Food safety question - grinding previously frozen brisket for med rare burgers

GrateEggspectations

Hey all,

I have a brisket flat I froze immediately after buying it at Costco approximately 5 months ago. 

Any reason having I cannot thaw it, grind it and then cook burgers to medium rare? I cook steaks to medium rare after having been frozen, and I understand home-ground meat does not carry the same risks as commercial. 

I see no reason why I could not do so, but wanted to consult my wise brothers and sisters to make sure I am not missing anything.

Thanks in advance!

Spaightlabs

Was the flat blade tenderized?  I've only ever bought cryovaced packers there.

If not blade tenderized you are for sure ok to grind away.  If blade tenderized I'd probably still do it, but I have a  cast iron stomach.

GrateEggspectations

Thanks @Spaightlabs.

The flat is not blade tenderized.

More to the point (this is not a decker pun), do you think it's okay to cook the burgers med rare?

The Cen-Tex Smoker

Being previously frozen has nothing to do with the safety of meat being ground. As far as med rare goes, you are only as safe as what is on the outside of that meat. Once you grind it, the outside is the inside so that's where the rub is with ground meat being cooked to temps that kill all the bad guys. bacteria and other pathogens don't penetrate the muscle so that's why it's ok to cook a steak med rare (frozen or not). The heat kills everything on the outside and the whole muscle under that is safe. 

I personally wouldn't eat it med rare after grinding it but you are most likely fine. It is a crap shoot if you will. 

Ive grown to love smash burgers and that has curbed my appetite for thick med rare burgers. 

Spaightlabs

I have never intentionally cooked a burger past medium rare and haven't had any problems (yet).

The Cen-Tex Smoker

Spaightlabs said:

I have never intentionally cooked a burger past medium rare and haven't had any problems (yet).

I've never had any issues either but once I discovered smash, it made my decision so much easier. Traded fat juicier patties for thin, caramelized, well done patties. I actually like smash better so I just decided to take the risk out of burgers 

RRP

Personally I don't fret beef that has been blade tenderized by COSTCO. Still have not seen horror stories posted here or elsewhere about COSTCO meats. While I don't understand the company policy to even blade tenderize their prime cuts and filets I just don't get this dreaded concern! I even eat rare ground beef from SAMS and Kroger! Maybe I'm lucky, but I often even run with scissors! 

BTW yes I have had food poisoning and thought I would die or thought I wanted to consider dieing as an option - but the contamination was not from eating ground beef, but from sea food at an expensive restaurant! 

GrateEggspectations

Thanks all.

@The Cen-Tex Smoker: This was my understanding but I wanted to ensure that the freezing would not ultimately increase the presence of bacteria on the outside the meat, which would then be ground and mixed with the inside (therefore increasing the risk).

Sounds like I'm good to go. 

Thanks again.

SmokeyPitt

Just my $.02, but I don't think it is really any safer to eat meat rare burgers with meat you grind at home vs meat you purchase. As Cen-tex said the bacteria is on the outside of the meat and you are mixing it inside. 

That being said the risk of getting sick from medium rare ground beef is fairly low. People eat medium rare burgers all the time without getting sick. So I'm not saying "don't do it"...just that I don't think grinding yourself makes it any safer.  I agree that the fact that it was frozen and thawed shouldn't have any impact on safety. 

Wolfpack

I eat them medium rare all the time but if you are worried about it you could always SV at 120 for enough time to kill any bacteria. 

GrateEggspectations

SmokeyPitt said:

Just my $.02, but I don't think it is really any safer to eat meat rare burgers with meat you grind at home vs meat you purchase. As Cen-tex said the bacteria is on the outside of the meat and you are mixing it inside. 

That being said the risk of getting sick from medium rare ground beef is fairly low. People eat medium rare burgers all the time without getting sick. So I'm not saying "don't do it"...just that I don't think grinding yourself makes it any safer.  I agree that the fact that it was frozen and thawed shouldn't have any impact on safety. 

A lot of sources cite that home ground is in fact less likely to harbour bacteria - including the great Meathead......

http://amazingribs.com/recipes/hamburgers/zen_of_hamburgers.html

http://blog2.thermoworks.com/2015/05/moist-flavorful-burgers-safe-eat-2/

https://www.google.ca/amp/s/sec.theglobeandmail.com/life/parenting/fathers-day/the-secret-to-the-beefiest-juiciest-burger-ever/article4178824/?service=amp

SmokeyPitt

GrateEggspectations said:

SmokeyPitt said:

Just my $.02, but I don't think it is really any safer to eat meat rare burgers with meat you grind at home vs meat you purchase. As Cen-tex said the bacteria is on the outside of the meat and you are mixing it inside. 

That being said the risk of getting sick from medium rare ground beef is fairly low. People eat medium rare burgers all the time without getting sick. So I'm not saying "don't do it"...just that I don't think grinding yourself makes it any safer.  I agree that the fact that it was frozen and thawed shouldn't have any impact on safety. 

A lot of sources cite that home ground is in fact less likely to harbour bacteria - including the great Meathead......

http://amazingribs.com/recipes/hamburgers/zen_of_hamburgers.html

http://blog2.thermoworks.com/2015/05/moist-flavorful-burgers-safe-eat-2/

https://www.google.ca/amp/s/sec.theglobeandmail.com/life/parenting/fathers-day/the-secret-to-the-beefiest-juiciest-burger-ever/article4178824/?service=amp

I have seen that as well and they may very well be correct. However, I think the logic is flawed because it implies the contamination would only come from the equipment/environment. There is a very real possibility that there is harmful bacteria on the outside of the meat. No matter how clean your grinder is you may be mixing up bacteria into your meat.  Grinding at home may reduce the risks since you are not dealing with large quantities, but it is difficult to quantify this and the risks are still there. 

This article states it is safer to get ground beef from a USDA inspected facility rather than from a store or grinding your own. 
https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/meat-preparation/ground-beef-and-food-safety/CT_Index

GrateEggspectations

SmokeyPitt said:

GrateEggspectations said:

SmokeyPitt said:

Just my $.02, but I don't think it is really any safer to eat meat rare burgers with meat you grind at home vs meat you purchase. As Cen-tex said the bacteria is on the outside of the meat and you are mixing it inside. 

That being said the risk of getting sick from medium rare ground beef is fairly low. People eat medium rare burgers all the time without getting sick. So I'm not saying "don't do it"...just that I don't think grinding yourself makes it any safer.  I agree that the fact that it was frozen and thawed shouldn't have any impact on safety. 

A lot of sources cite that home ground is in fact less likely to harbour bacteria - including the great Meathead......

http://amazingribs.com/recipes/hamburgers/zen_of_hamburgers.html

http://blog2.thermoworks.com/2015/05/moist-flavorful-burgers-safe-eat-2/

https://www.google.ca/amp/s/sec.theglobeandmail.com/life/parenting/fathers-day/the-secret-to-the-beefiest-juiciest-burger-ever/article4178824/?service=amp

I have seen that as well and they may very well be correct. However, I think the logic is flawed because it implies the contamination would only come from the equipment/environment. There is a very real possibility that there is harmful bacteria on the outside of the meat. No matter how clean your grinder is you may be mixing up bacteria into your meat.  Grinding at home may reduce the risks since you are not dealing with large quantities, but it is difficult to quantify this and the risks are still there. 

This article states it is safer to get ground beef from a USDA inspected facility rather than from a store or grinding your own. 
https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/meat-preparation/ground-beef-and-food-safety/CT_Index

I agree that risks are present regardless. And yes, I've seen reference to contamination via equipment. 

I think the main concern with commercial ground meat is the potential for fecal contamination when several parts of numerous animals get ground up and blended together (i.e., contamination from one cut taken from one animal is then mixed into a whole batch, contaminating all of it). This is likely how the equipment becomes contaminated. 

When you grind your own, you're grinding but one cut from one animal (therefore reducing the likelihood you've gotten contaminated meat). I believe this may be the logic. 

Legume

If you're worried, trim the outside before grinding, 1/4" should do it.