sep 30, 2016)

3 hours is enough smoke and will be cooked but no where near tender, You can go in the oven or smoker to finish.

@Case...Ribs are  usually intact meat and the Rule don't apply. Besides, as thin as they are, even enhanced, easily hit 140++ in 3 hours...JJ


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## eats (Sep 30, 2016)

Thanks all. We'll try finishing off low/slow in the smoker and see if we can save 'em. 


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## dirtsailor2003 (Sep 30, 2016)

Chef JimmyJ said:


> 3 hours is enough smoke and will be cooked but no where near tender, You can go in the oven or smoker to finish.
> 
> @Case...Ribs are usually intact meat and the Rule don't apply. Besides, as thin as they are, even enhanced, easily hit 140++ in 3 hours...JJ



JJ what if the OP trimmed the ribs? That is why I asked for more info on the process used. There is no mention on the type of ribs or how they were handled prior to going on the smoker. 

I understand that the ribs are small enough and should be past the USDA's recommended temp. But what is the smoker was running say 170-180.


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## chef jimmyj (Sep 30, 2016)

dirtsailor2003 said:


> JJ what if the OP trimmed the ribs? That is why I asked for more info on the process used. There is no mention on the type of ribs or how they were handled prior to going on the smoker.
> 
> I understand that the ribs are small enough and should be past the USDA's recommended temp. But what is the smoker was running say 170-180.


Trimmed don't matter as only the exposed cuts will be contaminated, still the surface, not any deeper interior of the meat. Regardless of handling, Bacteria on intact meat is only ever on the surface and are killed shortly after going in the smoker. 

We can infer if the OP is smart enough to be here to ask what can be done, he knows to have the smoker up to 225+ and they where at that temp 3 hours. IF the temp in the smoker was 170-180, intact ribs would be fine as we are only concerned with the surface bacteria and they would be dead. If they were factory enhanced/injected, they use brine and that would offer some protection. If they were home injected 170-180 would still likely get the IT up in the 130-140 range in the thin ribs which according to Louis Pasteur kills bacteria just fine. 

Don't be hung up on the 40-140 Rule...It is a Guideline... A do this and you will be safe...BUT...Like the USDA Guidelines and many cautionary guidelines, don't run with scissors, has a built-in margin of error...Let's say it takes 5-6 hours to get to 140, no problem as 130 over time is just as effective at killing bacteria. Add intact meat don't count and if the meat is Injected, you need to consider injected with what? Brine or Apple juice? Little to worry about, salt or acid is inhospitable to bacteria. Injected with Broth and Butter? Well now we need to look harder at all the circumstances...JJ


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## dirtsailor2003 (Sep 30, 2016)

Chef JimmyJ said:


> Trimmed don't matter as only the exposed cuts will be contaminated, still the surface, not any deeper interior of the meat. Regardless of handling, Bacteria on intact meat is only ever on the surface and are killed shortly after going in the smoker.
> 
> We can infer if the OP is smart enough to be here to ask what can be done, he knows to have the smoker up to 225+ and they where at that temp 3 hours. IF the temp in the smoker was 170-180, intact ribs would be fine as we are only concerned with the surface bacteria and they would be dead. If they were factory enhanced/injected, they use brine and that would offer some protection. If they were home injected 170-180 would still likely get the IT up in the 130-140 range in the thin ribs which according to Louis Pasteur kills bacteria just fine.
> 
> Don't be hung up on the 40-140 Rule...It is a Guideline... A do this and you will be safe...BUT...Like the USDA Guidelines and many cautionary guidelines, don't run with scissors, has a built-in margin of error...Let's say it takes 5-6 hours to get to 140, no problem as 130 over time is just as effective at killing bacteria. Add intact meat don't count and if the meat is Injected, you need to consider injected with what? Brine or Apple juice? Little to worry about, salt or acid is inhospitable to bacteria. Injected with Broth and Butter? Well now we need to look harder at all the circumstances...JJ


JJ  I am not taking about the 40°-140° rule. 

The 145° I am referencing is the safe cook temp for pork. I am one that would partially cook meat, put it in the partially cooked meat in the fridge for three days and then start again.

"*Partial Cooking*
Never brown or partially cook pork, then refrigerate and finish cooking later, because any bacteria present wouldn't have been destroyed. It is safe to partially pre-cook or microwave pork _immediately_ before transferring it to the hot grill to finish cooking."

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal...ration/fresh-pork-from-farm-to-table/CT_Index

The OP didn't specify the IT of the meat, nor did he tell us how hot his pit is. From that I cannot make safe assumption and tell him that his plan is okay.


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## chef jimmyj (Sep 30, 2016)

dirtsailor2003 said:


> JJ  I am not taking about the 40°-140° rule.
> 
> The 145° I am referencing is the safe cook temp for pork. I am one that would partially cook meat, put it in the partially cooked meat in the fridge for three days and then start again.
> 
> ...


Partial Cooking...There is a difference here as I pointed out...He didn't Partial Cook them...Three hours at 225 will get a Rack of Spare Ribs over 140-145 no problem, shy of being completely Frozen ( and nobody smokes Frozen Ribs). I know about Times and Temps to get there for a fact as I worked many years in Pro Kitchen where you damn well better have your timing down so you can  open the doors. Additionally, in Catering and getting ready to serve as close to fresh cooked as you can get, Pre-cooking or smoking Beef to 125°F, Pork to 140°F, and Chicken to 150°F, all to be finished on site, is common practice as these temps, held for the specified time, Kill Bacteria, inside and out. The Partial Cooking the USDA talks about is the Searing or Browning off of meat and tossing the still partially Raw meat in a refer until whenever. FACT SHEETS are not detailed and assume every person that reads them has NO knowledge about Food, Safety or otherwise, or Cooking in general. In all my years being educated in Culinary Arts and during my Instructor Training to teach Food Safety to Certify food service professionals and all the years I taught the same...I never saw or referenced a USDA Fact Sheet! First time I saw one was when I came to SMF, and read the info from my predecessor, BBally. Yes we do teach and follow the Highly Detailed USDA/FSIS Regulations and FDA Food Codes, but compared to that info... Fact Sheets are like Movie Trailers...They give you some highlights but it ain't the Whole Story!

As far as the highlighted statement...No offense to the OP, You or Anybody...BUT...Based on this statement, Do you really think that a member since 2013 has yet to read a single post about smoking Ribs? Do you really assume the guy does not know that to smoke ribs the pit has be at least 225°F? Do you assume Eats is Totally Clueless about Smoking and Food Safety and that his ribs would need longer than 3 hours to hit 140? Seriously??? FIRST THING I DO when a post with a Safety Issue is directed to my attention?...I see how long the guy has been a member. I then go look at the OP's Profile! What is their back ground? What have they Smoked? What have they posted? Am I dealing with a Clueless Newbie or a Vet with a Question? Right away " I " knew EATS is NO ROOKIE, knows what he is doing, has been around long enough to have at least a basic knowledge of food safety and just had a question he needed clarified. I knew that I didn't have to assume anything, just answer the man's question.

Here is EATS Roll Call Post...

*I'm Jeff from the northern most part of the sprawling metropolis known as Atlanta.  Moved down in 91 from Michigan and have loved it ever since.*

*Have worn out 3 or 4  different gas grills and 3 weeks ago decided to go with a Traeger L'il Texas Elite that they were featuring at our Costco.  I feel like I've been reborn?!  Goodness gracious what a difference. *

*I decided to hit this forum up as I was looking for additional information on doing a pork butt for pulled pork tonight.  I currently have a butt that's been going since 7am EDT and I plan on driving the neighbors crazy all afternoon.*

*Thanks for some of the great tips and tricks already and plan on sharing some BBQV's from my virgin butt!*

I try Very Hard not to assume anything. I do my research before answering a Safety issue. And based on a strong back ground in Food Safety and over 40 years cooking, some 20 professionally, answer to the best of my ability or direct the OP to the Guru that is more knowledgeable on the subject. I would like to think nobody here thinks that I Shoot from the Hip with random and unsafe advice based on false or uneducated assumptions and conjecture?...JJ


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## dirtsailor2003 (Sep 30, 2016)

JJ,

On the mobile version we don't see how long the member has been a member, we do not see post counts. My first response was from my phone. I unfortunately do not have time to go back and look at every post a member has made prior to commenting on the current thread.

Looking at his info on the computer his stat is a newbie with 14 posts. I can only go off what he posted in the first post of this thread. Which really isn't enough for me to say go ahead and eat it.


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## SmokinAl (Oct 1, 2016)

Since JJ is the FOOD SAFETY MODERATOR with a lot of experience behind him.

Then I think the person we should listen to is him.

He should have the last say on any food safety issue.

I think we all need to respect JJ's opinions on these kinds of questions.

Al


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