I forgot my beef roast thawing out...?

Question

I had put my beef roast in cold water in the kitchen sink to thaw out late last night (around 11:00 pm). It was frozen, and I meant to take it out and put it in the crock pot before I went to bed. I woke up this morning at around 7:00 and realized I had forgotten it in the sink. It was still very cool, so I am wondering if it is ok to eat. Thanks for your advice!

Answer 1

When I was growing up in Southern California (San Diego area - which is warm), my mother would always get the meat out of the freezer in the morning, put it in the sink - not in water - just in the sink in it's wrapper - and leave it there all day. When we approached dinner time, I would then unwrap it, rinse it off and fix something with it. We never got sick. To this day, my mother STILL does that and they haven't been ill either. She's done that with steaks, roasts, etc.

As long as you cook the meat correctly, I'd say you are good to go. Now my daughter-in-law left spaghetti sauce out overnight - forgot to put the leftovers away - and she got sick eating that. But it had been at a warm temperature to start with.

I don't know if they've gotten more lax today than in the past about the sanitation of the handling of meat from when I was growing up (am 59 now), but if the sanitation is the same, you shouldn't have any problem with the meat. In those days, we even ate our beef liver raw. Not sure I'd to that in today's world.

Answer 2

I'm going against the recommendation of the crowd, here. Is it really worth taking a chance of making your family ill for the price of a roast beef?

This is what a trained nutrition educator says about meat left unrefrigerated overnight.

Beef (and all animal products) are considered potentially hazardous food --in other words it will support the growth of harmful bacteria. Meat is not a sterile food -- it normally contains low-level bacteria. When you give the bacteria the conditions for growth (room temperature is one of the conditions) then the bacteria will grow -- possibly to levels that could cause food borne illness.

So...while you do not know if there were harmful bacteria there to begin with you have to assume that it could be possible. Since you don't know for certain, the recommendation is to throw away food that has been in the temperature danger zone (room temperature is smack dab in the middle of this zone).

I'm sorry -- wish there were some magic thing I could tell you that would guarantee that the meat is safe. At the present time there just isn't anything for the consumer to use that would give you the assurance of safe meat.

When in doubt...throw it out!!

Answer 3

Yes you may cook it in the oven without thawing it out. I would put on 350 and just let it cook. It will take longer to cook but will turn out the same as if it was a thawed out roast. Just check on it ever so often

Answer 4

Should still be OK... the cold water acted as a refrigerator. Enjoy!

Answer 5

Yeah, you should be fine!! just put it in the crock pot to cook it!!

Answer 6

if it was only out for a few hours then i think it is ok to eat it. look at it and see if it is turning colors. if not then it is ok to eat.but rember not to leave things like that out to long.

Answer 7

How hot is it in your country? I would think that in the UK it should be fine. My wife is South African, let me ask her. She'll know.

She says that in winter they'd eat it but in summer they wouldn't.... Too hot in summer.

Answer 8

nm

Answer 9

I'd still cook it.

Answer 10

good to eat!! enjoy!