A cook prepares pork chops stuffed with cornbread dressing. The cook plans to pull them from the oven when the pork reaches 145°F. What should the manager correct?
a.The chops need 155°F for 17 seconds, because stuffing reclassifies them as a ground meat product (comminuted)
b.Because the chops are stuffed, they must reach 165°F for <1 second (instantaneous) throughout, including the stuffing
c.The chops only need 135°F, the hot-holding minimum, because they proceed directly into hot-line service
d.Nothing is wrong; whole-muscle pork requires 145°F for 15 seconds regardless of the cornbread stuffing
Explanation
Once a whole-muscle cut is stuffed, the whole item becomes a stuffed food and must be cooked to 165°F for <1 second (instantaneous). The stuffing sits at the slow-heating center of the food, so the plain pork chop standard of 145°F no longer applies, and stuffing a chop does not turn it into a ground product at 155°F. A hot-holding temperature is never a substitute for a cooking temperature.
Law Reference: FDA Food Code §3-401.11Practice all 500 questions free — no signup required.
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