It’s good to have several pieces of meat in the freezer for different occasions. When preparing a dish, you don’t have to run to the store and waste time on it. The only thing that may alarm some housewives is the taste - perhaps frozen pork or chicken will change their taste.
Meat from the store, frozen in packaging
This is not entirely true. It all depends on the cooking method and the time spent defrosting. But there are people who do not waste time, but immediately throw the meat, which they have just taken out of the chamber, into boiling water. Are they doing the right thing? Is it permissible to do this?
The broth will become cloudy
If the pulp is not defrosted, it heats up slowly, which slows down the process of protein release.
Photo: Pixabay
And under the influence of high temperature, it curls into small flakes, which is why the broth loses its transparency.
Of course, there are benefits, because the broth does not acquire a pronounced aroma.
How to cook properly
Of course, everyone knows that before cooking meat, it is better to defrost it. But there are times when there is no time for this. What to do? Can frozen meat be cooked immediately?
There are several tips that will help preserve more nutrients and vitamins in the product. The first thing to do is to put the pulp in cool water, and then take it out and blot it with plenty of damp towels. Pour a little sunflower oil into a frying pan and heat it up.
Add the meat and fry it on each side for ten seconds. There is no need to overcook; there is no need for a crust here. You need to ensure that the edges of the meat just turn white. The finished piece can be boiled, but it must be thrown into boiling water. This simple method will help you quickly cook soup and get a clear and aromatic broth.
Beef
It must be prepared taking into account your desires. If you need juicy meat, then the piece is thrown into boiling salt water. For a clear and rich broth, use defrosted pulp and cold water. Cook the beef over low heat, be sure to remove the foam so that the soup is clear and has a beautiful appearance.
Frozen chicken in a package
Pork
This meat takes a long time to cook. It needs 2-3 hours until fully cooked. You can check how soft the pieces are using a knife. If they are cooked, the blade easily enters the pulp. To improve the taste of pork, salt is added to boiling water at the very beginning. For broth, it is recommended to add salt at the end.
Chicken
You can cook frozen poultry. The only thing you need to understand is that the cooking time will increase by 15 minutes . You need to defrost the chicken if you want to fry it or stew it, cut it into pieces or carefully remove the skin. The fillet will have a richer flavor and a softer, juicier texture.
Mutton
A healthy and tasty variety of meat, which is important to know how to cook correctly. To prevent the fibers from becoming stiff, it is necessary to maintain the exact cooking time. An hour and a half is enough for young lamb. For more mature lamb, the cooking time is two and a half hours . If you use a slow cooker, then sixty minutes of cooking is enough.
Fish
Frozen carcasses are easier to cut into steaks, but for cooking it is better to let them thaw in the refrigerator for eight hours. Some cooks wait several hours, cut the fish, and then rinse the pieces under cold water, pat dry with paper towels, and then cook.
You may be interested in the article “How to cook bulgur correctly, maintaining the proportion of water.”
How many times can you freeze meat to keep it tasty? There will be a separate article about this. Here I described thawing methods that can be used when there is no time to wait. Some methods cannot be called useful.
The properties of meat are lost after emergency exposure to the fiber structure. If there is no other way out and you urgently need to prepare a dish of poultry or pork, beef, then the above methods will help you.
It cooks worse
For meat to defrost well, it needs time. And adding it to the broth disrupts the cooking technology.
Due to the addition of unthawed meat, you have to cook the broth for a long time, and this can lead to some ingredients starting to boil.
Also, the layers of meat will cook unevenly. The outer ones will be overcooked, and the inner ones will be undercooked.
You'll be lucky if the taste isn't spoiled. Therefore, the broth must be cooked for a longer time.
Methods for urgent defrosting
You should not cook frozen meat. But if there is no time and you need to defrost it urgently, then you can resort to the following actions.
1 way. Cold water
Immediately immerse the piece in cold water. The container must be open. If you change the water every half hour, the meat will defrost within a couple of hours. A piece will thaw even faster if you place it in a container and pour warm water. This will reduce the defrosting time by 30 minutes .
The rate of thawing is directly related to the size and weight of the piece. The procedure takes about 2-3 hours . It is recommended to change the water periodically.
Defrosting in a cup of cold water (you need to drain the water after 20 minutes and fill it with cold water again)
Method 2. Hot water
The methods that housewives often use are usually not very diverse. Placing meat in cold water is the most popular solution. But meanwhile, there are those who are in an even greater hurry and speed up the thawing process with the help of hot water.
Simply turn on the boiling water, place a vessel with a frozen piece under the stream, and wait time. You can also prepare a deep bowl of hot water and put the meat in it. Unfortunately, although this method is fast, it is not very good from the point of view of the “tastiness” of the meat. The meat turns out unflavoured, tough and dry. The situation can be slightly corrected by cutting off the welded edges.
Frozen meat under running hot water
The gentlest way is to keep it at room temperature. The meat will thaw on its own, but it will take more time.
3 way. Water with salt
You can use salt as a natural defrosting product. You need to pour it in large quantities into water, make a solution where to place the meat. This way the piece will thaw quickly and evenly.
4 way. Hairdryer
Use a hair dryer as an alternative method. It is not suitable in all cases. If you need to defrost a large and heavy piece, the process will take longer. For entrecotes and small strips of meat, you can use a hairdryer. To do this, use the cold air mode.
Direct the flow onto the product, periodically turning the pieces - this process will take about 20 minutes . Thanks to this method, the meat will remain juicy and the dish from it will be tasty.
Defrost frozen meat with a hairdryer
5 way. Water bath
A water bath is another option. You can place the product over steam, waiting for the moment of defrosting. The only thing to keep in mind is that the thawing process will be uneven. In one place the meat will remain raw, and in another it will remain almost completely cooked.
It is practically useless to boil such a product for soup. The broth will be lean and flavorless.
6 way. Battery
Freezing meat to keep it in the refrigerator longer is the right decision, but returning it to its original state is difficult. To speed up the process, some housewives place a piece next to the radiator or heater. This method is effective and gives quick results.
Experts warn that as the meat defrosts, it starts to go rotten. This leads to a risk of product poisoning.
Meat can be defrosted by placing it near a radiator or heater.
7 way. Oven or slow cooker
Some housewives try to speed up the defrosting process using an oven, slow cooker or microwave. If you throw meat into an electric oven, you can count on the product thawing quickly. This is the only plus; otherwise, the surface of the piece will be dried out, and the middle will remain watery.
In a gas oven, the outer sides of the meat quickly brown, but the inside does not have time to thaw well. In a multicooker, the main working force is steam. It penetrates deeply into the structure of the product, boiling it. How long should you keep the meat? Look at the changes that occur with the piece. It all depends on the degree of freezing and size.
Defrosting meat in the oven
What if it's a hairdryer?
Is it possible to cook frozen meat, or is it better to thaw it with a hair dryer? Defrosting with such a device is a very tedious process. And manipulating with a hairdryer will take quite a bit of time. With its help, it will still not be possible to properly prepare a large piece for subsequent cooking. But if the meat is cut into strips (such as entrecote), then you can still try using a hair dryer. The air supply must be left cold. After thirty minutes (or a little less), the meat product will thaw and be ready for further manipulation. The appearance of the product will also likely change slightly. But otherwise the meat in the dish will be quite edible.
In a refrigerator
I propose to consider in detail the safest and most accurate method of gradual thawing from the point of view of preserving taste - in the refrigerator.
By placing the product in a cool place (the temperature in the refrigerator compartment is about 5 degrees), you will allow it to gradually thaw, but at the same time preserve its internal juices and elasticity.
To properly defrost meat, you need to remove it from the packaging and place it on a special tray where water will drain. Place the product on one of the refrigerator shelves. Try not to put it in shelves located on the doors, as the temperature is higher there.
This defrosting will take several hours.
Traditional recipes for cooking and storing
Cooked or raw meat can be preserved using traditional methods. If it is not possible to freeze them, it makes sense to use proven methods.
Lemon juice
The pieces are washed under water, dried and moistened with lemon juice. The acid causes coagulation of protein molecules and prevents the proliferation of bacteria.
Sugar or salt
The pulp is generously rubbed with salt or sugar. Both ingredients inhibit the growth and development of microorganisms.
Mustard
The powder is steamed without adding sugar or other ingredients with boiling water. The meat is coated with gruel and wrapped in a napkin. The essential oils in its composition have a strong bactericidal effect.
Nettle
The pieces are arranged with nettle leaves and wrapped in a damp towel. Formic acid prevents fermentation and putrefaction bacteria from spoiling the muscle pulp.
Depending on the ambient temperature, any of these recipes will help keep the meat fresh for 2-4 days. The basic rule is to keep the product in a loosely covered ceramic or glass container.
If the meat did have to be frozen, it must be allowed to thaw before cooking. And you should take care of this in advance. This approach will allow you to prepare beautiful, aromatic and tasty dishes. What actions should not be taken: defrost as quickly as possible, place uncut pieces in the freezer, re-freeze the meat and store it at a temperature of 0°C for more than 48 hours.
We wish you pleasant cooking and delicious dishes!
To ensure that beef always turns out soft and juicy, it must be cooked correctly. Some people think that it is difficult, and the meat will be tough in any case, but this is far from the case. See for yourself and prepare it according to the most delicious recipes. They describe in detail each step, how and how much to cook. Boiled beef (see the link with ginger, very tasty) is already considered a complete dish in itself, so all that remains is the side dish, and a hearty, healthy dinner is ready.
Ribeye, mignon, tenderloin, thigh, rump, brisket and more. These are designations of the place where the meat was taken from. Conventionally, all tenderloins are divided into 3 categories: back part (breast, fillet), shoulder parts and shoulder blades, hind and front legs. The most tender pieces are considered to be those cut from the back. They don't take long to cook and the fibers are very tender. Meat cut from other parts is tougher. The older the cow, the drier and more fibrous its meat will be. It tastes better in a young heifer. There are differences not only in taste, but also in color. The color of veal is pink, light red, and that of cow is dark burgundy.
Beef can be cooked in various ways. It is suitable for any purpose: cooking, stewing, frying, smoking, drying, baking. It can be minced and mixed with lamb and pork. Beef meat makes excellent rich soups (borscht, cabbage soup, solyanka), meat sauces for spaghetti, dumplings, cabbage rolls, burgers and, of course, steaks.
