Best Way to Thaw Frozen Meat Beef
How To Freeze and Defrost Ground Beef
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At the beginning of each month I accept stock of the freezer and do a big grocery shop for footing beef and chicken breasts and thighs. When I become home I carve up the beef into one-half-pound or one-pound portions. These are the amounts that most recipes call for, and I like the flexibility that it gives me to have pre-measured, recipe-ready portions of footing beef gear up to pull from the freezer. To prep the meat for a stay in the deep freeze, I use a trick that I picked upward from Pinterest.
The Best Tool for Freezing Ground Beef: A Rolling Pin
I counterbalance out portions of ground meat and then movement information technology to a freezer zip-top bag. The quart-sized bags are perfect for a half-pound of meat, while the gallon-sized bags are great for ane-pound portions.
Then before sealing the handbag, I use a rolling pin to gently, but firmly, flatten the meat to 1/2-inch thick. Resist the urge to roll the pin dorsum and forth equally yous would for rolling out cookie dough; you want to still come across the striations of basis meat. Press out any excess air and seal the bag. Transfer to a freezer and lay apartment until frozen, and then stand the bag upwards or stack for infinite-saving storage. If you take a vacuum sealer, you tin employ this aforementioned technique with the bags specific to your automobile.
Air Is the Enemy of Frozen Meat
If the meat is exposed to likewise much air in the freezer, it will atomic number 82 to freezer burn or dehydration in the freezer. Although it is safe to eat freezer-burned meat, the color and season may be off-putting. Flattening the meat in a freezer null-pinnacle bag expels much of the air that would damage the meat while making smart use out of limited freezer space.
Freeze Flat for a Faster Thaw
The concluding bonus of freezing ground beef flat is that information technology defrosts much more quickly than the thick hunk you brought home from the shop. More surface area means a quicker thaw and less time to bring dinner from freezer to tabular array. You can defrost ground beef in whatsoever number of ways; a pocketbook of flat frozen ground beefiness volition thaw in the refrigerator in under two hours or in the microwave in less than five minutes. But my favorite way to defrost is to transfer the bag from the freezer to a large bowl in the sink. Let cool water slowly drizzle over the meat, and in five to 10 minutes, your meat will be recipe ready.
A Few of Our Favorite Ground Beef Recipes
The best style to freeze ground beefiness and iii methods for thawing information technology.
- alcohol-gratis
- paleo
- kidney-friendly
- peanut-costless
- low-potassium
- pork-complimentary
- gluten-free
- tree-nut-costless
- depression-sodium
- wheat-free
- dairy-gratis
- low-carb
- fish-gratis
- shellfish-free
- carbohydrate-conscious
- no-oil-added
- low-carbohydrate
- soy-free
- egg-gratuitous
Per serving, based on
4
servings. (% daily value)
- Calories 90
- Fat 7.1 g (10.9%)
- Saturated two.7 g (xiii.five%)
- Carbs
- Cobweb
- Sugars
- Protein half-dozen.ane thou (12.2%)
- Sodium 23.4 mg (1.0%)
Ingredients
- Ground beef
Equipment
- Kitchen scale
- Vacuum sealer and bags (optional)
- Quart- or gallon-size freezer zip-top numberless
- Rolling pin
- Permanent marking
- Plate
- Large bowl
- Heavy weight, such as a can of beans or tomatoes
Instructions
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To freeze footing beef. Remove the meat from the shop packaging. Divide into i/2- or ane-pound portions. These are amounts that are standard for most recipes. If you have a vacuum sealer, this is the fourth dimension to use information technology. Otherwise, place the portions in separate freezer cypher-top bags. Use a quart-size pocketbook for 1/2-pound portions and a gallon-size bag for 1-pound portions. Apply a rolling pivot to firmly and gently flatten the meat to ane/two-inch thick. You lot should still be able to see the texture of the ground beef. Printing all of the air out of the bags and seal. Utilize a permanent marker to note the date, cutting of ground beef, and weight. Lay the bags apartment on a freezer shelf. Once frozen, stack the bags or stand them vertically for long-term storage.
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Three ways to defrost ground beefiness. Defrost in the refrigerator. Place the zip-top bag with the frozen footing beef on a plate and move to the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. The meat will thaw in 1 to 2 hours. Melt or refreeze inside ii days. Ground beef that has been kept out of the danger zone (twoscore°F to 140°F) during the thawing process can be refrozen safely, although some textural or flavor changes may occur. Defrost in the microwave. Identify the goose egg-top purse with the frozen ground beefiness on a plate. Use the defrost setting on your microwave to defrost for 3 to iv minutes, turning halfway through. Microwave wattages differ so use these times every bit a guideline for your apparatus. Cook the meat immediately, as some parts of the meat may have begun cooking during the defrosting process. Practice not refreeze raw meat thawed in the microwave. Defrost in absurd h2o. Place the zip-top bag with the frozen basis beefiness into a large bowl. Cover with cold water and use a heavy weight, such every bit a can of beans, to submerge the meat. The meat should thaw in v to x minutes. Cook immediately. Exercise non refreeze raw meat thawed in cold water.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Freeze fresh ground beef inside 2 days of buy. Freeze for up to four months. Do not refreeze raw meat thawed using the microwave or cold water methods.
Source: https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-freeze-and-defrost-ground-beef-249806
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