Sanitizing tong questions?

[TedW]

Burnt-

That's a GREAT article. Sous vide on the low temp side. Very much appreciated

 

[BGWolf]

I was stunned at the cost difference in the foil pans from the grocery store to sams club. 20 cents each

I get my foil pans in bulk at the local restaurant supply store. They are much less expensive than retail. Most of these stores happily sell to individuals (non business owners). I get a lot of my cooking tools and supplies (gloves, tongs, squeeze bottles for sauces, shakers for rubs, pizza pans & peels) at extremely good prices from my local store.

 

[dadsr4]

I wash, or use a different pair of tongs for the finished meat.

 

[ironmanerik]

"the up side is still raw"
Even though it needs to be flipped to fully cook the surface has been in a 300-500 degree environment for minutes anything should be long dead at that point.

 

[Teleking]

Anyone use anti-microbial soaps?

Suspected (but not proven) to contribute to antibiotic resistant bugs like MRSA and staph infections and possible the higher occurance of weird food allergies popping up in kids these days. The world needs germs to maintain resistance.

 

[McSpazatron]

Suspected (but not proven) to contribute to antibiotic resistant bugs like MRSA and staph infections and possible the higher occurance of weird food allergies popping up in kids these days. The world needs germs to maintain resistance.

I think Ive read that those anti microbial agents have neurotoxic effects on people as well.

Soap and water is enough. It's more about rinsing the germs physically off the surface with plenty of water. Regular soap should be all you need to slick up the surface enough so that everything washes away.

 

[TedW]

^^^^ I agree with all of this ^^^

I had such soap in the house once maybe 15 years ago. It's bad on many levels. It was another thing to sell us. Fear based marketing.

 

[Twisted T's Q]

You could grab some quaternary sanitizing tablets and keep a small container for utensils and wipe clothes or even just a correct ratio of bleach to water.

I know of a few restaurants that do this

 

[Bob C Cue]

I just let the dog lick the tongs clean. I've heard that a dog's mouth is cleaner than a human's or something like that.

 

[PaulstheRibList]

I love having that Quaternary Ammonia solution nearby when we are cooking. Wash off the surface and put it in that solution for 30 seconds and you are sanitized.

QUESTION: I usually just use a spatula when grilling. If you flip only touching the side that has been down, and don't flip until the 1st side is about finished, do you still go wash your spatula?

 

[IXL]

^^^^^^In my opinion, how could one know that some uncooked salmonella-containing juices didn't run over the top and down the side of the poultry and onto the spatula.

I once suffered food poisoning from some undercooked chicken: it is best avoided.

 

[jham0077]

I have always placed my tongs over the coals when I flip. No way am i trudging inside to wash my tongs on every flip. I have to assume the heat will kill any bacteria pretty quickly. And no one has ever gotten sick....so theres that

I second that. Or I'm bad about placing the meat on the grill or smoker with my fingers.

 

[PaulstheRibList]

IXL, I agree with you and jham0077. The more I learn about food safety issues, the more I'm thinking it's food poisoning at home when I hear about people getting tummy issues.

 

[hurricanedavid]

One of the most effective disinfectants is 10% bleach, 1 part bleach and 9 parts water. It's readily available and inexpensive. You can clean your sink, prep area, and utensils very easily and with no need to buy expensive alternates.

However, it's important to alternate your disinfectant periodically to minimize the risk of microbial resistance to the disinfectant.

 

[smoke ninja]

^^^^^^In my opinion, how could one know that some uncooked salmonella-containing juices didn't run over the top and down the side of the poultry and onto the spatula.

I once suffered food poisoning from some undercooked chicken: it is best avoided.

I dont think most get sick from eating poultry that is under cooked. As stated earlier 130 is essentially safe, i don't think many miss the mark by that much. Cross contamination is the main culprit imo. Also if you read burnts link from earlier it sounds like your more at risk eating a salad and washing wont help as its in the veggies.

We are all doomed

 

[dadsr4]

One of the most effective disinfectants is 10% bleach, 1 part bleach and 9 parts water. It's readily available and inexpensive. You can clean your sink, prep area, and utensils very easily and with no need to buy expensive alternates.

However, it's important to alternate your disinfectant periodically to minimize the risk of microbial resistance to the disinfectant.

I keep a spray bottle of it under my sink. Counters, sinks, whatever get a spray after food prep.

 

[Gore]

This chart was originally posted by Knucklhed BBQ a very long time ago. It is essentially the time and temperature needed to kill salmonella.

Alrighty folks... 'setcher lil hearts at ease - Most of the USDA's "blah, blah, blah" is designed so the that the average burger flipper can remember it -

Let me ask this question though, would you consider chicken kept at 137 for an hour to be:
A) Lethal - WTH are you trying to do to me man????
B) Just right! Bring it on, I'm hungry fo' that!

FDA says... Good to go! What???? AYFKM???!!!! (Are you freaking kidding me??)

Now, I'm not saying that the taste & texture will be what you want, but - technically, safe.


From USDA.gov - pages 5 - 16: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FSISNotices/RTE_Poultry_Tables.pdf

Times for given temperature, fat level, and species needed to obtain
7-log10 lethality of Salmonella*
------------------------------------ fat%=9 ------------------------------------
Temperature (
o
F) Time for Chicken Time for Turkey
136 74.8 min 67.6 min
137 59.7 min 55.3 min
138 47.7 min 45.4 min
139 38.3 min 37.3 min
140 30.8 min 30.8 min
141 24.9 min 25.5 min
142 20.1 min 21.1 min
143 16.3 min 17.4 min
144 13.2 min 14.4 min
145 10.7 min 11.9 min
146 8.6 min 9.8 min
147 6.9 min 8 min
148 5.5 min 6.5 min
149 4.3 min 5.2 min
150 3.3 min 4.1 min
151 2.5 min 3.2 min
152 1.8 min 2.4 min
153 1.4 min 1.9 min
154 1.1 min 1.5 min
155 51.4 sec 1.3 min
156 40.7 sec 1 min
157 32.2 sec 49.7 sec
158 25.4 sec 40.3 sec
159 20.1 sec 32.7 sec
160 15.9 sec 26.6 sec
161 12.6 sec 21.6 sec
162 10 sec 17.5 sec
163 <10.0 sec 14.2 sec
164 <10.0 sec 11.5 sec
165 <10.0 sec <10.0 sec

I am pretty paranoid about cooking chicken because the chicken we have in the USA is some of the worst in the world. It is not just tasteless, but in processing it has a 1/3 chance of being contaminated with salmonella. Lucky all of you with easy access to farms that process their own. You have closer to 1/10,000 chance of contamination, so you can eat that raw if you like.

I have three sets of spatulas that I use when I cook chicken, one each for raw, flipped, and cooked. Then they go in the dishwasher for sterilization. However, if I don't have access, I simply consult that handy chart and I know that if I get the temp of those tongs up to 160* or so for any substantial amount of time, I know I'm safe. All I have to do is put those puppies at grate level (400*+) or in the fire for a little while and I'm good. If I'm not sure if it is hot enough, I can just touch the heated end to an extra appendage I don't need and if I get third degree burns after two seconds, I know it's safe. :thumb:

 

[m-fine]

I dont think most get sick from eating poultry that is under cooked. As stated earlier 130 is essentially safe, i don't think many miss the mark by that much. Cross contamination is the main culprit imo. Also if you read burnts link from earlier it sounds like your more at risk eating a salad and washing wont help as its in the veggies.

We are all doomed

130-131 ish CAN be safe but only after a very long time (hours) which is not relevant to the home cook outside of sous vide.

My technique with chicken is to wash or replace (tongs are cheap at the local restaurant supply) after they are flipped once or twice (both sides down, and edges exposed to heat for a reasonable amount of time) OR after the last basting. Later in a cook, it doesn't take long for anything that gets on the hot outer surface of meat on a hot grill to hit the magic 165 for near instant death.

 

[IXL]

I dont think most get sick from eating poultry that is under cooked. As stated earlier 130 is essentially safe, i don't think many miss the mark by that much. Cross contamination is the main culprit imo. Also if you read burnts link from earlier it sounds like your more at risk eating a salad and washing wont help as its in the veggies.

We are all doomed

That may well be, but if I'm to be doomed, it will be with tongs that have been hit for an hour and a half with a flamenthrower after even looking at less-than-288°F chicken.........(it IS possible that I've gone a bit overboard after the I-don't-wanna-live chicken poisoning).

 

[16Adams]

Almost everyone who has eaten my food has gone on to live a healthy normal life.

I use disposable food safe gloves, wash hands before during after prep chicken always outside never in the kitchen. I've got probably 8 sets of tongs, 11 spatulas- long forks etc etc. I've got a 12-14" tweezer around here somewhere.

I don't play with my meat when I cook, usually flipping only once. If I get the urge to play with my meat I will use a fresh clean cooking tool the last 25% of the cook. If it's something I'm going to want to move around closer spinning etc I will place it on foil with punched holes and drag it around. Then flip my meat the last little bit of remaining time.

Bottom line- no uncooked raw meat touches my instrument twice- and there's no exploding germs in the kitchen as I prep outside.