I agree with Julia that even if you probably won't get sick, it's best
not to take the chance. I serve guests food quite often and the last
thing I want is to have any of them complain they got food poisoning
from eating my cooking. Over 99% of the time, you'll probably be fine
eating bacterial colonies, but it's that 1 in a hundred or 1 in a
thousand that you've got to worry about. If someone (or if I) spend a
week on or over the toilet because I didn't wash off the board
properly, then I'd be plenty sorry.

On the topic of bacteria on boards - not as big of a deal as everyone
makes it. Scrape the board down, scrub with soap, rinse and let dry.
The wood will actually help kill surface bacteria as it dries.

Hanging pork? I take it you didn't grow up in LA or Florida where the
temperatures would foster growth. You can age meat in mild
temperatures for a few days and it will improve texture, but if it's
above 50 degrees, it'll need to be cooked to 160 degrees for it to be
safe. These days a lot of us are cooking our beef and pork to 130 and
140 respectively and safe bacteria management is key when not
overcooking eats until well-doneness.

Michael
http://cookoing4engineers.blogspot.com

Julia Altshuler > wrote in message news:<4syFc.18969$Oq2.6549@attbi_s52>...
> Glenn Jacobs wrote:
>
> > Why are we so concerned about bacteria? My parents used wooden cutting
> > boards as far back as I can remember and I have as well. I rinse them off
> > after use and wash them from time to time. I usually wash them after
> > cutting meat but not always. I grew up being very rarely sick, and the same
> > is true of my kids.
> >
> > I have lived in places where pork was left hanging unrefrigerated for up to
> > four days in the market. When I was growing up on the farm, meat was left
> > hanging unrefrigerated for long periods of time. Mold that accumulated
> > would simply be trimmed off.
> >
> > I personally think that exposure to a little bit of bacteria probably
> > helps keep the body¢s immune system strong.
>
>
> I'm glad you've been so lucky for so long. The reason the rest of us
> are concerned about bacteria is that we know that being careless with
> the wrong sort is enough to make a healthy adult very very ill and a
> child, elderly person or someone not in good shape to begin with dead.
> I survived salmonella when I was 12, was hospitalized for 10 days. I
> won't detail the symptoms because you all know them. Suffice it to say
> that it was worse than you imagine. I'm careful now, even more careful
> when cooking for others in a professional situation, but careful all the
> time anyway. I don't bring my kitchen up to sterilized hospital
> standards, but I do follow standard advice about washing surfaces,
> washing hands, keeping cold foods cold and hot foods hot. If I think
> something has been left unrefrigerated for too long, I throw it out to
> be on the safe side. That doesn't mean it WOULD have made someone sick,
> only that it MIGHT.
>
>
> --Lia