NEED TO COOK ONE TONIGHT FOR SOME GUESTS AT THE HOUSE.HAVEN'T DONE ONE IN A WHILE..NOT SURE ABOUT TEMP WHEN DONE...WRAP IN FOIL AT SOME POINT?THANKS.......TOM
Jeeves,nope, although that's what the Government (FDA) requires for all commerical pork products sold in the US. they don't care about flavor; they only want to preven peoople from getting sick, and so, they err on the side of extreme caution.all the deadly bacteria in pork (aka, the stuff that causes trichinosis) dies at 137. i usually pull my pork loin off at around 135-140. it'll go up a few degrees as it's resting. pork loin that's 160 = shoe leather.
Jeeves,As stated, the bad stuff in pork is killed at 137, but I always go to 145 to allow for any possible thermometer calibration issues.Ain't nothing wrong with cooking to 160. In fact, some very important people (my wife) prefer the color and texture of pork cooked to 160.I, on the other hand, prefer my pork a bit more pink and juicy.It's a good thing those tenderloins come two to a pack.
Midnight Smoker, nit picking... but bacteria is ON the pork, from contamination during slaughter. trich is caused by a parasite.the parasite is killed nearly instantly at 140 and is renderered safe. bacteria can be killed at 140, but any toxins they produce are still harmful. bacteria outside, parasites inside.
Thanks guys for the response and especially Midnight Smoker for the detailed explanation.At least before purchasing my egg, I purchased a combo IR gun (with a regular probe and a hi-temp probe) in addition to a thermapen.I'm still a newbie, so I'm collecting all the notes....thanks guys! -jeeves
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stike, That is true. Many toxins produced by bacteria are heat stabile however some are heat labile and are destroyed by heat. Not that you can look at a piece of meat and tell.Trich on the other hand is not a common occurence with modern pig raising practices. Its best to be safe but every case I've read about or have knowledge of comes from wild hogs or bears.
Jeeves, forget about temps and try to remember the CONCEPT.a piece of meat kept at safe temps (between 40-140) should be VERY safe as far as bacteria go.cooking pork to 140 makes it safe for trichinosos, which is TOTALLY unrelated to bacteria and safe food handling.after 140, you are cooking pork to taste. for me, it come off at 140-145. pork today is so lean and "healthy" that it is often flavorless. cooking to 155 or beyond is doing nothing but drying it out.
AZRP, just so you know... there are more bacteria ON you than there are cells which make up your body.and showering only encourages MORE to grow.the people selling anti-bacterial soaps have turned us into a nation of people who have no idea what they are afraid of, but just know they are afraid.
-Jeeves