Need a crock pot expert

[grandall]

I made Italian wedding soup in the crock pot last night. I put small raw meatballs into the crock with chicken broth and cooked them for 6 hours on low. When I took them out, they looked cooked on outside, but when I cut into them, they were pink in color but cooked in texture, if that makes any sense. So, I put them back in for two hours on high but they looked the same. There's no way they weren't cooked --right??? Is that just how ground beef in the crock comes out??

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

You should always cook your ground beef BEFORE putting it in the crockpot. Please don't eat that meat.

 

[Par8hed]

You should always cook your ground beef BEFORE putting it in the crockpot. Please don't eat that meat.

I'll disagree. I always brown/sear any meat before putting it in the crock pot, but that is really only for cosmetic appearance purposes.
Provided your crock pot is working properly, and the meatballs you made are not the size of bowling balls, there is no way it is not cooked.

 

[MsDisney23]

I have no idea, I will try to use my crockpot more this Fall and Winter,

 

[JessicaR]

They are cooked and fine! They just look a little funky cause you didnt brown them first and you dont have to as long as they were cooked long enough. I have quite a few recipes that say to add the meatballs raw to the sauce, soup, gravy and cook.

 

[CowboyCO]

If you're really worried about it, put a thermometer into the crock pot. If the temp is over 160 degrees F, you are fine. Chances are you will be way over 160.

I always put raw meat into a crock pot. Meatballs, roasts, soups, etc. I usually do brown most of them first, but they are not cooked when I put them in.

 

[Cindy's Mom]

You should always cook your ground beef BEFORE putting it in the crockpot. Please don't eat that meat.

I disagree w/ this. I make those crockpot meatballs frequently and never pre cook them.

 

[mamacatnv]

I learned something with my crock pot and seasoned ground beef. It does turn a pinkish color. I assume there is something in one of the seasonings that does this. I have had it happen several times, yes they are done and safe to eat. I had it happen with browned ground beef also that I placed in a crock pot to keep warm after I thoroughly cooked it. It turned the pinkish red color, I was mortified since I was serving it to a large group. They ate it without incident or issue.

 

[Master Mason]

I'll disagree. I always brown/sear any meat before putting it in the crock pot, but that is really only for cosmetic appearance purposes.
Provided your crock pot is working properly, and the meatballs you made are not the size of bowling balls, there is no way it is not cooked.

Actually besides cosmetic reasons, you brown meat for the flavor of the camalization.

As to the op, stick a thermometer in the meat, if it reaches temp it is cooked.

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

If you're really worried about it, put a thermometer into the crock pot. If the temp is over 160 degrees F, you are fine. Chances are you will be way over 160.

The temperature of the crockpot itself is irrelevant. When measuring the temp of meat, it is important to get a reading of the centre of the meat with a proper meat thermometre.

There are plenty of kinds of raw meat that are fine to cook in crockpots. Raw ground beef is not one of them. In fact, it's about the only one you shouldn't.

Obviously others disagree but according to restaurant food safety protocol, this is a big no-no. And consuming pink/red ground beef is risky.

 

[Master Mason]

The temperature of the crockpot itself is irrelevant. When measuring the temp of meat, it is important to get a reading of the centre of the meat with a proper meat thermometre.

There are plenty of kinds of raw meat that are fine to cook in crockpots. Raw ground beef is not one of them. In fact, it's about the only one you shouldn't.

Obviously others disagree but according to restaurant food safety protocol, this is a big no-no. And consuming pink/red ground beef is risky.

And I'll completely disagree with your last statement. If the food has reached the proper temperature it matters not what color it is after the cooking. (this is assuming the meat was not bad to begin with). there are many cooking methods and items that will cause chemical reactions which will give meat a pinkish color.

 

[Chicago526]

And I'll completely disagree with your last statement. If the food has reached the proper temperature it matters not what color it is after the cooking. (this is assuming the meat was not bad to begin with). there are many cooking methods and items that will cause chemical reactions which will give meat a pinkish color.

I have to agree. We make beer brats (bratwurst). We grill them first before cooking in a beer/saurkraut/butter/onion mixture for about 3 hours. Between the grilling and the low boil, there is no way these babies aren't done, and they are usually pink in the middle when we eat them. We've been eating them for 40 years this way, never a problem.

 

[grandall]

FWIW, I was following a recipe in the November 1, 2008 issue of Family Circle. They must have been cooked and they must have been safe, wouldn't you think? Anyway, I ate them, and I'm still here!!! Freaked out, but here!!!

 

[Anewman]

OMG(did I just type that)

Another political thread.

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

Just for the record, I'm not saying that if you eat ground beef solely cooked in a slow cooker that you will die or even get sick. I'm just saying that it's risky and not recommended. Restaurants must pre-cook ground beef before putting it into appliances like crockpots for food safety and handling reasons.

 

[Master Mason]

Just for the record, I'm not saying that if you eat ground beef solely cooked in a slow cooker that you will die or even get sick. I'm just saying that it's risky and not recommended. Restaurants must pre-cook ground beef before putting it into appliances like crockpots for food safety and handling reasons.

Please cite your source.

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

Please cite your source.

This reminds me of when we would go to restaurants in the States and they would ask how we wanted our hamburger cooked. Meanwhile, in Canada, it was a well-known fact and standard practice that hamburger was only ever to be cooked well-done. Sometimes it takes awhile for people to catch on to these things.

So, my source is the Canadian Partnership for Consumer Food Safety Education, of which Health Canada is a partner. Health Canada sets policies and standards governing the safety and nutritional quality of all food sold in Canada. They also provide the required courses for safe food handling and preparation for all commercial kitchens in the country.

If you are insisting on putting completely raw ground beef in a slow cooker, be sure to use a meat thermometre before consumption to ensure that the beef is at least 71 degrees C (160 degrees F). Remember, just because the meat is brown on the inside doesn't mean it's fully cooked.

 

[Master Mason]

This reminds me of when we would go to restaurants in the States and they would ask how we wanted our hamburger cooked. Meanwhile, in Canada, it was a well-known fact and standard practice that hamburger was only ever to be cooked well-done. Sometimes it takes awhile for people to catch on to these things.

So, my source is the Canadian Partnership for Consumer Food Safety Education, of which Health Canada is a partner. Health Canada sets policies and standards governing the safety and nutritional quality of all food sold in Canada. They also provide the required courses for safe food handling and preparation for all commercial kitchens in the country.

If you are insisting on putting completely raw ground beef in a slow cooker, be sure to use a meat thermometre before consumption to ensure that the beef is at least 71 degrees C (160 degrees F). Remember, just because the meat is brown on the inside doesn't mean it's fully cooked.

Ok that explains the difference, we have no such rules or regulations in the US. We even think it is ok to eat steak tartar if you wish.

 

[bumbershoot]

Ok that explains the difference, we have no such rules or regulations in the US. We even think it is ok to eat steak tartar if you wish.

Well, I don't know about that...I'm vegetarian but even I notice the warnings all over menus about rare hamburgers and steak.

But I think the main issue is restaurant rules vs home rules. Restaurants are obviously dealing with much bigger amounts than homes are, and you're only dealing with a small group of people. Plus, a home cook can KNOW that they cooked those things and KNOW that the degree was reached and know that the pink is OK, but you're never going to convince a restaurant patron of that! So even as a CYA measure I can see why one things isn't allowed in restaurants.

Sure do wish restaurants would allow REAL caesar dressing with the raw egg and everything...I simply must get my dad's recipe again!

 

[Master Mason]

Well, I don't know about that...I'm vegetarian but even I notice the warnings all over menus about rare hamburgers and steak.

But I think the main issue is restaurant rules vs home rules. Restaurants are obviously dealing with much bigger amounts than homes are, and you're only dealing with a small group of people. Plus, a home cook can KNOW that they cooked those things and KNOW that the degree was reached and know that the pink is OK, but you're never going to convince a restaurant patron of that! So even as a CYA measure I can see why one things isn't allowed in restaurants.

Sure do wish restaurants would allow REAL Caesar dressing with the raw egg and everything...I simply must get my dad's recipe again!

There is a really good Italian restaurant by me that makes your Caesar from scratch including raw egg right at your table when you order it.