We all depend on our freezers to store meat for long periods of time. However, meat has to be thawed and brought to room temperature before it can be cooked into a delectable meal. Defrosting or thawing can be defined as warming the food to reduce stiffness. Now, this definition can sometimes be misleading. Some folks are seen to dunk their meat in a bowl of hot water for quicker thawing.
However, this method is wrong as it not only causes the meat quality to deteriorate, but also leads to food poisoning. This happens because providing warmth to raw meat accelerates growth of harmful bacteria. Then, how does one tackle the problem of thawing. Let's have a look at some safe ways to thaw meat.
Simple and Effective Ways to Defrost Meat
There are 3 safe and effective methods to defrost meat, using water, in the refrigerator and microwave defrosting.
In Cold Water
Cold water thawing takes less time as compared to defrosting in refrigerator. This should be done in a Ziploc bag. However, ensure the bag is not punctured. Even a tiny opening in the bag makes way for bacterial entry, thereby increasing the chances of food poisoning. If you don't wish to use a bag, simply immerse the meat in a bowl with cold water and wait for it to thaw. The meat should thaw in about an hour. A bigger package of about 4 pounds takes approximately 3 hours. In such cases, keep replacing the water. After thawing is done, you should cook the food immediately. Never refreeze defrosted meat.
Refrigerator defrosting takes longer than cold water thawing, so you need to do some planning for refrigerator thawing. The best way to defrost meat is taking out the meat from the freezer and keeping it in the lower section of the fridge. If you want to prepare the meat in the morning, place the meat in the fridge the night before.
Boneless meat or ground meat takes almost 18 hours to thaw in the refrigerator. Lesser the temperature set in the refrigerator, more the time required to thaw the meat. Refrigerator thawing keeps the red-meat such as steaks, pork, beef safe for up to 4 days and seafood, poultry products, stew or ground meat safe for a day and a half.
One thing to remember about defrosting meat in the microwave is that you should cook the meat immediately after thawing. This is because some parts of the meat become warm and even start getting cooked, making it partially cooked. Partially cooked food doesn't eliminate the bacteria completely. In fact, the temperature attained may aid in bacterial growth. Food thawed in microwave should be cooked before you refreeze it. Microwave thawing can sometimes change the texture and color of meat.
These were some guidelines regarding thawing meat. I hope this article has provided enough information regarding the different safe thawing methods, along with the dangers of thawing meat in the incorrect fashion. Don't be hasty! Slow and steady wins the race!