{"id":10004,"date":"2024-01-31T20:16:35","date_gmt":"2024-01-31T13:16:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=10004"},"modified":"2024-01-31T20:16:35","modified_gmt":"2024-01-31T13:16:35","slug":"how-to-thaw-meat-without-making-yourself-sick","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=10004","title":{"rendered":"How To Thaw Meat Without Making Yourself Sick"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p> <span class=\"drop-cap__first text-dropcap \">I<\/span>f there&#8217;s one thing in life you don&#8217;t want to take chances on, it&#8217;s raw meat. While delicious in their cooked forms, raw chicken, burgers, and more can be unwelcome carriers of bacteria&#8230;especially if you don&#8217;t know the best way to thaw meat.<\/p>\n<p>The first step: <em>Don&#8217;t<\/em> leave frozen meat on the counter. While your grandmother may swear by this method of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/how-long-does-meat-last-fridge\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/how-long-does-meat-last-fridge\/\">thawing out meat<\/a>, it is not safe. (Odds are, she also never wore her seatbelt and her kids didn\u2019t have car seats.)<\/p>\n<p>However, for the scatter-brained (or busy!) among us, it&#8217;s easy to forget to defrost meat until you&#8217;re in the kitchen prepping for that evening&#8217;s dinner.\u00a0So what&#8217;s the best way to thaw meat ASAP\u2014without <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/foods-most-likely-to-cause-food-poisoning\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/foods-most-likely-to-cause-food-poisoning\/\">risking food poisoning<\/a>? I asked some fellow dietitians for some tips.<\/p>\n<h2>Hold on, why can\u2019t you thaw meat on the counter?<\/h2>\n<p>In short: Thawing meat on the counter is secretly really gross. \u201cNever defrost meat on the kitchen counter, as this encourages bacterial growth that can make us sick,&#8221; says <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clairerifkinnutrition.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.clairerifkinnutrition.com\/\">Claire Rifkin, RDN<\/a>, a NYC-based private practice dietitian.<\/p>\n<p>According to the USDA&#8217;s Food Safety and Inspection Service, bacteria grows fastest between temperatures of 40-140 \u00b0F. These temps are the perfect environment for microbes to multiply, doubling in as many as 20 minutes. Meanwhile, typical <a href=\"https:\/\/sciencenotes.org\/what-is-room-temperature\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/sciencenotes.org\/what-is-room-temperature\/\">room temperature is between 68 and 77 \u00b0F<\/a>, which is right smack in the middle of that temperature \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fsis.usda.gov\/food-safety\/safe-food-handling-and-preparation\/food-safety-basics\/how-temperatures-affect-food\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.fsis.usda.gov\/food-safety\/safe-food-handling-and-preparation\/food-safety-basics\/how-temperatures-affect-food\">danger zone.&#8221;<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content \" style=\"\" data-module-init=\"related-content\" data-module-immediate=\"\" v-cloak=\"\">\n<div class=\"related-content__wrapper \" v-cloak=\"\" :class=\"{'is-loaded':isLoaded}\">\n<p> <span class=\"inline text-h5 text-seafoam-dark\">Related Stories<\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <related-content class=\"related-content__links\" parent-article-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/how-to-thaw-meat\/\" current-title=\"The Best Ways To Thaw Meat Without, You Know, Accidentally Poisoning Yourself\" current-image=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Stocksy_txpec74e8dboGs300_Small_614246-425x285_418x278_true_70.webp\" v-on:parsely-posts-loaded=\"onPostsLoaded\" start-date=\"2023-07-31\" tag=\"div\" inline-template=\"\" url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/how-to-thaw-meat\/\" secret=\"w5ztterVB03LGZJLfXS0hf3EvQBuFFIWew9hmVQxthU\" apikey=\"wellandgood.com\" limit=\"3\"> <\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"related-content__card mb-[10px] sm:mb-[20px]\" :class=\"{'related-content__card--full':posts.length === 1}\" v-for=\"(post, key) in posts\"> <a v-on:click.prevent=\"trackLinkGA($event, key)\" :href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/how-to-thaw-meat\/post.url\" data-url-source=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content__link\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content__card--image bg-tan\" :style=\"{ backgroundImage: 'url(' + post.image_url + ')' }\"> <img :src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/how-to-thaw-meat\/post.image_url\" :alt=\"post.title\"\/> <\/div>\n<p> <\/a>  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <\/related-content> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cIf meat grows bacteria it can lead to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/foods-most-likely-to-cause-food-poisoning\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/foods-most-likely-to-cause-food-poisoning\/\">foodborne illnesses<\/a>,&#8221; says Samantha Podob, RD, CDN, owner of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.podobnutrition.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.podobnutrition.com\/\">Podob Nutrition<\/a>. &#8220;Bacteria such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/salmonella\/general\/prevention.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/salmonella\/general\/prevention.html\">salmonella<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/ecoli\/general\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/ecoli\/general\/index.html\"><em>E.coli<\/em><\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/campylobacter\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/campylobacter\/index.html\">campylobacter<\/a> can cause symptoms like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and in severe cases, more health complications.\u201d (There&#8217;s a reason why my microbiology professor fondly referred to salmonella and <em>E.coli<\/em> as the two &#8220;bucket diseases.&#8221;)<\/p>\n<p>Sure, the whole package of frozen meat eventually thaws out while sitting out on the counter. But the outer surface of the meat thaws first, meaning it will sit in the temperature danger zone all day while the inside is still frozen\u2014turning into a literal breeding ground for bacteria.<\/p>\n<h2>Doesn\u2019t the bacteria cook off?<\/h2>\n<p>Not necessarily. Even if you use a meat thermometer religiously to cook food to safe temperatures, that doesn\u2019t undo <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/healthy-food-prep-mistakes\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/healthy-food-prep-mistakes\/\">poor food-prep habits<\/a>. \u201cCooking may kill bacteria, but it may not eliminate all toxins produced by them,&#8221; Podob explains. &#8220;Some bacteria can produce heat-resistant spores or toxins that may remain even after cooking so it does not get \u2018cooked out.'&#8221; So if you&#8217;ve left out your meat in the danger zone\u2014allowing it to build up tons of bacteria\u2014you&#8217;re going to have a harder time killing those bacteria with heat.<\/p>\n<h2>How to thaw meat in a way that&#8217;s actually safe<\/h2>\n<p>Technically, you can just cook stuff from frozen.\u201cCooking frozen meat safely is not only possible but is also a great strategy for reducing food waste and saving time,\u201d Rifkin says. Keep in mind that your frozen food may take a bit longer to cook in your pressure cooker or oven\u2014up to 50 percent longer, says the USDA. (It&#8217;s also not ideal if you plan to cook in the slow cooker, which takes a while to get out of the temperature danger zone.)<\/p>\n<p>However, if you really want to thaw things out before cooking (fair), these are the safest ways to do it.<\/p>\n<h3>1. Pop it in the refrigerator<\/h3>\n<p>This is the safest method, according to the USDA, but takes the most time. Be sure to stick your meat in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/refrigerator-temperature\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/refrigerator-temperature\/\">coldest parts of the refrigerator<\/a>\u2014like the meat drawer or in the back, rather than in the door\u2014for optimal safety.<\/p>\n<p>Plan to move items from the freezer to the fridge at least one day in advance. Bigger frozen items typically require <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fsis.usda.gov\/food-safety\/safe-food-handling-and-preparation\/food-safety-basics\/big-thaw-safe-defrosting-methods\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.fsis.usda.gov\/food-safety\/safe-food-handling-and-preparation\/food-safety-basics\/big-thaw-safe-defrosting-methods\">a full day for every five pounds to thaw<\/a>. A 25-pound frozen turkey, for example, would need at least five days of fridge time before it&#8217;s thawed. (Noted for next Thanksgiving.)<\/p>\n<h3>2. Use cold water<\/h3>\n<p>Did you forget to move that those frozen cutlets to the fridge? We&#8217;ve all been there. Thankfully, using cold water is the next best option\u2014and it&#8217;s way faster than the fridge method. \u201cThe quickest method to thaw meat involves a cold-water bath,&#8221; says Podob. &#8220;Submerge the food in cold water with a leak-proof package or plastic bag, utilizing a clean and sanitized food preparation sink or bowl, and ensuring the food temperature remains below 41\u00b0F to prevent entering the danger zone.&#8221;\u00a0The USDA recommends changing the water every 30 minutes or so as your food thaws.<\/p>\n<p>Smaller items (a pound of food or less) can thaw in about an hour, while a 3-4 pound package will take longer. (<a href=\"https:\/\/nchfp.uga.edu\/how\/freeze\/thawing.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/nchfp.uga.edu\/how\/freeze\/thawing.html\">Only use this method for smaller items<\/a> that will thaw in two hours or less, according to the National Center for Home Food Preservation.) Once you thaw the food completely, cook it ASAP.<\/p>\n<h3>3. Defrost in the microwave<\/h3>\n<p>Not only can you whip up <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/healthy-microwaveable-meals\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/healthy-microwaveable-meals\/\">tasty meals in the microwave<\/a>, but this handy appliance can also be used to defrost meat. Simply use the defrost button, or cook food at 20-30 percent power. Check every so often while it defrosts, rotating or flipping over food as needed.<\/p>\n<p>The downside of this method is that microwaves reheat unevenly, per the National Center for Home Food Preservation, which means some spots might start to cook while others are still ice-cold. For that reason,\u00a0microwave-thawed meat should be cooked immediately to avoid anything staying in the temperature danger zone for too long.<\/p>\n<h2>Other cooking safety tips for meat<\/h2>\n<p>Once the meat is thawed, whether in the fridge or by another method, the USDA suggests it should be cooked within 1-2 days for ground meats, poultry, and fish. You\u2019ve got a little longer (3-5 days) with beef, pork, or lamb cuts like steaks, roasts, or chops.<\/p>\n<p>Be sure your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/refrigerator-temperature\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/refrigerator-temperature\/\">big appliances<\/a> are doing their jobs, too. \u201cAlways maintain your refrigerator temperature between 36-40\u00b0F and your freezer at or below 0\u00b0F to inhibit bacterial growth,&#8221; Rifkin says.<\/p>\n<p>Last but not least, cook your meat to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foodsafety.gov\/food-safety-charts\/safe-minimum-internal-temperatures\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.foodsafety.gov\/food-safety-charts\/safe-minimum-internal-temperatures\">proper temperatures<\/a>. Steaks and roasts should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145\u00b0F (checked at the thickest part of the cut). &#8220;Since bacteria on these cuts are typically confined to the surface, this temperature is sufficient to eliminate them,&#8221; Rifkin says. &#8220;The surface, being in direct contact with the heat source, will reach a higher temperature than the interior.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Other kinds of meat need to be cooked to a higher temperature. Chicken, turkey, and other poultry should be cooked to 165\u00b0F. \u201cFor ground or skewered meats, an internal temperature of 160\u00b0F is necessary,&#8221; Rifkin says. &#8220;In ground, minced, or chopped meats, the bacteria initially present on the surface are mixed throughout, necessitating a higher internal temperature to ensure all potential pathogens are destroyed.&#8221; Yet another reason why a food thermometer is an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/pastry-chef-baking-tools\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/pastry-chef-baking-tools\/\">essential kitchen tool<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1675549\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If there&#8217;s one thing in life you don&#8217;t want to take chances on, it&#8217;s raw meat. While delicious in their cooked forms, raw chicken, burgers, and more can be unwelcome carriers of bacteria&#8230;especially if you don&#8217;t know the best way to thaw meat. The first step: Don&#8217;t leave frozen meat on the counter. While your &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":10005,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10004","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10004","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10004"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10004\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10005"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10004"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10004"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10004"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}