Is beef on your menu this week and currently frozen? If so, you might be wondering when exactly the best time is to start thawing your meat and what is the safest way. I’ve seen firsthand through the years that not everyone is aware of these techniques, so I want to help you prevent any problems when thawing your beef! I am going to share the easiest and safest ways to thaw your frozen beef cuts!
Keep in mind, meat begins to thaw above the freezing point of 32 degrees Fahrenheit. And at 40 degrees Fahrenheit, bacteria begin to multiply on the surface of the meat which can lead to food borne illness (and I know you don’t want to experience that!). This is why you should never leave meat on the counter to thaw or place it in hot water.
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The best and safest way to thaw your meat out ahead of the time you will use it is to set it in the refrigerator.
Example: 1 pound of beef should thaw in the refrigerator within a day. Once your meat has thawed, it will remain safe in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
But what if you are running short of time and need your meat thawed within a few hours? Whether that is because you have unexpected company, or just completely forgot to take it out of the freezer ahead of time. (Not that any of us do that! ;) )
You can thaw your beef in a cold-water bath.
Place your meat in a leakproof package, such as our vacuum sealed package. Place it in a bath of cold water and change your water every 30 minutes. For one pound of beef, it should take less than an hour to thaw and up to 2-3 hours for a 3-4-pound pack.
Some other useful tips for thawing your beef are:
Follow these guidelines, check the temps, cook the beef to your liking, and in no time at all, you will be sinking your teeth into one of your favorite cuts of beef!
Here at Oak Barn Beef, our meats come frozen to you so in order to enjoy a steak, ground beef, roast, or another cut of dry aged beef, you will need to make sure you follow these steps of thawing it out safely so you can enjoy the best dry aged beef without any issues.
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If you haven’t heard of our beef before, I hope you will take a look in our shop at all the various cuts of beef we have available that we can ship straight to your doorstep!
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Happy Thawing!!!
Resources:
The Big Thaw- Safe Defrosting Methods. USDA. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/safe-food-handling/the-big-thaw-safe-defrosting-methods-for-consumers/bigthaw2
Daily operations on the farm can be a bit more of a challenge especially when temps get below freezing such as keeping the water from being frozen for the cattle and elsewhere on the farm, having to spread out the hay with the hay bale processor due to the lack of fresh grass, and the extra steps it takes when winter hits the farm that causes a chore to take much longer than expected.
