How to Safely Defrost Meat

Are You Worried About How to Safely Defrost Meat ?

We get this question asked a lot. Here are some answers to help you.

The best way to defrost your bison or game meat is by planning ahead.

the best way to safely defrost is to take the meat out of the freezer and let it thaw on a plate on the lowest shelf of your fridge. That way it won’t drip on anything, but it’s a good idea to put it in a container like a bowl or plate to catch the drippings just in case there are some.

Depending on the size of the meat it might take a couple of days to defrost.

For example a 3 lb. roast might take 2-3 days to defrost.

A steak depending on the thickness might only need 24 hours.

Leave the meat in the plastic wrap while it’s defrosting.

There is also something called a defrosting tray. One is called the Gourmet Trends Quick & EZ Defrosting Tray. If you are going to use it, remember clean it well after use.

Rush Meat Defrosting For a “Flash” Dinner Party

So, you decided on a spontaneous dinner party. You have a beautiful roast in the freezer, but it’s frozen and your guests are on the way.

Best thing to do is to buy yourself some time by bringing out the margaritas, the mojitos and the punch. Get ready some quacomole, salsa and tortilla chips.

Now, defrost the meat in a bowl of cold water. Keep the water cold. do not defrost in warm or hot water, no matter how tempting. You’re just begging for food poisoning.

How to Freeze Meat For Maximum Longevity

Northfork Bison hermetically seals it’s meat when it’s shipped out to you. Vacuum sealing the meat extends the life of the meat up to 5 times by removing the oxygen in the package. This limits the growth of bacteria that causes meat to decompose.

How Long Will Meat Last in My Freezer?

Generally speaking Vacuum sealed meat can last about 1 year in the freezer.

• But it also depends on your freezer
• how often the freezer is opened
• or if the freezer had a change in temperature.
• There can be short  power failures where the meat defrosts and freezes again without you knowing.

To make sure this does not happen to you, put a bowl of ice cubes in the freezer and leave them there. If your freezer lost power and regained it without your awareness, the ice cubes will be a frozen lump.

Large cut of meat such as roasts will last longer frozen, while ground meat often dry out or get freezer burn after a few months. Super market meats get freezer burn after a couple of months because of the seal had air in it in the first place.

At Northfork our meat is vacuum sealed except for the bulk burgers. You can specify that you want the bulk burgers hermetically sealed.

Our meat is shipped frozen. So, what happens after it’s delivered?

First thing to do if you’re not going to be using the meat right away, is put it in the freezer.

Sometimes the meat might defrost slightly when it arrives. That’s OK, no problem with putting it in the freezer.

Do you have an hankering for the taste of wild game meats? If you are like most people who have never tasted gourmet meat, we suggest you try our variety packs. We have many to choose from.

It’s a great way to try the different cuts of Bison, Elk or Wild Boar meat cuts.

We always like to have feedback. So drop us a line. Tell us how you like the meat, or send us a photo of your culinary forays in wild game meats.