Help, DH left food out all night and saying its safe

[catfart]

Sorry posted this twice as I need a quick answer and it does fit in AIBU.

I am so angry this morrning, I slow cooked a beautiful whole shoulder of lamb yesterday, last night it came out of the oven at 8pm. I was planning on using it to batch freeze meals like shepards pies for my little boy and after the pregnancy. I was shattered (pregnant) and asked husband to put it in the fridge to cool after an hour so I could make the meals to go in the freezer today.

I come down this morning and to find its been left out all night, I put it in the fridge at 7am.

Can we eat this now? Can I use it for my freezer meals...

My husband thinks I am being ridiculous as I say that there is potential now that it could be unsafe, he says that all bugs are dead in it because I cooked it so long!!! I think slowly cooling like that and staying at room temperature is very bad.

Anyway, am I being OTT? We haven't got money to burn, this is a £22 shoulder that was to make a huge batch of lovely shepards pies for us and my son when the baby arrives and also ragu for pasta....I just feel gutted. Why didn't he do as I say?????????????

NowthenWreck - ha ha yes I think my side of the family has developed weapons grade stomachs thanks to my Mum's food hygiene standards!

Crikey Solesource that hardly improves my impression of you.

Conversation over. Woffling - sorry you got involved. And thanks. Seems you were right.

Here's what I mean by danger zone - bacteria multiplies every 10 to 20 minutes, and its been left out in the danger zone (which it would have reached a few mins after being chopped off the bone in reality) for 12 hours.

So by all means let common sense prevail, but its not fair for anyone to be making the OP out to be paranoid, stupid, a nightmare to live with, pearl clutching, etc etc, she has perfectly valid concerns. I doubt her kitchen was 3 degrees last night.

Oh yeah, the fucking link oops

I think the lamb left out will be fine, however meat should only be reheated once. So if you are going to cook it in other meals today you won't be able to reheat the meals when it comes to eating them, as the meat has already been cooked and reheated.

They are totally value concerns, esp as she is pg and the food was also for a little one, who's tummy won't be even close to being cast iron yet and able to deal with bugs, sadly I know the consequences :(

I think that theory gets shot if it is then frozen baabaa though under the circumstances it might add to the risk...

I reckon it would be fine to eat today, particularly if you reheat it really thoroughly, but its riskier to batch cook and freeze then wait then reheat under the circs. Compromise?

I wouldn't use it either but like you op I have had a nasty case of food poisoning (about 8 weeks after giving birth so hideous timing too)

Seriously? Wouldn't give this a second thought. I regularly (at least once a week) will make a casserole or stew or chilli the evening before and leave in the casserole pot till the next day. Have never been ill with food poisoning and neither have any of my family. What do you think people did before the advent of Fridges??

I am not what you say I am.

Mmm shoulder of lamb breakfast now ya talking.

Thanks DunkeyWhorey :)

I could always put a wooden spoon to DH's head and make him eat every single mouthful and see what happens???

I agree with Xici, however my mum didn't have a fridge when I was little, so I have an excellent level of immunity to most things... I have never had food poisoning, I do rather suspect I'll end up giving it to someone else at some point though!

baabaa is right. You are effectively cooking and cooling once, then reheating/cooling/freezing, then defrosting and reheating. I don't think freezing kills bacteria it just stops them multiplying. You really shouldn't reheat things more than once.

I would probably freeze the meat in portions, and then make the meals on the day to avoid that problem.

That said my mum makes soup that is reheated and then left on the side for days. I refuse to eat it now, but she has yet to poison herself.

Yep i'm with xici.

Don't think anyone is being paranoid our anything but personally I shouldn't think twice about using this

Compromise? Make adult meals with it?
But in truth, OP, you have to go with whatever makes you feel comfortable, and if you will worry about the food you make with this particular joint, then don't do it.
It may well be harmless, but if the thought makes you fret then donate it to hungry students or something.

Of course I would use it.

Advice given in food handling courses and on the Internet is couched in extreme caution as if you are 'advising' particularly on how to provide food to the paying public or in the workplace, you have to err a long way on the side of caution.

I put half a roast chicken to one side two nights ago, intending to put it in the fridge once it was cool. I forgot so found it the morning after. It had rested next to aga all night. I was reasonably comfortable the cats hadn't got at it!

It was delicious in pasta last night (or so my teenager told me) He's fine by the way. Even got up early and brought me coffee in bed so if he has food poisoning it's the kind I recommend.

All true but firmly tongue in cheek.

Enjoy your lamb. Bet it will be delicious.

That's great Solesource but all we know about you is what you write on here, so maybe if you wrote nicer things, people wouldn't think you were unkind.

Does that make sense?

You can reheat more than once if you freeze in between.

OP if it was covered then I would use it. I often leave a large joint to cool overnight, or a pot of stew/casserole/cooked mince/bolognaise.
The only time I had food poisoning was eating a chicken sandwich from a deli.

alibaba that's not true feeezing puts bacteria into status not kills it so why would freezing inbetween make a difference?

And before fridges people got more food poisoning.

God I love Mumsnet.

Weaning your baby at 12 weeks? Dont do it, the guidelines are there for a reason.

Buying your 16 year old COD? How dare you, its 18 for a reason

Using cooled boiled water to make up a FF? The guidelines say it has to be 70 degree water, they say that for a reason.

Wanting to use greasy shredded meat thats been left out in a kitchen all night to fester and harbour millions of bacteria that can have pretty serious consequences for a pg lady and a small child? Sure go ahead, the guidelines are only that, meat is expensive etc etc

and x 1000

Indeed crossroads!

You cannot reheat more times if you freeze in between. Just like you cannot re freeze food if you have heated in between.

it was annoying. But I couldn't say if it would be safe to eat. I'd go ahead and batch cook it and let your DH eat it the first couple of meals. Sorry if that sounds cruel, but you can't take risks if you're pregnant and I certainly wouldn't use it for baby food. I don't think I'd use any frozen meat for a child under one or even two.

The lamb will be fine. DH and I often leave things in the oven (turned off) overnight and we've never yet had a problem. Unless it is going green/smells wrong, I'd eat it.