Why not thaw at room temp?
 

I just put a 5lb chunk each of fatty pork and beef brisket deckle
(leftover from corning the flat) in the unused side of the kitchen
sink to thaw overnight. They're each wrapped separately in gallon
Ziplocs and have a layer of heavy duty foil over top of them. I'll
be making sausage tomorrow.

They'll probably still be frozen in the center tomorrow morning, and
the temp of the outside of the meat will not be above 40F - probably
closer to 33F because things like this thaw pretty evenly.

So why is it recommended you not thaw something like this at room
temp? Are they referring to smaller pieces of meat that may have
parts that get above 40F? I do this all the time. I will of course
check them around 4:00am just to be sure they're not thawing too
fast.

-sw

Why not thaw at room temp?
 

On Mar 14, 9:56*pm, Sqwertz > wrote:
> I just put a 5lb chunk each of fatty pork and beef brisket deckle
> (leftover from corning the flat) in the unused side of the kitchen
> sink to thaw overnight. *They're each wrapped separately in gallon
> Ziplocs and have a layer of heavy duty foil over top of them. *I'll
> be making sausage tomorrow.
>
> They'll probably still be frozen in the center tomorrow morning, and
> the temp of the outside of the meat will not be above 40F - probably
> closer to 33F because things like this thaw pretty evenly.
>
> So why is it recommended you not thaw something like this at room
> temp? *Are they referring to smaller pieces of meat that may have
> parts that get above 40F? *I do this all the time. *I will of course
> check them around 4:00am just to be sure they're not thawing too
> fast.
>
> -sw

Well, I admit I'll thaw big hunks of meat that way too sometimes.
Never has been a problem.

I suppose "they" always have to advise against it in *case* there's a
chance of it getting too warm and being a potential problem. Caution
always has a place in food safety, I guess.

Kris

Why not thaw at room temp?
 

Sqwertz wrote:
> I just put a 5lb chunk each of fatty pork and beef brisket deckle
> (leftover from corning the flat) in the unused side of the kitchen
> sink to thaw overnight. They're each wrapped separately in gallon
> Ziplocs and have a layer of heavy duty foil over top of them. I'll
> be making sausage tomorrow.
>
> They'll probably still be frozen in the center tomorrow morning, and
> the temp of the outside of the meat will not be above 40F - probably
> closer to 33F because things like this thaw pretty evenly.
>
> So why is it recommended you not thaw something like this at room
> temp? Are they referring to smaller pieces of meat that may have
> parts that get above 40F? I do this all the time. I will of course
> check them around 4:00am just to be sure they're not thawing too
> fast.
>
> -sw

I have thawed brisket and other large pieces of meat the same way -
several layers of foil overnight and it's still very cold in the AM. It
would take days in the refrigerator.

-dk

Why not thaw at room temp?
 

"Sqwertz" > wrote in message
...
>I just put a 5lb chunk each of fatty pork and beef brisket deckle
> (leftover from corning the flat) in the unused side of the kitchen
> sink to thaw overnight. They're each wrapped separately in gallon
> Ziplocs and have a layer of heavy duty foil over top of them. I'll
> be making sausage tomorrow.
>
> They'll probably still be frozen in the center tomorrow morning, and
> the temp of the outside of the meat will not be above 40F - probably
> closer to 33F because things like this thaw pretty evenly.
>
> So why is it recommended you not thaw something like this at room
> temp? Are they referring to smaller pieces of meat that may have
> parts that get above 40F? I do this all the time. I will of course
> check them around 4:00am just to be sure they're not thawing too
> fast.
>
> -sw


I don't usually know what I am going to cook that night for dinner,
SW....This is attributed to 3 things.... Laziness, Forgetfulness and not
knowing if my son is dinning in or out for the night.... I can't be too much
bothered just cooking a meal for myself quite often, so I will then get
something out that is quick and easy..Sometimes I will forgo my meal
even....

So, when I think I know if he will be in for dinner or not, I will take the
selected larger pieces like 'Roasts' and just give them a small dose of
microwaves, enough not to heat up ... I then roll it in foil and leave out
for an hour or so and then put into the fridge.....The same with chops and
steaks...I will give them a quick zap in the latter part of the afternoon,
then wrap in foil and put back into the fridge....Always OK....If I do this
'closer' to meal time (chops or steak) I will zap and foil wrap and leave
out for an hour or so...

Bigbazza (Barry) Oz

Why not thaw at room temp?
 

Sqwertz wrote:

> So why is it recommended you not thaw something like this at room
> temp? Are they referring to smaller pieces of meat that may have
> parts that get above 40F? I do this all the time. I will of course
> check them around 4:00am just to be sure they're not thawing too
> fast.


I don't know who "they" are. I thaw stuff at room temperature all the
time. My mother did, too. None of us got sick from it. We learned to do
this before the food police became popular.


--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south-Texas

Why not thaw at room temp?
 

Janet Wilder > wrote:

> Sqwertz wrote:
>
>> So why is it recommended you not thaw something like this at room
>> temp? Are they referring to smaller pieces of meat that may have
>> parts that get above 40F? I do this all the time. I will of course
>> check them around 4:00am just to be sure they're not thawing too
>> fast.
>
> I don't know who "they" are.

The USDA, and every health inspection/enforcement agency in the
nation.

-sw

Why not thaw at room temp?
 

Sqwertz wrote:
> Janet Wilder > wrote:
>
>> Sqwertz wrote:
>>
>>> So why is it recommended you not thaw something like this at room
>>> temp? Are they referring to smaller pieces of meat that may have
>>> parts that get above 40F? I do this all the time. I will of course
>>> check them around 4:00am just to be sure they're not thawing too
>>> fast.
>> I don't know who "they" are.
>
> The USDA, and every health inspection/enforcement agency in the
> nation.
>
> -sw

The food police. Just as I suspected. Maybe those rules are more
important in commercial applications. It hasn't made any difference in
my home kitchen.

--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south-Texas

Why not thaw at room temp?
 

"Janet Wilder" > wrote in message
...
> Sqwertz wrote:
>
>> So why is it recommended you not thaw something like this at room
>> temp? Are they referring to smaller pieces of meat that may have
>> parts that get above 40F? I do this all the time. I will of course
>> check them around 4:00am just to be sure they're not thawing too
>> fast.
>
>
> I don't know who "they" are. I thaw stuff at room temperature all the
> time. My mother did, too. None of us got sick from it. We learned to do
> this before the food police became popular.
>
>
> --
> Janet Wilder
> Way-the-heck-south-Texas



Whilst I don't make a habit of it, I have sometimes accidentally left
something frozen out overnight, or intended to cook it earlier next day....I
have never had problems with that either.... Janet....

Bigbazza (Barry) Oz

Why not thaw at room temp?
 

"Sqwertz" > wrote in message
...
>I just put a 5lb chunk each of fatty pork and beef brisket deckle
> (leftover from corning the flat) in the unused side of the kitchen
> sink to thaw overnight. They're each wrapped separately in gallon
> Ziplocs and have a layer of heavy duty foil over top of them. I'll
> be making sausage tomorrow.
>
> They'll probably still be frozen in the center tomorrow morning, and
> the temp of the outside of the meat will not be above 40F - probably
> closer to 33F because things like this thaw pretty evenly.
>
> So why is it recommended you not thaw something like this at room
> temp? Are they referring to smaller pieces of meat that may have
> parts that get above 40F? I do this all the time. I will of course
> check them around 4:00am just to be sure they're not thawing too
> fast.
>
> -sw

There are several considerations when thawing meat:

It is a fact that water freezes faster than tissue, During the freezing the
ice separates from the tissue, the though is when thawing at room
temperature the ice crystals within the meat do not have time to be
reabsorbed into the flesh/tissue\.

Secondly, the food DANGER ZONE is considered to be above 40 degrees. It is
possible to have the outer layer of the meat at over 40 degrees and this an
promote the growth of unwanted bacteria.

This leads us back to the technique of tempering - defrosting in the fridge.

Dimitri

Why not thaw at room temp?
 

In article >,
Sqwertz > wrote:

> So why is it recommended you not thaw something like this at room
> temp? Are they referring to smaller pieces of meat that may have
> parts that get above 40F? I do this all the time. I will of course
> check them around 4:00am just to be sure they're not thawing too
> fast.

It's so people who would normally win the Darwin Award are protected
from their own forgetfulness. We told you so! Have you bought a ladder
lately? All the danger stickers adhere to my shoes and impede my upward
progress.

leo

Why not thaw at room temp?
 

In article >,
Sqwertz > wrote:

> I just put a 5lb chunk each of fatty pork and beef brisket deckle
> (leftover from corning the flat) in the unused side of the kitchen
> sink to thaw overnight. They're each wrapped separately in gallon
> Ziplocs and have a layer of heavy duty foil over top of them. I'll
> be making sausage tomorrow.
>
> They'll probably still be frozen in the center tomorrow morning, and
> the temp of the outside of the meat will not be above 40F - probably
> closer to 33F because things like this thaw pretty evenly.
>
> So why is it recommended you not thaw something like this at room
> temp? Are they referring to smaller pieces of meat that may have
> parts that get above 40F? I do this all the time. I will of course
> check them around 4:00am just to be sure they're not thawing too
> fast.
>
> -sw

I've thawed at room temp for years on many cuts of meat. So long as it's
monitored in a reasonable fashion, I see no reason to do it.

I've yet to "rot" any meat.
--
Peace! Om

I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe. -- Dalai Lama

Why not thaw at room temp?
 

Omelet > wrote:

> In article >,
> Sqwertz > wrote:
>
>> The USDA, and every health inspection/enforcement agency in the
>> nation.
>
> And they are going to tell ME how to thaw my food...
>
> How?

Felling a little confrontational tonight, eh? :-)

-sw

Why not thaw at room temp?
 

In article >,
Sqwertz > wrote:

> Janet Wilder > wrote:
>
> > Sqwertz wrote:
> >
> >> So why is it recommended you not thaw something like this at room
> >> temp? Are they referring to smaller pieces of meat that may have
> >> parts that get above 40F? I do this all the time. I will of course
> >> check them around 4:00am just to be sure they're not thawing too
> >> fast.
> >
> > I don't know who "they" are.
>
> The USDA, and every health inspection/enforcement agency in the
> nation.
>
> -sw

And they are going to tell ME how to thaw my food...

How?
--
Peace! Om

I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe. -- Dalai Lama

Why not thaw at room temp?
 

Sqwertz > wrote:

> So why is it recommended you not thaw something like this at room
> temp?

Here is an interesting link:
<http://www.hi-tm.com/Documents/Thaw-counter.html>.

Victor

Why not thaw at room temp?
 

Kris wrote on Sat, 14 Mar 2009 19:03:40 -0700 (PDT):

> On Mar 14, 9:56 pm, Sqwertz > wrote:
>> I just put a 5lb chunk each of fatty pork and beef brisket
>> deckle (leftover from corning the flat) in the unused side of
>> the kitchen sink to thaw overnight. They're each wrapped
>> separately in gallon Ziplocs and have a layer of heavy duty
>> foil over top of them. I'll be making sausage tomorrow.
>>
>> They'll probably still be frozen in the center tomorrow
>> morning, and the temp of the outside of the meat will not be
>> above 40F - probably closer to 33F because things like this
>> thaw pretty evenly.
>>
>> So why is it recommended you not thaw something like this at
>> room temp? Are they referring to smaller pieces of meat that
>> may have parts that get above 40F? I do this all the time.
>> I will of course check them around 4:00am just to be sure
>> they're not thawing too fast.
>>
>> -sw

> Well, I admit I'll thaw big hunks of meat that way too
> sometimes. Never has been a problem.

> I suppose "they" always have to advise against it in *case*
> there's a chance of it getting too warm and being a potential
> problem. Caution always has a place in food safety, I guess.

Recent news seems to support that. The Fat Duck did not afflict people
with food poisoning for many years.

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

Why not thaw at room temp?
 

In article >,
Sqwertz > wrote:

> Omelet > wrote:
>
> > In article >,
> > Sqwertz > wrote:
> >
> >> The USDA, and every health inspection/enforcement agency in the
> >> nation.
> >
> > And they are going to tell ME how to thaw my food...
> >
> > How?
>
> Felling a little confrontational tonight, eh? :-)
>
> -sw

It's been a rough week dear.
--
Peace! Om

I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe. -- Dalai Lama

Why not thaw at room temp?
 

"Sqwertz" wrote

>I just put a 5lb chunk each of fatty pork and beef brisket deckle
> (leftover from corning the flat) in the unused side of the kitchen
> sink to thaw overnight. They're each wrapped separately in gallon

Add cold water to the sink (make sure it's in a watertight wrapping). It
will defrost faster and safer! I acutally use a large pot in the sink for
this.

Why not thaw at room temp?
 

On Sun, 15 Mar 2009 12:35:43 GMT, James Silverton wrote:

> Recent news seems to support that. The Fat Dick did not afflict people
> with food poisoning for many years.

You seem to have this obsession with fat dicks.

Why not thaw at room temp?
 

cshenk > wrote:

> "Sqwertz" wrote
>
>>I just put a 5lb chunk each of fatty pork and beef brisket deckle
>> (leftover from corning the flat) in the unused side of the kitchen
>> sink to thaw overnight. They're each wrapped separately in gallon
>
> Add cold water to the sink (make sure it's in a watertight wrapping). It
> will defrost faster and safer! I acutally use a large pot in the sink for
> this.

It may thaw quicker, but it thaws unevenly. In this case, the
outside of the meat will be much warmer than the inside. I'd rather
thaw slowly at room temp and have the meat still very cold all the
way through.[

-sw

Why not thaw at room temp?
 

"Sqwertz" > wrote in message
...
> cshenk > wrote:
>
>> "Sqwertz" wrote
>>
>>>I just put a 5lb chunk each of fatty pork and beef brisket deckle
>>> (leftover from corning the flat) in the unused side of the kitchen
>>> sink to thaw overnight. They're each wrapped separately in gallon
>>
>> Add cold water to the sink (make sure it's in a watertight wrapping). It
>> will defrost faster and safer! I acutally use a large pot in the sink
>> for
>> this.
>
> It may thaw quicker, but it thaws unevenly. In this case, the
> outside of the meat will be much warmer than the inside. I'd rather
> thaw slowly at room temp and have the meat still very cold all the
> way through.[
>
> -sw

Thawing thinner cuts, such as steaks, chicken parts or pork chops, can be
speeded up by putting the food into a thick cast iron or aluminum pan.
Remember those magic defrosting plates they were selling on TV a few years
back? It is just a heat sink and the direct contact works faster than air.

Why not thaw at room temp?
 

"Janet Wilder" > wrote in message
...
> Sqwertz wrote:
>
>> So why is it recommended you not thaw something like this at room
>> temp? Are they referring to smaller pieces of meat that may have
>> parts that get above 40F? I do this all the time. I will of course
>> check them around 4:00am just to be sure they're not thawing too
>> fast.
>
>
> I don't know who "they" are. I thaw stuff at room temperature all the
> time. My mother did, too. None of us got sick from it. We learned to do
> this before the food police became popular.
>
>
> --
> Janet Wilder
> Way-the-heck-south-Texas



Exactly, Janet. My mother would often take meat out of the freezer and thaw
it at room temp during the day. She didn't leave it sitting on the counter
for 24+ hours. Maybe 8-10 hours (it had been frozen rock solid; it never
got warm). Then she'd put it in the refrigerator before she went to bed.
No one ever got sick, much less died from some dire disease.

Jill

Why not thaw at room temp?
 

Sqwertz wrote:
> I just put a 5lb chunk each of fatty pork and beef brisket deckle
> (leftover from corning the flat) in the unused side of the kitchen
> sink to thaw overnight. They're each wrapped separately in gallon
> Ziplocs and have a layer of heavy duty foil over top of them. I'll
> be making sausage tomorrow.
>
> They'll probably still be frozen in the center tomorrow morning, and
> the temp of the outside of the meat will not be above 40F - probably
> closer to 33F because things like this thaw pretty evenly.
>
> So why is it recommended you not thaw something like this at room
> temp? Are they referring to smaller pieces of meat that may have
> parts that get above 40F? I do this all the time. I will of course
> check them around 4:00am just to be sure they're not thawing too
> fast.
>
> -sw


Because the people writing the rules assume you are an idiot.
(seriously) HTH :-)

Bob

Why not thaw at room temp?
 

"Sqwertz" > wrote in message
...
>I just put a 5lb chunk each of fatty pork and beef brisket deckle
> (leftover from corning the flat) in the unused side of the kitchen
> sink to thaw overnight. They're each wrapped separately in gallon
> Ziplocs and have a layer of heavy duty foil over top of them. I'll
> be making sausage tomorrow.
>
> They'll probably still be frozen in the center tomorrow morning, and
> the temp of the outside of the meat will not be above 40F - probably
> closer to 33F because things like this thaw pretty evenly.
>
> So why is it recommended you not thaw something like this at room
> temp? Are they referring to smaller pieces of meat that may have
> parts that get above 40F? I do this all the time. I will of course
> check them around 4:00am just to be sure they're not thawing too
> fast.
>
> -sw

I usually thaw in the microwave when it's feasible.
http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/meatsa...n/thawing.html
I think that at room temp. it's felt that the meat stays in that danger zone
above 40F for too long.
It strikes me as well that all of this is very dependent on exactly what
you're thawing. beef vs. fowl, etc.

Why not thaw at room temp?
 

Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>
> Thawing thinner cuts, such as steaks, chicken parts or pork chops, can be
> speeded up by putting the food into a thick cast iron or aluminum pan.
> Remember those magic defrosting plates they were selling on TV a few years
> back? It is just a heat sink and the direct contact works faster than air.

Here's one:

http://www.taiseishoko.co.jp/e/meruto/meruto.html

Why not thaw at room temp?
 

Sqwertz wrote:

>
> So why is it recommended you not thaw something like this at room
> temp?

Before I got smart, I used to defrost stuff like steaks and hamburger in
the fridge. Then I noticed the plastic wrap would be filled with liquid
by the time it thawed out. Thawing it on the counter never gave me this
problem.

Why not thaw at room temp?
 

On Tue, 17 Mar 2009 13:17:52 -0600, in rec.food.cooking, Martha Stewart's
Prison Bitch wrote:

>Sqwertz wrote:
>
>>
>> So why is it recommended you not thaw something like this at room
>> temp?
>
>Before I got smart, I used to defrost stuff like steaks and hamburger in
>the fridge. Then I noticed the plastic wrap would be filled with liquid
>by the time it thawed out. Thawing it on the counter never gave me this
>problem.

How about thawing in cold/cool water?

Doug
--
Doug Weller --
A Director and Moderator of The Hall of Ma'at http://www.hallofmaat.com
Doug's Archaeology Site: http://www.ramtops.co.uk
Amun - co-owner/co-moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Amun/