how to defrost meat

[moon mountain mama]

I know this is so basic but I did not grow up eating meat and to me htis is such a complicated scary matter. I sware I htought I poisoned the whole family last night by defrosting sausages in warm water instead of cold. aaaaah too much pressure. Anyways, haha......um I have a frozen chicken in the refrigerator defrosting I put it in the refrigerator yesterday and it is defrosting today and I will take it out and cook it tomorrow. My mother-in-law said she has never heard if this and I should put it on the counter.

[ASusan]

The safest way to defrost in the fridge. This takes days for a chix, sometimes.
Second safest, in cold water. This takes too long for us on an average day, when someone gets home 1/2 hour before dinner.

How we usually defrost -

In a bath of hot water in the sink. (me)
In the microwave. (dh)

Sausage - small breakfast links - go directly frozen into the pan.
Larger, Italian links get soaked in hot water for 10-20 minutes, then into the pan.

ET - I will leave a frozen chicken in the sink until it is thawed.

[CrunchyChristianMama]

I usually leave beef out on the counter to thaw. Chicken parts I will either put in the fridge or in warm water (if I need it that night) until it's thawed, then back in the fridge if I don't need it right then. Whole chickens or turkeys I will leave in the fridge for a few days.

We get really good quality local pastured/free-range meat, so it doesn't scare me the way factory meat does.

[kyndmamaof4]

When working in restaurants, the most common way we thawed anything was in a 5 gallon bucket in the sink with a slow stream of cold water running over the bucket to keep the water moving...however..um it's not very eco-minded, so I wouldn't reccomend that method, but the point was that defrosting in cool water is best...but keeping the water moving is what thaws things quickly.

I don't bother...I just chuck it in the micro...

[kyndmamaof4]

Actually I have some ground beef in there for tacos right now...

[cristeen]

I usually just drop it in the sink (assuming it's vacuum sealed)... that way it gets a rinse any time I turn the water on, and I don't have to worry about any leaks on my counter. Technically though, the "safe" way to defrost is in the fridge, but I rarely think that far ahead.

[tanyalynn]

Running water, even cold running water, defrosts things very quickly, it only needs a slow trickle. The frig can work as well, but ours is cold enough that it takes several days and I STILL haven't fiddled with the temperature control (we also tend to end up with things freezing slightly at the back of the frig).

[mamadelbosque]

on the counter if i`m planning ahead... in hot water on the woodstove if not...

[moon mountain mama]

Ok so I am cooking the chicken today. Two days of defrosting in the refrigerator. Not sure if it is completely defrosted. But if I bake it and then check the temperature with a meat thermometer it should be good, right? Or do you have to have it completely dethawed before baking?

[sarah_bella1050]

We take it out of the plastic and place it in a bowl in the bottom shelf of the fridge. More toxins are released when plastic unfreezes then when it's heated up.

[CrunchyChristianMama]

Originally Posted by moon mountain mama

Ok so I am cooking the chicken today. Two days of defrosting in the refrigerator. Not sure if it is completely defrosted. But if I bake it and then check the temperature with a meat thermometer it should be good, right? Or do you have to have it completely dethawed before baking?

I would leave it out for a couple hours before you bake it to make sure it's thawed well. If the inside is frozen, the outside will dry out before the inside gets cooked. It's also best to cook meat that is room temperature for taste reasons.