Meat Thermometer

[crusty ol salt]

when do you insert your meat thermometer into that biggest, thickest, deepest hunk of meat muscle?

[Richtee]

After the meat surface has attained 140°.

[Capt Dan]

It has been said that after the outside has passed the 140 degree mark, it is safe to peirce the outer layer with the therm, without the fear of driving any germs inside with it.

I have gotten pretty used to my pit and done enough butts, chucks or briskets to know when I need to have it in there. I often don't use the remote therms in the meat, unless I am gonna be distracted by company or chores. Its a tough call, but I would say anytime after 4-5 hrs in the smoker for a large hunk of meat.

[crusty ol salt]

i have come to agree with what you said and that brings me to a follow up question.

why is it wrong to put a meat thermometer into the muscle but okay to inject the same muscle with seasonings and flavor with a syringe that has been cleaned equally to my thermometer?

actually the needle on the syringe maybe dirtier because it is harder to clean.

[Richtee]

Easy..it's not. If you inject, you need to get the meat INTERIOR to 140° within 4 hours.

[SmokinLee]

Kinda makes you wonder why the USDA allows the penetration of the lowly pop-up timer/thermometer.

[Richtee]

Kinda makes you wonder why the USDA allows the penetration of the lowly pop-up timer/thermometer.

Don't much matter with birds... I consider them contaminated regardless. Feather plucking, etc.

[Gunslinger]

Don't much matter with birds... I consider them contaminated regardless. Feather plucking, etc.

I feel this is a good policy for everyone. Treat all poultry as if it is contaminated.
Case in point:
My Mom got violently ill 2 weeks ago from eating an underdone egg. No it wasn't one of ours. But we had to rush her to the ER. She said she's never felt that sick. And this is a woman that has survived Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Chemo, and a stem cell transplant. She's tough as nails, and just like that, she thought she was going to die from a damn egg.

[SmokinLee]

Yea, Even the late Julia Childs always pointed out the fact how important it is to wash your birds even if the feathers are only skin deep.

[crusty ol salt]

it all keeps coming back to sanitation, rich had pointed out one of the biggest dirt items in the kitchen a couple of weeks ago

http://www.smoked-meat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4838

the can opener

then i watched that pitmasters show, after watching and listening to their discussion about injecting meats... well i just couldnt get the dirty needles out of my mind.

the heath care profession never reuses a needle. shoot their are programs all over the country that hand out clean needles to drug addicts. I know my temp probes and thermometers are cleaner than i could ever clean any needle or syringe cylinder.

Yet i will bet they get reused quite often.

i agree with the poultry thing too... all birds are dirty birds as they come thru the door

[DangerDan]

it all keeps coming back to sanitation,

Sanitation? I told you to tell them you was in a sanitarium...

"Scar Face"

I don't worry about it all too much. I just practice the main rules in maintaining saintary conditions. Clean surface, clean hands/gloves, clean meat, clean utensiles.

I boil out injector needles before every use and draw the boiling water into the syringe as well. I wash my stuffer & grinder before & after every use and inspect it well with a flashlight to assure I didn't miss anything. Usually I'll store the grinder & stuffer in the fridge as well.

If you think about it the only way for a probe or syringe to get bacteria into your meats is for the bacteria to be present on the meat in the first place. (ofcourse unless your utensiles are dirty) a 75% vinegar/water solution wipe down on meats could work well to sanitize if your concerned too much.