Defrosting food - meat in particular

[Lynchie999]

pokethepope said:

I sometimes put it in a fan oven with the fan only (no heat) setting. Not sure where this would fall on the "safe" scale though

My oven has a defrost setting which is basically this...

[UTH]

Cotty said:

Usually overnight but if I need a quick defrost I put it in a plastic bag in a bowl of cold running water does the trick.

Also if you have any cast iron pots or pans turn it over and put it on that, the metal pulls the cold out somehow don't ask me how. I also have one of those defrosting plates that does the same thing https://www.amazon.co.uk/b?ie=UTF8&node=163934...

I've wondered about those defrosting plates, kept seeing them on my feed on the Facebooks. Are they any good then, would you recommend it?

[ARHarh]

I visit the butcher once a month, and buy all i need for the next month. Its an 18 mile round trip so I don't want to go every day. I freeze it straight away and never have an issue with quality or defrosting. I just leave it on the counter till defrosted. As long as you cook it correctly I don't see you have a problem.

[Cotty]

UTH said:

I've wondered about those defrosting plates, kept seeing them on my feed on the Facebooks. Are they any good then, would you recommend it?

They do work and help to defrost things quicker. They are also inexpensive to try. But like I sy an upturned cast iron pot would work the same way try that first

[21TonyK]

Cotty said:

UTH said:

I've wondered about those defrosting plates, kept seeing them on my feed on the Facebooks. Are they any good then, would you recommend it?

They do work and help to defrost things quicker. They are also inexpensive to try. But like I sy an upturned cast iron pot would work the same way try that first

Aluminium is an even better conductor, an old frying pan works well. At home I have a very (very) old very, very thick aluminium roasting tray which is perfect.

[eltawater]

Saucepan of lukewarm water and pop in the meat (chicken breasts, minced beef or pork) still sealed in their freezer bags onto the counter for 3 hours before cooking time. Pop a lid on it upside down as bagged meat trends to float so you get half the meat defrosted and half still frozen, so the lid handle upside down helps to keep the entire block of meat underwater.

Change the water every hour as the temperature of the water starts to be lowered by the defrosting meat.
Leaving it just on a plate in the air doesn't work as you need the water to act as a temperature conductor medium.

Leaving stuff in the fridge to defrost overnight tends to result in... mostly still frozen stuff the next day when I need to use it.

Microwave defrosting always tends to cook bits undesirably before defrosting completes.

My parents used to just defrost large meat joints in the kitchen sink.....

[HTP99]

eltawater said:

My parents used to just defrost large meat joints in the kitchen sink.....

I remember years go, my dad forgetting to get the Christmas turkey out of the freezer, on Christmas morning it was placed under the running cold tap in the bath.

[LeadFarmer]

I used to defrost frozen meat by leaving out on the kitchen worktop, covered.
But I watched a programme that said that doing this means the outside layer gets to room temperature whilst the inner layers remain frozen. The outside layer then attracts bacteria, salmonella etc, and we should in fact defrost meat slowly in the fridge instead.

[tog]

Cotty said:

UTH said:

I've wondered about those defrosting plates, kept seeing them on my feed on the Facebooks. Are they any good then, would you recommend it?

They do work and help to defrost things quicker. They are also inexpensive to try. But like I sy an upturned cast iron pot would work the same way try that first

This is what I do - my largest cast iron frying pan upturned on the draining board. Works really well.

[SpeckledJim]

21TonyK said:

Cotty said:

UTH said:

I've wondered about those defrosting plates, kept seeing them on my feed on the Facebooks. Are they any good then, would you recommend it?

They do work and help to defrost things quicker. They are also inexpensive to try. But like I sy an upturned cast iron pot would work the same way try that first

Aluminium is an even better conductor, an old frying pan works well. At home I have a very (very) old very, very thick aluminium roasting tray which is perfect.

I use a big frying pan, upturned on the draining board and put the chicken on that.

Acts as a big heat-sink in reverse so defrosts it quickly without heating it, and the condensation/juice runs straight into the sink.



ETA: spooky!

Edited by SpeckledJim on Thursday 17th June 14:07

[21TonyK]

UTH said:

Years ago if I forgot to take, say, chicken out of the freezer, I'd think nothing of putting it in a plastic bag in a bowl of warm water to defrost it quickly.

Since those days I have read how bad an idea that is, and actually the only way you should defrost is in the fridge overnight.

Are there safe ways to do it any quicker? (I don't own a microwave)

For example, I've got a nice steak in the freezer, if I wanted it this evening can I take it out now and leave to thaw? Or is that also not a great idea and I've really missed the boat and should plan to have it tomorrow and put it in the fridge now?

This is the correct answer

But, its a bit like saying its a 70 limit on the motorway so you must drive at 70 at all times irrespective of conditions or anything else.

The key point is whatever you are defrosting needs to do so while remaining at a safe temperature as a low temperature will slow bacterial growth. However, time is also a factor and even in a fridge we will all have seen things go mouldy.

Something like a chicken needs to be defrosted in a fridge and it may take one or two days. Forced defrosting can be used if the time to defrost is minutes and then the item is cooked immediately but having stuff hanging around at increased or even room temperature is asking for trouble.

As for the theory of "cooking properly" thats a fallacy. Theres plenty of heat resistant bacteria and toxins that will happily make you very ill or kill you however "properly" you cook food that has not been defrosted safely.

As also mentioned elsewhere a vac pac is invaluable, a single steak under flowing cold water will defrost very quickly.

[PistonBroker]

Bacon Is Proof said:

Never understood buying fresh meat and then freezing it.
Just buy less.

I knew on Tuesday that I'd need chicken tonight and saved a quid buying the same pack in the reduced section then freezing it.

I put it in the fridge before bed last night - hardly worth freezing it! This morning it was still fairly frozen so I put it on the side for the hour or so before popping it back in the fridge before we headed out for school/work.

Hmm, now I read that back, I wonder if I should have just bought some today!

[sociopath]

All this concern and shenanigansover defrosting meat, it's a wonder the human race has survived.

Stick it on the kitchen side overnight, or first thing in the morning. Not died yet, never had food poisoning either

[Cotty]

Bacon Is Proof said:

Never understood buying fresh meat and then freezing it.
Just buy less.

What do you think about buying frozen meat? Sometime I see an offer and buy a couple of frozen half legs of lamb, lob them in the freezer until needed.

[APontus]

I live for the yellow discount stickers of goodness in Sainsbury's. Buy your half price nearly out of date meat and freeze!

[matt666]

You can cook steak from frozen. Takes a bit longer, but do it in the oven or BBQ on a low heat then when it's done in the middle sear the outside.