A question about handling my meat

[mrsimperless]

Alright, I'm sure this post will show how big of an idiot I really am, but this is something I really need to know. I've lived a fairly sheltered life - my mom did all of the cooking growing up, I was married young, and my ex-wife did all of the cooking up until our divorce a couple of years ago. Since then I've been eating out a lot, but I've started cooking for myself on a regular basis. I know that meat will last for a few days (how long exactly?) in the refrigerator after you first buy it. But I buy large quantities of chicken breasts and immediately freeze them in individual ziploc bags so that I can thaw and prepare them one at a time. It's happened a couple of times where I'll thaw one of the chicken breasts I've frozen and then be unable to prepare it immediately for some reason or another. So I put it in the fridge thinking that it will keep it fresh. Since it lasts for a few days in the fridge normally and since I froze it as soon as I brought it home, I assume that it should last for a couple of days in it's newly thawed state in the fridge. However, the two times I've done this I'll take the chicken out probably two days later, and it just smells.... wrong. So I throw it away. What are the rules on this? Would it have been okay to eat and it was all just in my paranoid imagination?

Another example. I bought a steak the other day and put it in the fridge. My intent was to prepare it the night I bought it. However, that didn't work out, so I stuck it in the freezer later that night instead. Tonight I decided to grill it, so I take it out and thaw it. This was probably at 3:00. At 7:00 it turns out I have to go into the office. It's still not completely thawed, so I toss it in the fridge to grill when I get home. I get home at 12:00, fire up the grill and take it out. I notice there's a gray spot on the meat. This worries me. I grill it anyway.

It comes out of the grill and looks yummy. I take a bite... something is wrong. Or at least I think so. I spit it out and throw the rest away.

Can someone please teach me the rules for meat handling? My crazy schedule sometimes keeps me from cooking when I want to. Am I just out of luck and need to throw it out when things like this happen?

Wow, talk about feeling like an idiot. Maybe I just need to hurry up and get married again...

[JonInMiddleGA]

I'm sure some of our food experts can weight in with more specific advice/instruction but in the meantime ...

1) re: the chicken -- seems to me that you might have bought the chicken with maybe one day left in its usable life. Basically, you may have bought & frozen it just before it was gonna be past eating. Then you thawed, stuck it in the fridge & that window of opportunity expired, leaving you with some bad chicken. Or maybe it did just get in your head a little bit, same thing happens to me with milk -- if I expect it to be bad, I'll always think it smells bad.

Same sort of thing with the beef, one possibility or the other, since I don't get the impression you left it lying around on the counter for 12 hours or anything like that.

My first thought overall is that maybe you aren't checking the dates closely enough when you buy stuff at the store (you didn't indicate whether you were the shopper but not the cook or if you aren't really experienced with either) & it's already close to bad when you start out.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by mrsimperless

Can someone please teach me the rules for meat handling?

Wash your hands before you leave the restroom.

[BigJohn&TheLions]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

Wash your hands before you leave the restroom.

Good advise. He's used to a woman handling his meat. Now he must take matters into his own hands.

[Raven]

Don't mess with chicken. If it smells bad, or you have the slightest idea it might be bad, definitely don't eat it.

Steak, it depends. The grey spot was probably just oxidation, but better safe than sorry.

If you have a microwave, why not just defrost your meat in there? If you put it on a low enough setting, it will defrost and barely cook and be thawed in 10 minutes. You'd save hours instead of waiting for it to thaw.

[flere-imsaho]

I can only help you with chicken, since I don't cook steak on a regular basis.

I agree with what JIMG's said. Basically you need to start by looking at the expiration date. Make sure you're getting chicken that's going to last until you cook it. Also, perhaps buy a better quality chicken?

Secondly, I routinely thaw my chicken by putting it in the fridge (from the freezer) about 24 hours (i.e. the night before) I cook it. In fact, I'll be doing this later today with chicken I'm cooking on Saturday night that I bought last Saturday. I wouldn't, however, thaw it much past 24 hours.

Thirdly, if you want to fast-thaw chicken, then doing it using the Microwave's defrost setting is the way to go. It takes a while to get right, but you'll be happy when you do.

Lastly, make sure to wash the chicken before cooking. I simply rinse the chicken in water, but find it helps the taste a lot.

[flere-imsaho]

Dola - I generally won't use chicken that's been in my freezer for over a week. That may be paranoid of me, but I've had very diminishing returns with chicken that's been in my freezer past that time. Since I shop once a week, however, this is rarely a problem.

[ice4277]

I think in regards to the steak, there probably was nothing wrong with it. However, I seem to recall hearing something at some point in my past about not eating chicken that has been unfrozen for a certain amount of time, maybe 24 hours?

[timmynausea]

Find a new woman.

[Airhog]

Unless you bought meat that was already close to expiration I wouldnt worry..

You'll know if you have bad chicken. Stuff smells awful. I've never seen any bad steaks so I can't comment about what it might smell like. Just remember that uncooked fresh meat, shouldnt have any strong odors. If it does, its probably bad.

[Samdari]

1) Try to buy your meat at the butcher counter in your grocery store, not the packs in the cooler. This should mean you get fresher meat.

2) You can store the meat in your fridge for up to 3 days, or the date on the package, before using it.

3) Use meat thawed from the freezer within 24 hours. The recommended way to defrost meat is in your refrigerator (which obviously takes much longer). I don't do this, but it keeps your meat from ever being in the "danger zone" of temps.

4) Ziploc bags are not the best idea for freezing. As a general rule, wrap things loosely in the fridge, tightly in the freezer. Double wrap with plastic wrap for freezing. Note that using ziploc bags, or single wrapping is not unsafe, but keeps it from picking up funky flavors/smells.

[RendeR]

Actually Ziploc "Freezer" bags are quite good at avoiding freezer burn and keeping your meat airithgt and edible.

When you takt it out of the freezer put it on the counter or wherever and allow it to thaw, don't let it set out more than 8 hours even if it seems still frozen, put it in the fridge at that point and let it finish thawing in there. Once it is thawed use it within 24-48 hours and rinse it THOROUGHLY in luuke warm water prior to cooking.

THe thing I think you may be missing is the re-wrapping/freezing prep. NEVER freeze meat in its original package, this can lead to some very nasty things growing even while frozen. When you bring the meat home IMMEDIATEly, I can't stress this enough, IMMEDIATELY either ziploc freezer bag it or Wrap it in aluminum foil and freezer paper and get that stuff on ice.

Chcken will have a very powerful and nauseating smell if it has turned bad. if you stored it in the original package it will start smelling this way within a day because the uices and wot-not are trapped in there with it and they rot faster than the meat does.

Steak is a whole different story to some extent, I've known folks who will unwrap their steak, lay it on a plate and let it sit in the fridge for a few days to "age" it. It can definitely bring out flavors, not necessarily the flavors *I* choose for my steaks however =)

Steak will turn greyish as the blood in the meat oxydizes, this isn't a bad thing, just means its not "mooing" fresh anymore. If you see greyish patches, flip the meat over on the shelf and try to use it within 24 hours. Flipping will allow the internal juices to flow into the Oxydized areas and will improve the appearance. (and ONLY the appearance)

Hope this helps!

[Blackadar]

Remember, for certain types of dishes, it's ok to beat your meat.

[Psmith]

If you thaw meat at room temperature, you really should use it once it is thawed. Putting it back in the fridge is a bad idea, and probably the reason it tastes bad. Either put it in the fridge the night before to thaw, or use your microwave's defrost function (make sure there's no icy texture before you cook it). Using ziploc bags is a good idea when you're cooking for one or two. I've never had a problem with smells, Samdari, but I'll keep that in mind. And Flere, we keep chicken frozen for weeks with no problem, but that's because we like to buy the big club packs when they go on sale.

[Psmith]

dola-
I love the fact that salmonella can make you seriously sick, yet we still have no consensus on how to thaw/freeze chicken.

[Samdari]

Originally Posted by Psmith

we keep chicken frozen for weeks with no problem

You should actually be fine for up to three months.

[flere-imsaho]

Originally Posted by Psmith

And Flere, we keep chicken frozen for weeks with no problem, but that's because we like to buy the big club packs when they go on sale.

Yeah, the week thing isn't necessarily a hard-and-fast rule. It's just worked for me, so I do it.

[cody8200]

Originally Posted by mrsimperless

Alright, I'm sure this post will show how big of an idiot I really am, but this is something I really need to know. I've lived a fairly sheltered life - my mom did all of the cooking growing up

Hey man dont feel bad. I've been doing a lot more cooking myself lately. This leads me to have to look up how to cook things on the internet which is fairly embarrassing. Just 3 days ago (no kidding) I looked up how long hamburger meat will last in a freezer. Luckily the internet was the there and told me its good for around 3 months as long as you never had thawed it out and refroze it.

[Klinglerware]

I always buy my meat the day I'm going to cook it--unless I'm doing a marinade or something. I know that it's more convenient for some people to do big trips to the supermarket instead of lots of little trips, but it works out better for me. I actually don't end up going too often: because I cook only for myself, a day of cooking usually yields leftovers that can last me awhile...

[timmae]

anyone else read the username as mrs. imp... and think another ban may be underway??

[Samdari]

Originally Posted by cody8200

This leads me to have to look up how to cook things on the internet which is fairly embarrassing.

Why embarassing. I am a pretty good cook, and look stuff up on the internet all the time. It is a fabulous source of information that is new to you.

[Anthony]

i suck with cooking meat. my wife too. her forte is chicken and pork. whenever we try to cook steak, either in the oven or on the grill, just doesn't come out that good. the only exception is this london broil with sauteed onions that i absolutely love. i think the thing that spoils us is that we like the way steak houses and restaurants prepare their steaks and we can't match the taste.

chicken we can cook like muthafuckas though.

[henry296]

Another good quick defrosting technique is to put the frozen meet still in the freezer bag into a bowl / sink of hot water. We can usually defrost a chicken breast or steak into about 10-15 minutes max. I feel it is better than the microwave defrost because in the microwave the edges of the meat tend to cook.

Another good idea is a Food Saver. We have one and it does a great job of preventing freezer burn.

[Farrah Whitworth-Rahn]

Originally Posted by timmae

anyone else read the username as mrs. imp... and think another ban may be underway??

Yep! This thread had so much more potential.

[cartman]

If you plan on freezing a lot of meat, then it might be a good idea to invest in a Food Saver. It's like a modern day "seal-a-meal" that vacuum packs food, so that it can be frozen for longer periods of time, and greatly reduces the chance of freezer burn. Since I travel a lot, it's been a godsend and has greatly reduced the amount of food I have to throw out.

[Samdari]

Originally Posted by Farrah Whitworth-Rahn

Yep! This thread had so much more potential.

Don't complain about the problem without offering a solution.

Start by offering your thoughts on meat handling.

[kcchief19]

Originally Posted by RendeR

Actually Ziploc "Freezer" bags are quite good at avoiding freezer burn and keeping your meat airithgt and edible.

Very true. One thing you might also try is to make sure you squeeze the air out of the Ziploc bag when freezing. If you like to buy in bulk to get cheap prices and freeze for later, you might even consider a vaccum sealer; these will keep chicken and steak much longer frozen because it prevents oxidation. I personally wouldn't use frozen chicken beyond 2-4 weeks, but if it's stored properly it can last longer. Steak is different. Stored in a Ziploc bag it can last a few months, although it will get that "aged" taste. Vaccuum packed it will last a year or more. I got some vaccuum packed steaks for Christmas one year and completely forgot about them until I was cleaning out the freezer a little over a year later. They were still red and tasted like aged steaks, so they were good but not great in my book.

Originally Posted by RendeR

When you takt it out of the freezer put it on the counter or wherever and allow it to thaw, don't let it set out more than 8 hours even if it seems still frozen, put it in the fridge at that point and let it finish thawing in there. Once it is thawed use it within 24-48 hours and rinse it THOROUGHLY in luuke warm water prior to cooking.

This is where I think mrsimperless is going off the beam. You NEVER want to take fresh meat, thaw it, then REFREEZE it. The best ways to prevent poultry from going bad is to either thaw it in cold water for a few hours or thaw it in the refrigerator for 12-24. But once it's thawed, you have to cook it. Don't refreeze it.

This applies to a lot of things, not just meat. You never want to cool down food, warm it up again, cool it down a second time and then reheat. There is a danger temperature for food to develop bacteria and the longer food is at the danger temperature range the great the chance you could get sick. Changing temperatures like that not only creates unhealthy food but will also affect the taste.

Originally Posted by RendeR

Steak is a whole different story to some extent, I've known folks who will unwrap their steak, lay it on a plate and let it sit in the fridge for a few days to "age" it. It can definitely bring out flavors, not necessarily the flavors *I* choose for my steaks however =)

Steak will turn greyish as the blood in the meat oxydizes, this isn't a bad thing, just means its not "mooing" fresh anymore. If you see greyish patches, flip the meat over on the shelf and try to use it within 24 hours. Flipping will allow the internal juices to flow into the Oxydized areas and will improve the appearance. (and ONLY the appearance)

I'm not a fan of aged steaks myself, but aging it in the refrigerator that way is a bad idea because it will pick up the flavors and odors from everything else in the refrigerator. You need to do it in a controlled environment with the right temperature and humidity or with a vacuum sealed bag. Aging steak in a fridge is a great way to get a steak that tastes like old cheese and rotten tomatoes.

mrsimperless, I think you just freaked out on the steak. It's certainly possible it was adversely affected by thawing on the counter the cooling off in the fridge before you prepared it, but I think it was psychological -- you saw a gray oxidation spot and got it in your mind that it was going to taste funny and your mind convinced you that it did.

[Psmith]

Originally Posted by henry296

Another good quick defrosting technique is to put the frozen meet still in the freezer bag into a bowl / sink of hot water. We can usually defrost a chicken breast or steak into about 10-15 minutes max. I feel it is better than the microwave defrost because in the microwave the edges of the meat tend to cook.

Awesome idea! We're going to try that the next time we make chicken. Thanks!

[Farrah Whitworth-Rahn]

Originally Posted by Psmith

Awesome idea! We're going to try that the next time we make chicken. Thanks!

This also works well to defrost Turkeys for the holidays.

[Glengoyne]

Originally Posted by cody8200

Hey man dont feel bad. I've been doing a lot more cooking myself lately. This leads me to have to look up how to cook things on the internet which is fairly embarrassing. Just 3 days ago (no kidding) I looked up how long hamburger meat will last in a freezer. Luckily the internet was the there and told me its good for around 3 months as long as you never had thawed it out and refroze it.

Boy where was the internet when I was your age. I remember calling my mother to ask her how to boil eggs.

[Samdari]

If you are going to use water to defrost meat, cold water that is moving is actually faster and safer than hot water - so put it in a bowl under the faucet and run cold water over it slowly for 15 minutes and voila.

[Raiders Army]

Become a vegetarian.

[cartman]

Well, at least he didn't go to the store, asking which aisle was the scratch located, because he heard his mom say she made everything from scratch, so he wanted to pick some up...

[henry296]

Originally Posted by Samdari

If you are going to use water to defrost meat, cold water that is moving is actually faster and safer than hot water - so put it in a bowl under the faucet and run cold water over it slowly for 15 minutes and voila.

Interesting and since I don't have to pay the water bill in my house (HOA Fee), I don't have to worry about wasting water.

I might try that this weekend.

Todd

[terpkristin]

General rules of thumb:
1. NEVER re-freeze meat that has been thawed. Just stick thawed meat in the fridge and get to it.
2. Thawed meat should be eaten within 24 hours or so of thawing, but I've done things up to 3 days later, it's still OK.
3. Check expiration dates.
4. At least with chicken, if you can afford it, get Empire chickens (or other kosher chickens). They come have WONDERFUL flavor.

/tk

[KevinNU7]

Originally Posted by Samdari

If you are going to use water to defrost meat, cold water that is moving is actually faster and safer than hot water - so put it in a bowl under the faucet and run cold water over it slowly for 15 minutes and voila.

if you enjoy wasting water...

[Samdari]

Originally Posted by KevinNU7

if you enjoy wasting water...

You only need a trickle, just enough to keep the water moving. This takes far less water than showering, watering the lawn, washing the car, washing clothes, etc. Are those wastes of water?

[Raiders Army]

Originally Posted by terpkristin

General rules of thumb:
1. NEVER re-freeze meat that has been thawed. Just stick thawed meat in the fridge and get to it.
2. Thawed meat should be eaten within 24 hours or so of thawing, but I've done things up to 3 days later, it's still OK.
3. Check expiration dates.
4. At least with chicken, if you can afford it, get Empire chickens (or other kosher chickens). They come have WONDERFUL flavor.

/tk

Question on Rule #1: How do you know your meat hasn't been frozen before you bought it? Couldn't you re-freeze it unknowingly?

[gottimd]

Wow, over 12 hours and no thread titled "A question about beating my meat" has been posted.....yet.

[Raiders Army]

Post #4 was close.

[Klinglerware]

Originally Posted by gottimd

Wow, over 12 hours and no thread titled "A question about beating my meat" has been posted.....yet.

With the recent bannings and suspensions, the percentage of people likely to start such a thread has decreased significantly.

[terpkristin]

Originally Posted by Raiders Army

Question on Rule #1: How do you know your meat hasn't been frozen before you bought it? Couldn't you re-freeze it unknowingly?

Unless you're buying meat from a friend or something, this shouldn't be a problem. Grocery stores etc follow this rule. If you find the meat refrigerated, it's always been so. If it's frozen, it's always been so. And, even if you find it frozen, unless you take many hours to get it home, it won't thaw enough to worry about, so putting it in your freezer is fine. And if it's only been refrigerated, throwing it in the freezer is fine. You just don't want to do it again AFTER it's thawed.

/tk

[Raiders Army]

Gotcha. But then again, we know that grocery stores always follow the rules.

[TazFTW]

Originally Posted by terpkristin

4. At least with chicken, if you can afford it, get Empire chickens (or other kosher chickens). They come have WONDERFUL flavor.

Interesting...

[Airhog]

I love meat.

Havent had empire chicken since I rarely cook anything where chicken is the main dish.

[Maple Leafs]

Originally Posted by Samdari

If you are going to use water to defrost meat, cold water that is moving is actually faster and safer than hot water - so put it in a bowl under the faucet and run cold water over it slowly for 15 minutes and voila.

I second this. Go with cool water.