Help! I left the food on the counter overnight!

[lattelover]

Do I have to throw it out? It is roast beef, cooked medium (no red), and mashed potatoes. Could I salvage them by cooking at high temperature?

[BiscuitBoy]

Do not screw around! Throw it out...it just ain't worth the consequences

[lattelover]

I threw everything out this morning (sigh). Thanks for all your advice.

[mamachef]

The potatoes are a loss. Throw them out no matter how they were stored. The beef can be salvaged, if you must, by basically re-cooking it into soup. It absolutely has to boil, and boil hard and for awhile, for it to be okay.
I'd throw it out. I despise wasting food, but I despise being sick or making others sick more. Food poisoning is a very serious business.

[ttoommyy]

Left out as in uncovered or left out as in plastic containers or some such thing? If it is the former, throw it out; if it is the latter keep it.

[lattelover]

They were put seperately in tupperware with the lids on. Im thinking of taking a chance on the meat (after heating slices at high heat) and throwing out the potatoes but am also considering al's advice to throw out everything.

[sunshine842]

but why eat it if the only way to do so safely is to cook the bejeezus out of it? Dried-out meat isn't worth eating, anyway.

If you haven't eaten it by now, you're not going to -- dump it and move on.

[al b. darned]

My suspicion is those who post these threads really know they should throw out what ever they are asking about, but can't bear the thought of "wasting good food." They want someone to tell them it's ok. But in every one of these situations, my gut feeling (pun somewhat intended) is, "When in doubt, throw it out." To me, is not worth the risk of making yourself sick.

I am generally a believer in, "Clean enough to be healthy, messy enough to be happy." While nobody ever died from a messy living room, they have definitely died, or at least gotten sick, from food left out overnight.

[FrankJBN]

I'm not a doctor nor do I play one on TV, but if it was me, I'd reheat the meat and taters and chow down.

If you are worried, put the nose to it and follow that guidance - the nose knows.

[wyogal]

No, the nose does not know. Smelling food to see if it has gone bad is very poor advice. Very poor. Food can go "bad" and there is no noticeable smell.

[FrankJBN]

The nose knows. Sure food can go bad without a smell. Fresh food can be bad too. Gonna stop eating just because various meats and vegetables have been recalled from the marketplace? of course not.

There has to be some point where you eat.

Just last night I ate a a steak and a seafood sausage that had been left out on the counter accidently the night before. The mashed potatoes still in the pot were made into a potato pancake. Suffered no ill eff aargh

Just kidding, No ill effects. I don't think I am especially lucky, and I have been eating poorly stored food for 40 years. Get up the next day, turn the burner on and reheat those beans. The odds are on the side of eat that food, nothing wrong with that food.

The red cross says eat no food that has been over 40 F for 2 hours. Yeah, right. I'd have to cook 4 times at a medium sized barbecue.

[wyogal]

Good for you.
But, I stand by my remarks. The nose doesn't pick up everything. And giving advice (on an internet forum) about food safety that goes against basic science is within your rights, but someone who takes your advice would be foolish.

[ctfoodguy]

The roast beef MAY be alright if it was wrapped tightly. You have to toss the mashed potatoes. I'm of course assuming they have butter and cream or milk in them. Either way, throw out the potatoes