Chris De Young > wrote:
>> I defrost things this way all the time. The caveat is COOL water. Don't
>> attempt to rush things but putting a package of meat/fish/chicken in warm or
>> hot water.
>
>I've always heard this too, but never quite understood what the harm is in
>using slightly warm water (room temperature-ish or only slightly above).

1. You want a steak to still be cool when you cook it
(helps keep it pink or red inside while the outside
sears).

2. Cool water gives you better control, albeit with a
longer defrosting time.

3. The warmer the water, the more you'll encourage germs
to multiply.

Cool, running water is the fastest way to defrost anything
without making it warm enough to become bacteria soup.

>Is the temperature of cool water really that much less hospitable to
>microbes that it's going to make a difference in the time before you cook
>it anyway?

Maybe not, but warm water will be cool within minutes of
dropping the big, frozen thing in it anyway.

--Blair
"And we're not talking about
Sheldon's head."