What is your method for thawing out frozen meat?

[ChristusG]

How far in advance do you remove it from the freezer? If you leave it in the fridge, for how long? What about leaving it on the counter for the day? Also, what if it is a big piece of meat, such as a roast vs smaller cuts of meat, like fish fillets.

[simka2]

Today it needed to be quick, so I placed it under a tap of running water!

[MamaT]

I know you're not supposed to, but I take my meat out of the freezer early in the morning and leave it on the counter until I'm ready to cook. If I buy a big roast or ham and know we are going to eat it that week, I just refrigerate it instead of freezing it.

[In The Great White North]

Usually, the microwave - at least to get it started thawing. If I just put it in the fridge, it doesn't thaw and if I put it on the counter/in the sink, the dog gets it.

[TranquilMind]

I know you're not supposed to, but I take my meat out of the freezer early in the morning and leave it on the counter until I'm ready to cook. If I buy a big roast or ham and know we are going to eat it that week, I just refrigerate it instead of freezing it.

Yes, you are never supposed to do this. Bacteria begins growing immediately upon thawing of the outer edges so the warmish part of the meat is growing bacteria for a long time. Cooking thoroughly does not always get rid of all of it, depending upon what it is.

 

Defrost in fridge only for safety reasons.

[Parrothead]

Depends on the season and the time of day. I don't mind thawing meat in the sink (on the counter is icky) in the fall/winter. My house isn't all that warm - not above 60*F.

 

If I'm in a hurry and it is appropriate for the cut of meat, say chicken breasts, I stick frozen breasts in the microwave.

 

Sometimes I'll stick a frozen piece of meat in the crockpot to thaw and cook at the same time. Always on high so it gets hot fast. Alternately I've been known to to put a frozen roast or ham in the oven and add an hour or so to the cook time.

 

Occasionally, I'll get something in the fridge the night before. I don't think that far ahead most nights though.

 

I do cook all of our meat "done."

[seraphina]

Usually in the fridge but occasionally I will defrost in cool water.

[LauraGB]

It's a good thing we don't eat a lot of meat because I never remember to thaw it soon enough. I always end up wrapping it in a plastic storage bag and plunking it in a bowl of water or just setting it on the counter. Both of which are not safe.

[Cassy]

I put in the fridge 18-24 hours before it's needed. It took me quite a while to learn how long it takes to defrost in the fridge. It also took me quite a while to learn to think well in advance what I wanted to cook over the next day or two :tongue_smilie:.

 

Cassy

[abbeyej]

Fridge for 24-72 hours or pot of cold water for a couple of hours.

[BatmansWife]

Microwave using the defrost setting.

When I was a kid my mom would just put the frozen meat package in the sink all day or overnight. Yikes!

[ChristusG]

I put in the fridge 18-24 hours before it's needed. It took me quite a while to learn how long it takes to defrost in the fridge. It also took me quite a while to learn to think well in advance what I wanted to cook over the next day or two :tongue_smilie:.

 

Cassy

 

See, that's me. I always plan our dinner meals that morning LOL.

 

And it's strange that it is so unsafe to thaw on the counter. My mom has been doing it that way for the past 30 years and no one has ever gotten sick from it.

[Dustybug]

I know you're not supposed to, but I take my meat out of the freezer early in the morning and leave it on the counter until I'm ready to cook. If I buy a big roast or ham and know we are going to eat it that week, I just refrigerate it instead of freezing it.

 

Same here, although, if the meat thaws quickly, I do put it in the fridge until I'm ready to cook it I have always done it this way and my mom did it the entire time I lived at home into early adulthood. No one has ever gotten sick.

[Kate CA]

I know you're not supposed to, but I take my meat out of the freezer early in the morning and leave it on the counter until I'm ready to cook. If I buy a big roast or ham and know we are going to eat it that week, I just refrigerate it instead of freezing it.

 

Me too! Sometimes I just leave it out overnight - depending on the size of the meat because we cook big amounts of meat at one time.

 

I don't worry about it at. all. :D

[Desert Rat]

Hamburger is microwaved. Chicken and cut meat is put in a cold water bath. For most meat, about 4 hours.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

Same here, although, if the meat thaws quickly, I do put it in the fridge until I'm ready to cook it I have always done it this way and my mom did it the entire time I lived at home into early adulthood. No one has ever gotten sick.

 

Same here.

[melissel]

Fridge for 24-72 hours or pot of cold water for a couple of hours.

 

This. Although my mom grew up defrosting meat on the counter, did it my whole childhood, and still does it now. No one has ever gotten sick from it, but I still can't quite bring myself to do it!

 

ETA: I just saw that I posted almost the exact same thing dustybug did! :lol:

[Chris in VA]

Microwave here--it has a defrost setting that's awesome. It only goes up to 6.6 lbs, tho, so I defrost things like turkey in the fridge.

 

As far as "mom defrosted on the counter and we never got sick"--maybe sometimes you did, but don't remember or didn't realize it--IOW, maybe the next day you had a looser BM or a very small tummy ache, but it wasn't enough to "feel" that sick. :001_smile:

[Sushi's Mom]

You can build yourself a defrost-o-matic.

http://www.amcgltd.com/archives/000855.html

 

You get a new (never used!) fish tank water filter, attach it to a large bowl or clean (never used) bucket. (I would use one of the buckets from a restaurant supply. You can also get food safe containers from the bakery department of the grocery store. Ask for an empty frosting bucket. Most likely they will give it to you for free, and you will know it is food safe.) the fish tank filter recirculates the cold water, which makes defrosting fast.

 

There is a new hot water bath method being studied by the USDA. Read about it here.

http://www.kitchendaily.com/2011/06/08/study-reveals-quicker-method-for-thawing-frozen-meat/

[melissel]

You can build yourself a defrost-o-matic.

http://www.amcgltd.com/archives/000855.html

 

You get a new (never used!) fish tank water filter' date=' attach it to a large bowl or clean (never used) bucket. (I would use one of the buckets from a restaurant supply. You can also get food safe containers from the bakery department of the grocery store. Ask for an empty frosting bucket. Most likely they will give it to you for free, and you will know it is food safe.) the fish tank filter recirculates the cold water, which makes defrosting fast.

 

There is a new hot water bath method being studied by the USDA. Read about it here.

http://www.kitchendaily.com/2011/06/08/study-reveals-quicker-method-for-thawing-frozen-meat/[/quote']

 

Great article, thanks for that! I always worried a bit about my water-bath-thawed meat, but it never takes even close to four hours to thaw that way, and I put it in the fridge afterward if necessary. (I don't defrost whole chickens that way though--I don't trust the center to get thawed.) Whew, one fewer hazard to sweat over :D

 

Which reminds me, I need to go throw some chicken breasts into a pot to thaw for tonight!

[JFSinIL]

I have it in a zip lock bag and put it in a large stock pot full of cold water with the lid on upside down and full of water to hold the meat down. So far no one here has died.

 

My mom used to just leave it sit out on the counter all day (until the time she came home and the cats had gotten ahold of it!)

[LizzyBee]

I thaw meat by setting it out on the counter. I've been doing it that way for nearly 30 years and my mom's been doing that way for over 60 years. I think we're way too paranoid these days.

Edited October 2, 2011 by LizzyBee

[Mommyof4ks]

I just take it out of the freezer and put it in the oven to cook on low for 2 hours unless it is ground meat, and then I set it in the fridge the morning I plan to use it. Why does meat need to be thawed before putting it in the oven?

[Slartibartfast]

In the fridge or in the microwave.

 

MIL does it on the counter and that gives me the heebie jeebies.

[Slartibartfast]

I thaw meat by setting it out on the counter. I've been doing it that way for nearly 30 years and my mom's been doing that way for over 60 years. I think we're way too paranoid these days.

 

With wide spread factory farming of our meat the meat is LESS safe than it was and there is a GREATER chance of bacteria contamination than there was when our mom's were cooking our meals.

 

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Big_Thaw/

[chepyl]

Today it needed to be quick, so I placed it under a tap of running water!

 

This is what we do. We generally use smaller cuts of meat -chicken breasts, porkchops, 1pounfers of ground beef. It takes no more than 15 minutes in a bowl of warm water, then we cook it Immediately. Whole birds and roasts we thaw in the fridge. In the crock pot or on the grill, we cook from frozen.

[Dustybug]

Am I the only one that thinks meat thawed on the defrost setting in the microwave makes the meat taste bad? Like rubbery?

[Slartibartfast]

Am I the only one that thinks meat thawed on the defrost setting in the microwave makes the meat taste bad? Like rubbery?

 

I think it depends on the type of meat, I wouldn't use it for steaks or roasts but chicken turns out ok.

[Pretty in Pink]

I defrost meat in the fridge but it has to be put there 48 hours in advance.

[katilac]

Another one living life on the edge and defrosting meat on the counter :coolgleamA:

[WiseOwlKnits]

Another one living life on the edge and defrosting meat on the counter :coolgleamA:

 

:iagree:

[KungFuPanda]

I either move it to the fridge two days ahead, defrost in the microwave*, or go buy new meat**.

 

 

 

* Bacon or ground meat only. With ground meat I remove the meat as it thaws and put the frozen part back in to thaw more. I hate when it actually cooks the meat.

 

** My grocery store is two suburban blocks away, so I treat it like a pantry at times.

[joannqn]

I do that which you are not suppose to do: I put it on the counter for the day. If I need it fast, I throw it in the microwave. Most of the meat in our freezer comes from a local butcher. The meat is all locally grown; the beef is from his own stock. None of it was given antibiotics. The beef is mostly grass fed. There is a very obvious difference in quality and taste. So, I'm not as worried about the safety of the meat. I usually only buy meat from the grocery store when I don't have what I need for that day or the next day, so it doesn't get frozen.

Edited October 3, 2011 by joannqn

[Woodhaven]

I'm afraid I do it all wrong. I SHOULD take it out of the freezer two days before I need it and let it defrost in the fridge.

 

In reality, I don't decide until mid or late morning what meat I'm going to cook. I pull it out of the freezer and stick it in the sink in cold water and leave it there until it's time to cook dinner.

 

I cook my meat until well done, so no one has ever become sick.