A hair dryer is a great aid in defrosting your frozen meats.
By Robin
Microwaving the meat on defrost, putting it in warm water or taking the meat out earlier in the day to thaw I would think would be much better... and you would use a lot less energy and less noise than standing and holding a hair dryer to the meat to thaw it out. A hair dryer would also dry the outside of the meat.
This page contains the following solutions.
It's easy to thaw meat in the microwave, but it's just as easy to place it on a refrigerator shelf overnight. It thaws by dinner time the next day...
Uh, oh! You're home and forgot to defrost something for dinner. You grab a package of meat or chicken and use hot water to thaw it fast. But is this safe?
When defrosting beef, or chicken in the microwave, use one of those plates that are used to cook bacon on (for the microwave). As you defrost the beef or chicken the juices go into the little wells and make less of a mess than a plate would make.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I accidentally started to defrost spare ribs on the counter and they sat out about 5 hours. They were still partially frozen when discovered. Are they OK to use?
By katie from Chicago, IL
I have always heard that partially frozen meat is OK, even for refreezing.
Yes, they're fine. Obviously if you're not going to cook them now put them in the fridge.
Probably not..check this out:
Even though the center of the meat may still be cold, the outer layers likely are warmer after five hours than the 40 degrees or below the meat needs to be so bacteria don't go hog-wild.
Partially frozen meat is ok to refreeze--but only if it's been under refrigeration the whole time.
No. If it is over the absolute 2 hour rule, out of fridge after being cooked, think of how quickly the bacteria/Ecoli, etc. only needs a little time for encouragement to become full blown. It is not within the safety of your own life to chance it. Look at the lawsuits in our world due to unsafe food. Don't do it in your own kitchen. Cargill just settled a case here in Minnesota because of the bacteria in the meat, the young gal is paralyzed for life. The bacteria ravaged through her body. She will never be able to do anything on her own again.
Refreezing: if you have a frozen meat out for a short time, like less than an hour it can be put back. Always thaw in the fridge. I take a couple days of meats out at the same time, put into Tupperware, on a plate, etc. so the juices don't touch anything.
My mother would tell you go to ahead and eat it, but then my mother 'is always sick to her stomach from something. The flu, when I tell her it must be something she ate. Drastically said: Better safe than dead.
You mean there is another way to defrost meat? Just kidding, but if that would be harmful, my family would have been dead long ago.
I've been cooking 40 years, so far, no one has gotten sick. Take care and good luck.
No when this happens you can cook the meat then put it in the freezer for another time. It is a law of averages thing. Most of the time it might be alright but there is that chance someone will get sick.
Is it safe to freeze meats in the Styrofoam tray that comes from the supermarket? Or should the meat be removed from the tray and frozen in a Ziplock bag or foil?
Tom
I used to do it once in a while when I was lazy. Then I heard it wasn't good to do it so I stopped. I thought they said it dried out or got freezer burn faster with the foam tray but I dont really remember. Usually meat that is wrapped on those trays have pockets of air under the wrap anyway so it is best to transfer it.
I just did a quick search and it said if you planned on using the meat within a month it was OK to freeze on the tray but otherwise not to. And if you do freeze it as is from the store you still need to wrap over it as the store wrap isn't enough for the freezer.
Repackaging off of the tray also helps to divide into more usable portions and making flatter packages that stack in the freezer and ones that will thaw quicker in the fridge.
I usually take and leave as is and put in freezer if I know I will be using it in a day or two. If it will be longer then I leave as is and wrap it in heavy duty tin foil. But as I have gotten older I like my meat straight from the store and fix it then. It helps to have a son who is a meat cutter so my meat comes from him!
I like to buy meat in large packages and freeze it in portion sizes. I wrap it in plastic wrap and then freezer paper. The plastic wrap helps keep it from getting freezer burn and also from "bleeding" as it thaws, and the freezer paper is another layer too keep air and water crystals out. Plus you can write in it with a permanent marker. I like to record what it is (chicken thighs, etc), how much (2 lbs.), and when I packaged it (month and year), to make sure nothing is left in the freezer too long. Most meat is good for a year.
Tips for thawing meat. Post your ideas.
When I thaw out meat I put it in a plastic grocery bag and then on a plate. That way if it leaks out of the package it doesn't get all over my fridge!
By Michelle Draveski
I always seem to forget to take something out for dinner......I often use the electic burners on my stove.....OFF of course....they draw the cold from the meat and they thaw pretty fast...I usually get home from work between 2 and 3 so if I place the sealed package of steak or what have you on the burner they thaw just enough to be cooked around 5 when my husband gets home....and cheaper than a "thawing pan".......
If I forget til last mo to pull something out, I drop it ina sink of water and keep changing water til it thaws. I use warm or hot water tho you aren't sposed to!
