# These pork ribs smell kinda funny... can I eat them anyway? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 4, 2006, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-pork-ribs-smell-kinda-funny-can-i-eat-them-anyway/359337 "2006-06-04T01:10:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2006, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-pork-ribs-smell-kinda-funny-can-i-eat-them-anyway/359337/1 "2006-06-04T01:10:00Z")
So I bought a rack of baby back ribs a week or so ago. Knowing I was going to brine 'em and rub 'em, I left them in the refrigerator… for about a week. When I opened the vacuum-packed back the smell was something else! Like pork to the tenth power, with a little funk thrown in for good measure. I drained and washed the ribs, then put them in a brine of sugar and salt for two days. They smelled pretty funky when I took them out of the brine, as well… I rubbed them with my secret dry rub, wrapped 'em up, and put them in my fridge, where they’ve been for two days. They don’t stink so much but they are a little odiferous. Plan is to slow smoke 'em on the grill tomorrow for about 4 hours, 'til they’re at 150 degrees or so, let them rest for a few minutes, carve and enjoy. Will I survive this? The ribs were never at room temperature - always in my fridge, which is around 40 degrees. The slow cooking should kill any bugs, right? Reassure me, because I’m gonna have a hard time _not_ eating these bad boys tomorrow! ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2006, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-pork-ribs-smell-kinda-funny-can-i-eat-them-anyway/359337/2 "2006-06-04T01:20:45Z")
**Can** you eat them? Yes. **Should** you eat them? No. You may kill the bugs with cooking, but if they’re the type of bugs to produce toxins, you won’t be killing the poisons they left behind. Sounds like some of the meat fats oxidized, too. That’ll leave you with a rancid flavor, even if it doesn’t poison you. Educational websites: [http://ag.ansc.purdue.edu/meat\_quality/spoiled\_meat.html](http://ag.ansc.purdue.edu/meat_quality/spoiled_meat.html) [http://ag.ansc.purdue.edu/meat\_quality/food\_borne\_illness.html](http://ag.ansc.purdue.edu/meat_quality/food_borne_illness.html) ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2006, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-pork-ribs-smell-kinda-funny-can-i-eat-them-anyway/359337/3 "2006-06-04T01:21:39Z")
You will most likely live, but that off taste will survive and unfortunatly ruin the experence. ---
**Author:** ![Rhubarb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/59ef9b/32.png) [@Rhubarb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhubarb)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2006, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-pork-ribs-smell-kinda-funny-can-i-eat-them-anyway/359337/4 "2006-06-04T01:25:39Z")
When in doubt, throw it out. In other words, if it doesn’t smell like something you’d enjoy eating, you probably won’t. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2006, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-pork-ribs-smell-kinda-funny-can-i-eat-them-anyway/359337/5 "2006-06-04T13:10:47Z")
Invite someone you don’t particularly like over for dinner. ---
**Author:** ![A.R.Cane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2006, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-pork-ribs-smell-kinda-funny-can-i-eat-them-anyway/359337/6 "2006-06-04T13:40:35Z")
Believe your nose! Throw them out, go to a local rib joint, enjoy the meal and celebrate your good sense. I do this all the time, leave meat in the fridge when I know it should be cooked or frozen, if it stinks, I wash it throughly, if it still smells bad I chuck it and swear I won’t do that again…until next time. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2006, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-pork-ribs-smell-kinda-funny-can-i-eat-them-anyway/359337/7 "2006-06-04T14:35:31Z")
Having not been at your house to use my calibrated mark I mod 0 nose I cannot say for sure. However some smell is normal when opening COV packages. From [Ask a butcher](http://winklerhouse.tripod.com/askabutcher/index.html) he mentions this about COV packaging and wet againg beef for up to 6 weeks are the packing date > [@](#): > > At the end or ‘your’ determined aging time, place the meat in a sink and open, carefull not to slice across the meat with your knife. More than likely, an odor will greet your nose. This is normal, as the enzymes I mentioned earlier are reacting with bacteria inside the cryovac. Rinse the meat off with COLD water and pat dry. All, most or part of the odor will be gone. A short time, 30 minutes, of ‘air’ drying back in the refrigerator should also help to dissipate the odor. You may, or may not, still have a slight odor, but don’t worry about it. Dry aged beef has a ‘musty’ odor that’s hard to get rid also. [cite](http://askabutcher.proboards42.com/index.cgi?board=Beef&action=display&thread=1118265052) From my own experience I have come across a sulpher smell when opening COV packages of pork. When I do, I rinse the cut of meat with cold water and put it on a clean plate in the fridge for 30 minutes or so. If the smell has disapated, then I use the meat. If it still smells strongly of sulpher then we have burgers that night.