OT - cold chicken

[Stormin Mormon]

I'll admit, it's not home repair. But I don't know a usenet list that fits the question.

Went to lunch today, and Mom and I, both of us got cold chicken. Which was supposed to be hot chicken.

Took it back to the manager, to microwave. Well, the potatoes got hotter, but not the chicken.

So, manager got me another one. I'm concerned that if they neglected to turn on a steamer, a lot of customers might get food poisoning. Manager says the chicken might been under an AC vent too long. From the transfer bin to when I got it, was maybe two minutes.

What is the likely that the tranfer bin was not heated, versus left under a vent too long? The chicken was evenly cold through, from what I could tell. I didn't have a thermometer to work with. Maybe I should start to carry one?

[Frank]

Cooked, either hot or cold would have been safe to eat.

When chickens are slaughtered it is impossible to keep internals bacteria off them which is why, even if bacteria is kept to a minimum, chicken should be totally cooked and not put back on surface where raw chicken came from.

Hamburger is similar and while interior of meat is sterile making hamburger can bring bacteria int interior so hamburger should be thoroughly cooked too.

When I was a kid working in a fast food restaurant, we would cook a large pot full of chicken by boiling it in water. Chicken was then breaded and frozen to be thawed as needed for deep fat frying. I guess if it had gone directly from freezer to fryer center could stay cool.

[micky]

One time, breakfast eggs were cold, and I explicitly said all I wanted him to do was microwave it. I didn't say I was in a hurry becasue I didn't want him to feel rushed. So instead he remakes the whole thing, keeps me waiting, I have to eat in a rush and I'm still later to the parade than I wanted to be. Next time I'll insist and say that I'm in a hurry and don't have time for it to be remade.

I complained when he brought it, clearly remade, but everyone with me told me to stop.

I also didn't like the idea of his throwing away the first plateful of food when all it needed was some more heat.

They have an AC vent above where they put the food between the kitchen and the waitress? Is that what a transfer bin is?

That seems like a big mistake.

My ex-girlfriend did. Of course she was a mystery shopper, and often did shops at Starbucks. Temperature of coffee very important. She also bought some pastry which she gave to me and asked me how I liked it.

[Stormin Mormon]

CY: That's courteous of you.

So instead he remakes the whole thing,

CY: Amazing, how people "try" to be nice, but end up making a total mess of things.

CY: Bother, when your friends try to shut you down. I've had that happen when I'm trying to adress some thing and people with me want me to STFU.

CY: Me, also, hate to throw away food. I did ask for the cold plate back, and a box to bring home the food that was OK. I'd been pleased if he'd given me new chicken and left the potatoes, I'd just salted and peppered.

CY: And I got to thinking, it was only about two minutes from bin to table. Not enough time to cold all the way through. And when Dad was alive, he had cold food there at least once.

CY: Some where in my various piles of clutter, I do have at least one battery thermometer. I remember buying three at clearance at Walmart. The checker at the register could not understand why I'd need three. Well, not my worry if she can't understand.

[Stormin Mormon]

Just brought back a memory, I'd bought three probe thermometers a few months ago. I had a look, and found one. I'll put that in my truck near the medications I carry. Hope to remember to bring it to lunch.

[micky]

Are we having lunch togeher?

[Stormin Mormon]

But, of course. I'm not much for coffee, but we could meet at Dunkin Donuts for a diet coke and some donuts. I'll be the balding old guy with the thermometer in shirt pocket next to my thermostat screw driver.

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, Was it really cold or luke warm? Hot chicken should be piping hot. Maybe they forgot to heat it B4 serving you.

[Stormin Mormon]

Room temperature, from what I could tell.

[Ed Pawlowski]

The real question, how long at that temperature? vove 40 and below 140 is the danger zone where bacteria multiplies fastest. Sitting out a half hour, no bid deal, but if it was since esterday, watch out for food poisoning.

[Stormin Mormon]

In theory, they make fresh every day. In reality, who can tell?

[Vic Smith]

Never got cold food at a restaurant, and wouldn't go back if I did. At a Waffle House my wife was served a barely cooked chicken fillet. Raw inside. Never been back to a Waffle House. I used to pick up cold fried chicken from Browns when we went fishing or picnicking. Leftover from the night before. About the fourth time I got sick from it. Never went back to Browns. Chicken is safe if cooked properly, then handled sanitarily. Try to eat where food it cooked and handled properly. You may get sick finding out.

[Guv Bob]

I usually put the item to be sent back on a separate plate or napkin. That way I have the rest of the meal still on the table. If they start to take the whole plate, jab a fork in their hand.

It seems like wasting food but really it's another cost of doing business. Could also be a health issue, bringing food back from a table to the kitchen.

[Stormin Mormon]

I'll admit, I was concerned about getting food poisoning from the bit that I did eat.

[Robert Green]

Amen! Last week I got roped into going to Chevy's, a Tex-Mex place. Meat in the fajitas was gristly but the real surprise came when I finished my iced tea. After it sat there for a while without refill, I took a sip of the melting ice and nearly gagged. It smelled like the condensate of a badly plugged roof A/C unit. This was strike two for Chevy's. There won't be a strike three.

I violated one of my own rules: "Never be part of the opening crowd in a restaurant." You may get the unused/spoiled/stale/leftover food from yesterday, you may end up eating a little grille cleaner, etc.

[Guv Bob]

2-3 years ago I used to eat bbq chicken regularly at Stonefire Grill. Then they changed suppliers or something - never did find out what. The chicken was OK outside, but undercooked inside with bright red blood vessels here and there. I first started sending it back for reheating, but eventually just began ordering it well done. That helped the inside, but they always burned the outside. Each time I told the manager, but every month they had a new one. Sorry to have to avoid that place - all else was good. Have not been back in over 2 years now.

[gregz]

Does not sound like it was BBQ. BBQ takes a long to cook with smoke. You can't make BBQ on a grill.

Greg

[Pico Rico]

also does not sound like he knows how to tell if chicken is cooked.

[ChairMan]

if its *good* Que, ya don't needz no stinkin sauce. Sauce is only needed when you need to hide the flavor of the meat

[ChairMan]

In news: [e-mail], Oren belched:

Not all us Texicans feel that way, but yeah, I'm a carnivore. Gimme the meat, beef, turkey, pork, ribs, I don't care. Just smoke it *right* and give it to me. Sauce should only be used to compliment the meat, not slathered on and drippin down yer chin!!! Just ask Ed, he 's a conasewer of fine smoked meats