There are several variations drifting around as to how
different meats should be cooked and stored. While you may
understand the rules about cooking and storing chicken,
what do you know about cooking and storing, say, venison?
In this article, we are going to discuss the proper ways to
cook and store a variety of common (and maybe not so
common) meats.
Beef, Venison, Lamb, and Veal
It's best to let the meat thaw in the refrigerator
overnight. Leave the meat wrapped up and set it on a plate
in the refrigerator. Another method of thawing is to place
the meat in an air-tight bag (plastic wrap or Ziploc work
well) and set it in a bowl in the sink. Fill the bowl with
cold water. The water may need replacing every 30 minutes
or so to avoid the meat reaching a temperature above 40
degrees F. If your microwave has a thaw or defrost setting,
you can also use this.
When cooking your food, it's best to use an internal
thermometer to test the core temperature of the meat. This
is the safest and easiest way to tell if the meat has
reached a safe temperature—one that will have killed
any bacteria that may have been present. For beef, venison,
lamb, and veal, the temperature throughout must reach a
minimum of 160 degrees F. Once you've cooked the core to at
least 160F, it is safe to eat, although some people may
prefer to let it cook a little longer, depending upon
personal preference.
Beef, venison, lamb, and veal that has been thawed in the
refrigerator can be refrozen without cooking as long as
there are still ice crystals on the meat and there is no
discoloration or funky smells emitting from the meat. If
you are thawing meat via the cold water method, you must
cook the meat before refreezing it. Meat that has been
thawed using a microwave absolutely must be cooked directly
after thawing, and it is not recommended that you refreeze
it as the taste, texture, and overall quality will
drastically decrease.
Chicken, Turkey, Duck, and Goose
Poultry meats can be thawed in the refrigerator or by using
the cold water method. It is not recommended that you thaw
these meats using a microwave, as parts of the meat may
start to cook before other parts get a chance to
thaw—and poultry is notorious for this! NEVER thaw
chicken on the counter or using hot water; this creates a
breeding ground for bacteria.
Chicken, turkey, duck, and goose should all be cooked to an
internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Again, the safest
way to check the core temperature of the meat is to insert
a food thermometer into the meat. Once the temperature
reads at least 165 degrees, it is ready to eat.
Chicken can only be refrozen if there are ice crystals on
the meat. If it doesn't have any, you need to finish
thawing it, cook it, and then freeze it. You may have to
slice into the meat to determine if there are ice crystals
in the center. If you are unsure, it's better to take the
safe route and cook it.
Pork
As with the previously mentioned meats, pork can also be
thawed using the refrigerator and cold water methods.
Again, as pork is particularly easy to cook in a microwave,
it is recommended that you do not attempt to thaw pork meat
in the microwave.
Pork must be cooked to an internal temperature of 160
degrees F. Pork, although considered a red meat, will
actually turn a white color when fully cooked, but you
should still verify the core temperature using a
thermometer. If you want to re-heat fully-cooked ham, bring
it to an internal temperature of at least 140 degrees F.
Ham may be re-frozen if there are still ice crystals in the
meat. If the meat has already thawed, it may be cooked and
re-frozen, but be very careful to check for any
discoloration or foul odors.
No matter what type of meat you want to store in the
freezer, it is best to wrap it several times in a heavy
duty freezing foil, and then place in a Ziploc bag or wrap
several times in plastic wrap. The better you seal your
meat, the longer it will hold a good flavor and texture.
You should be aware that cooking and re-freezing any type
of meat will decrease the overall quality of the flavor. It
is recommended that you use any frozen cooked meats within
one month of the freeze date to avoid a severe decline in
taste.
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