How to Defrost Meats
After you have properly stored your meat and avoided freezer burn, you are going to want to properly defrost the meat to use it! There are a number of ways to do this, but making sure you do it safely is priority number one.
Best Ways to Defrost
- The best way to defrost any frozen meat is in the refrigerator in its wrapping. This will allow the meat to defrost slowly and evenly. It will need to sit overnight, so be sure to plan ahead.
- You can use a microwave, by following the microwave manufacturer’s guidelines for defrosting meat. Only do this method if you need to use the meat immediately after thawing as it will potentially start the cooking process a little bit.
- It’s safe to cook frozen or partially frozen meats in the oven, on the stove, or on a grill without defrosting it fully. The cooking time may be about 50% longer depending on how frozen the meat is. Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness in the middle as the outside (or defrosted areas) will cook faster.
Tips for Defrosting
- Never thaw the meat on the kitchen counter.
- Never thaw in hot water. If you want to speed up the defrosting process, you can place the meat in a sealed package in no warmer than room temperature water for around an hour.
- Don’t leave meat at room temperature for more than two hours.
- Once you’ve thawed frozen meat, you can’t refreeze it unless it’s in a stock, soup or liquid.
For more food safety tips and guidance be sure to visit the USDA website. Hopefully keeping this tip in mind will help you have meats that are ready to eat when you want them to be ready!
