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Old 05-19-2006, 02:31 PM   #1
bbqjoe
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Join Date: 01-16-06
Location: Wikieup Arizona
Default Thawing frozen meat.

There are a number of ways we all thaw frozen meat.


This poll will remain open all weekend.

Please, no discussion until poll closes!!!

And for all you ninnies who seem afraid to vote, get on board and join in!

The question is this: How do YOU thaw Your frozen meat?

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There may be a little butting of the heads here.....

The safest way to thaw meat is indeed in the refridgerator. Of course this takes a fair amount of time, so planning ahead is necessary.

What is happening here is that the meat is being allowed to raise in temperature outside of the danger zone.

Thawing meat in cold running water is the next most acceptable form of thawing. Letting the meat thaw in standing water is not considered acceptable by HIG.

Also thawing meat in a sink of hot water is an unacceptable practice.

HIG says that the microwave is an acceptable method, providing that the meat is to be cooked immediately upon being thawed. This is because even though the microwave is effective, it is also somewhat inconsistant in thawing all of the meat evenly.

Thawing on a counter overnight is an absolutely forbidden!
This is because the meat is sitting inside the danger zone for too long of a period of time.

So is "Getting it started" by letting it sit out and then placing it in the refridgerator. This is because the outside of the meat has been sitting at room temperature warming up. By placing it back in the fridge, you are cooling the warm meat back down, only to be warmed again.
HIG frowns on the practice of warming foods and cooling them down multiple times.
( I'm sure we have all done this at one point or another.)

Remember, the meat is thawing from the outside in. So by the time the center reaches a thawed state, the outside has been thawed much longer.

So now we have a gray area here.

If the meat is to be cooked right away, why can't we thaw it in hot water?

In order for this whole thing to be addressed and discussed, it will be necessary for me to reveal part of the next threads answer in a way.

You are asking, what is the time frame of this danger zone thing?
HIG says that meat left inside the danger zone over four hours must be discarded.

But wait... A 20 lb turkey or a 15 lb brisket is surely going to take more than four hours to thaw in cold running water!!!!!

Yes, I know. Here is part of our gray area.

Why is it ok for meat to be in 70* running water, when 70* is obviously inside the danger zone?

We have other folks here who also have credentials in food handling.
Maybe they can further the explanation on some of these points.

Let the discussion begin!!!!!

P.S. If you voted for the front seat of the car on a hot summer day, we all ask that you go sit inside that car with your meat as it thaws.

Last edited by bbqjoe; 05-22-2006 at 12:54 PM..
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