Defrost Ground Beef in the Fridge
- Ground beef tin be safely defrosted in the refrigerator, a basin of cold water, or in the microwave.
- Defrosting in the microwave is the fastest pick, but and then you must cook the beef correct away.
- If y'all thaw ground beef in the refrigerator, it is safe to refreeze again.
If you, like many other dwelling house cooks, keep a supply of basis beef in the freezer, you're likely familiar with the defrosting process — which means you lot're probably also familiar with the frustration that comes with forgetting to take the beefiness out of the freezer ahead of fourth dimension.
Defrosting ground beef properly ensures you steer articulate from potential harmful bacteria. Dr. Darin Detwiler, a nutrient regulatory expert and professor at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, says that "in that location volition never exist an end to pathogens in our food, but we tin modify the civilization around the futurity of food prophylactic."
The side by side time you need to bring your beef to room temperature, follow the methods below.
Method 1: In the refrigerator
"The safest way to defrost basis beefiness is to exercise and so in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours," Detwiler says. The refrigerator method is safest considering it "keeps basis beef out of the danger zone, which refers to temperatures between xl degrees Fahrenheit to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, where pathogens and bacteria tin can grow."
Detwiler says the fridge keeps the meat safely cool and warms information technology enough to fully defrost, which is crucial for "cooking the meat thoroughly to a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit, which is required to kill whatever remaining pathogens."
To defrost ground beefiness in the refrigerator, place the bundle of frozen ground beef on a plate that's large plenty to catch any possible drippings from the meat every bit information technology defrosts. Next, identify the plate on a depression shelf in the refrigerator, which will aid you "avoid the possibility of juices dripping onto other foods." The ground beefiness should remain in the fridge for at least 24 hours to fully defrost.
If you don't utilize all of the defrosted ground beef right abroad, Detwiler says that it's rubber to store the leftovers back in the freezer as long as you do then within 48 hours of the original defrosting. However, for extra rubber insurance against pathogens and bacteria, Detwiler advises to cook the meat thoroughly before freezing it again.
Method two: In cold h2o
If y'all need to defrost your footing beef and don't have a full 24 hours to wait, you can defrost information technology in a bowl of cold h2o. This method should take less than an 60 minutes, and it'due south safe as long equally the water is changed out as it warms to room temperature.
To defrost ground beef in cold water, make sure the beefiness is sealed in a leak-proof package, like a resealable plastic bag. "Set the plastic bag with the frozen meat in a sink or, preferably, in a large bowl, embrace with cold water, and weigh the package of meat down with something heavy," Detwiler says. The weighing-downwards keeps the meat submerged, which is essential to continue the meat at a safe temperature for fifty-fifty defrosting.
Leave the package submerged in cold water for 20 to 30 minutes. After that, you tin "exam" the meat's readiness past gently poking it with your fingers. If you lot feel ice crystals or stiffness, so information technology needs more time (and a fresh round of cold h2o). Once the meat is thawed, take it out of the water bowl and cook immediately.
Method iii: In the microwave
For the quickest possible defrosting method, you can defrost the ground beef in the microwave. This method yields safe-to-eat ground beef, merely with one major caveat: you lot accept to melt information technology right abroad.
"Remove all packaging, then place the meat on a plate. Use the microwave's defrost settings or set it at 50% power for two to three minutes, rotating and flipping the beefiness every xxx seconds, until it is fully thawed. Cook immediately and thoroughly to a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit," Detwiler says.
One important notation: Y'all shouldn't refreeze beef if you thaw it in the microwave. Considering the meat is exposed to loftier temperatures (and has therefore spent time in the danger zone), stashing it in the fridge to melt after isn't a rubber movement, either. Save this method for when yous're set to get cooking immediately.
What to avert
- Never thaw ground beef at room temperature. "Some people exit frozen meat out on the counter to thaw and will leave it in that location for six to eight hours, thinking that this will definitely get the job done. In reality, this allows information technology to get too warm and allows pathogens to grow," Detwiler says.
- Never thaw footing beef using hot h2o. Merely as thawing meat on the counter leaves it exposed to danger zone temps, then does thawing the meat in hot water. The sudden shock of hot water on frozen meat will take negative effects on its texture, and as the water cools down, the meat becomes vulnerable to unsafe temperatures. Plus, the hot h2o could begin to "cook" the meat, which gives you lot a totally inconsistent cake of footing beef that'due south partially cooked on the outside and still frozen on the inside.
- Don't keep ground beefiness in the freezer for longer than four months. It'due south tempting to assume that basis beefiness can be kept in the freezer indefinitely. The USDA recommends using information technology inside four months for the best quality, gustation, and texture.
Insider'south takeaway
Defrosting ground beef in the fridge is the safest option, but it takes a full 24 hours. For faster results, submerge the frozen ground beef in cold h2o for one hour. The quickest method is the microwave method, which volition defrost the ground beef in merely a few minutes, but you'll have to melt the meat immediately.
Source: https://www.insider.com/guides/kitchen/how-to-defrost-ground-beef