Ugh . . . Do I HAVE to Throw It? SWH

Sounds like you know the answer. I just wanted to send you my sympathies because I absolutely feel as you do about waste! But I feel as the others do about food poisoning.

If it helps, I found that composting helps me feel that rotting veggies and stale crackers and moldy bread plus peels and seeds and so on. No good for meat (animals will be attracted) but everything else gets reused as potting soil and garden nutrients. A lot of towns give out composting bins or offer them at reduced prices to cut down on solid waste disposal costs. Might be worth looking into. I don't do it if the snow is deeper than 8 inches but the other 9 months of the year, I do!

NO------ you do not have to throw it. Food will not spoil in just a couple of hours. Cook it to over 165 degrees and it will be fine. If you do not have a food thermometer get one. Yes, it may (only may) have grown some bacteria but cooking to 165 degrees kills everything, including salmonella and E coli.

It's been growing bacteria for WELL over 2 hours.
I'm working food service right now and trust me - this is a toss it out situation.
I know you hate the idea of throwing it out but it is NOT WORTH the ptomaine/salmonella/botulism poisoning you could get from trying to salvage this.
Get over the "I'm wasting food" idea and embrace the "I'm saving my life" idea.

Sounds like you need a new crock pot. I always know after about 5 minutes that it's working, and there's never been a need to check again.

Never had one "fail." Never had one start and stop.

I hope you threw it out! The temperature danger zone for food is between 40 and 140 degrees for 4 hours are more. At that temperature and that amount of time, bacteria that can make you ill can multiply to levels that can affect you and no, it can't all be cooked off. Especially with pork, you don't want to chance it.

Only if the sauce was made with vinegar could you avoid throwing it out. That's the kicker here. We have a saying in food service, "When in doubt, throw it out." It's not ok to hold pork at room temp for longer than 1 hour, then you have to cool it to 40° quickly. Actually that time includes bringing the temp up to room temp and then back down to 40°, but there's always a little leeway depending on how many factors there are: how cold your fridge is, how warm the room is, the size of the chops, etc... It's the sauce that sets off alarm bells for me here.
p.s.
I did the EXACT same thing once, and it wasn't just about the waste, it was sincerely about the money I wasted. I really feel your pain.

Honestly, you are going to get 50/50 answers on this one I think! ;) Personally, I'm of the variety that I don't let a few hours send me into a panic, but you have to do what you think. My usual method is if you cook it and serve it will you be constantly in a state of panic over whether or not someone is going to get sick? If you are...toss it now. If you think you'll be fine, then go for it.

I'd toss it. Would not want to take the chance.

I think it would be worth investing in a new crock pot that doesn't fail. They not very expensive, and considering the food you had to throw out, your time to make a new dinner, and your overall irritation (totally understandable), it's completely worth the reasonable expense.

Sorry this happened, but get a new crock pot, and you won't have to deal with this again!

i'm sure the smart answer is to throw it.
i myself would sear those puppies good and nom 'em down.
khairete
S. (livin' on the edge)

No, you don't have to throw it. It's fine.

Yes throw it. Sorry.

When in doubt throw it out. I use to have a problem with turning on the temp without actually plugging in the pot. Threw out so many things.

what was the temperature of the food? was it cold or "warm"??

With pork chops - they need to be thoroughly cooked - so if they were luke warm and still needed cooking? I'd throw them in a pan and cook 'em...

IF they have a weird smell? I'd toss.

Once I was making pulled pork in the crockpot for a friend's big dinner party and the electricity went out overnight. She was pretty insistent that it would be fine, turn the heat back on and start cooking it again, but I couldn't face the thought of putting all her dinner guests at risk for food poisoning. I think I bought some takeout to make up for it, so double the loss. Sigh.

good thing you tossed it! i would ofput it in the trash or fed it to the dogs.