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It’s great when our freezer is well stocked with all kinds of meat. The problem arises when we remember to take out the chosen piece of meat an hour before the planned lunch or dinner. There are several options for thawing a chicken or pork cutlet in ten minutes, but with your health in mind we cannot recommend them. So how should you proceed to ensure the meat is thawed the correct way?
Ideal method: leave the meat in the refrigerator overnight
The best and safest way to thaw meat is to leave it in the refrigerator overnight and only take it out when it is fully thawed. But what if you need to thaw a steak quickly? What if those chicken breasts didn’t fully thaw overnight? What if you’re really hungry? There are several methods to speed up the process and quickly and safely thaw any piece of meat. It only depends on how much time you have.
Have one hour? Use the cold water method
The best way to quickly and properly thaw meat without a microwave is to use a bowl of cold water. Place the frozen piece of meat into a resealable plastic bag and squeeze out as much air as possible. Fill a large bowl with cold water and submerge the bagged meat in it. Change the water every 30 minutes to ensure it stays cold. Smaller pieces of meat, poultry, or seafood may thaw in an hour or less, larger pieces can take 2–3 hours. Once you thaw the meat, we do not recommend refreezing it unless you cook it first.
Controversial option: the microwave
If you thaw in the microwave, you can have it ready in less than 10 minutes. The problem is that this method is not highly recommended due to the multiplication of pathogens in warm meat. If you still decide to use this method, set your microwave to the lowest power and then thoroughly cook the meat. Newer microwaves often have a defrost function. If you are among the proud owners of such an oven, simply follow the instructions for use.
