Author:
Peter Berry
Date Of Creation:
17 February 2021
Update Date:
1 July 2024
Content
- Particularly for bags containing large amounts of minced beef such as 1.5-2kg, it will take about 48 hours or longer to fully thaw. As a rule of thumb, you'll add one more thawing day for every 1 kg of minced beef.
- Ground beef that has been made into pieces or divided into smaller portions will take less time and thaw faster. For example, if a beef that is about 1.25cm thick is frozen separately, it will take about 10 hours to thaw.
- Keep in mind that the cooler you adjust the fridge, the longer it will take to thaw the meat. Ground beef defrosts faster in the refrigerator at 4 ° C instead of 2 ° C.
- You don't have to tie the plastic bag tightly or keep the plate tightly closed. The main purpose here is to have something lined underneath the package of minced beef when thawed in the refrigerator.
- This is extremely important for beef in a nylon bag as it is purchased from a meat market. Industrially packaged meat products will be more sealed and safer so they may not leak water out. Fresh meats bought at the butcher market are often less wrapped and are more watery.
Refrigerate the meat. Find a place deep inside the refrigerator and place the package of minced beef there until you need it.
- For a closer examination, you will split the meat in half and press your hand in the center of the meat. If the meat is tender when pressed, it is completely thawed. If some parts of the meat are still hard, thawing is not complete.
- If necessary, you can finish thawing in the microwave. Place minced beef on a microwave safe plate and cover tightly. Run the oven at 50% capacity for 20 to 30 seconds each time until the meat is completely thawed.
Use meat within 1 or 2 days. Thawing minced beef in the refrigerator is the method that takes the longest time, but is ideal because it produces the least amount of bacteria. When thawed in this way, minced beef can be refrigerated for another 24 to 48 hours after thawing.
- You can also freeze meat after it has been thawed in this way. If you do not want to use minced beef after thawing, you can freeze it, but only for 24 to 48 hours after thawing.
Method 2 of 3: Thaw it with cold water
Determine when to start thawing meat. You need to start thawing the meat early so it is completely thawed when you need it.
- Packs of minced beef about 500g or less will thaw in less than an hour. Larger packages of meat will take longer. A package of meat about 1.5-2 kg takes about 2 to 3 hours to thaw.
Place minced beef inside zippered plastic bag. Place the meat package in a waterproof plastic bag and lock the bag securely.- If the plastic bag absorbs water, bacteria can get into the meat through water or the air. In addition, beef can also become soft and wet if it absorbs too much water.
Soak the bag of beef in cold water. Place the bag of wrapped minced beef in a large bowl of water or plate and soak it in cold water. Make sure the bag of beef is completely in the water.
- Use only cold water. Warm, hot, or even room-temperature water can create an environment for bacteria to grow.
- Place the bowl of beef broth on the counter while thawing.
- You can also pour cold water into a clean sink and soak the bag of minced beef in it. Just make sure the drain hole is closed and the tub is clean before you start defrosting.
Change the water every 30 minutes. Discard the old water and add clean, cold water to the bowl to allow the meat to continue thawing and prevent the buildup of many bacteria in the water.
Check the thawing progress of meat. When you press the meat and it feels tender, most of it is thawed.
- Separate the minced meat and press in the center of the meat. If the meat is hard, the inside has not been thawed.
Use meat right away. To prevent bacteria from forming on meat, use thawed minced beef within 2 hours.
- Do not freeze thawed beef with cold water. It is not safe to freeze thawed minced beef with cold water. If the beef cannot be consumed within 2 hours of thawing, it's best to cook it before freezing it.
Method 3 of 3: Microwave Thawing
Place the minced beef on a glass dish that is safe to use in an oven because of the waves. Remove beef from the package and place beef neatly in the plate. Then cover it tightly.
- This is a very quick thawing method that you can do right before preparing dinner. You don't have to worry about thawing meat in the long term.
- Removing minced beef from the package can be difficult if the meat is completely frozen and placed in a foam tray. If you are having trouble removing the meat from its packaging, you can place the minced beef in a plastic zippered bag, pull the top of the bag and wash the surface with the foam tray under cold running water until the tray is no longer glued and You can take the meat out.
Microwave each 500g of meat at 50% capacity for about 3 minutes. Use 50% capacity instead of 100% to not cook meat.
- Some microwaves have a defrost setting. This mode automatically calculates the operating time and power to thaw meat. You only need to choose the defrost mode if your microwave has it and add the amount of minced beef to be defrosted.
- Rotate the meat if needed. Most microwaves have the ability to rotate so that the food inside rotates around the microwave. However, if your microwave is not able to rotate, you should stop thawing every 2 minutes and turn the meat 180 degrees yourself.
Check that the meat has been completely thawed. Press in the center of the lump to see if there are still hard spots.
- If necessary, split the lump in half and press the center of the meat to find any areas that are still frozen.
Use the meat immediately. Minced beef thawed in the microwave must be used within 2 hours to be safe.
- Do not try to microwave thawed minced beef in the microwave. However, you can process the beef and freeze it right away.
Advice
- Consider cooking beef that is still frozen or partially thawed. Because minced meat is often used to make pies, meatballs and hamburgers, you cannot use frozen minced beef. If you need trimmings for spaghetti sauces, stir-fries, or soups, you can separate the amount of meat you need and let it both thaw and cook at the same time. Note, however, that your cooking will be twice as long.
Warning
- Do not try to freeze minced beef at room temperature. Ground beef should not be placed between 4 ° C and 60 ° C for long periods, as this is the ideal temperature range for bacteria to form.
What you need
- Glass dish used in the microwave
- Plastic bag with zipper
