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Smoking Picnic Shoulder and it came off heat overnite

by John
(BelAir, Md USA)

I was smoking a 9.5lb pork picnic shoulder over nite on my Smoke Hollow propane smoker @ 250 degrees. I put it in at 6pm and last checked it at 1am prior to going to bed. Woke up at 7am this morning to find the propane ran out sometime over nite and the smoker was cool inside. Can I continue smoking the shoulder or is it bad now?

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Smoking Picnic Shoulder and it came off heat overnite

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by: Anonymous

Variables include how much bacteria was in the food to begin with (brining and curing cut this down) how long the food was in the danger zone, and what you did with it when you found it to be "cool." (You said the smoker was cool, but didn't mention the meat temperature, which is what really matters.)

The USDA recommends not keeping foods in the "danger zone" (41-135 degrees) for more than four hours, maximum. That's a worst case scenario, where the food was already contaminated with significant bacteria which would start to grow rapidly in the warmer ranges of the zone.

Ultimately the decision is yours. Ask yourself these questions:

-How long was it below 135 degrees?
-Did I brine the meat with salt or cure before cooking?
-Are and the people who will eat it adults in good health? (kids and the infirm are generally more sensitive to food borne illness.)
-Do I feel lucky?

If you're not sure about any of these, follow the old adage: "When in doubt, throw it out."

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