Separating pork chops and refreezing
 

I bought a package of 8 pork chops and neglected to split them into
single servings before freezing. Now I can't separate them! What's
the best way to do this retaining as much flavor and texture as
possible prior to re-freezing?

Separating pork chops and refreezing
 

> wrote in message
...
>I bought a package of 8 pork chops and neglected to split them into
> single servings before freezing. Now I can't separate them! What's
> the best way to do this retaining as much flavor and texture as
> possible prior to re-freezing?

Pork chops are relatively inexpensive... rather than refreeze I would cook
them all... fry four for dinner tonight, and braise four to make a luscious
tomato sauce for pasta.

Separating pork chops and refreezing
 

On Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:17:29 -0700 (PDT), "
> wrote:

>I bought a package of 8 pork chops and neglected to split them into
>single servings before freezing. Now I can't separate them! What's
>the best way to do this retaining as much flavor and texture as
>possible prior to re-freezing?

You don't have to thaw until they are soft, just until you can
separate them. Use a spatula to get between them. You won't forget
again!

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

Separating pork chops and refreezing
 

On Jul 17, 5:33*pm, sf > wrote:
> On Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:17:29 -0700 (PDT), "
>
> > wrote:
> >I bought a package of 8 pork chops and neglected to split them into
> >single servings before freezing. *Now I can't separate them! *What's
> >the best way to do this retaining as much flavor and texture as
> >possible prior to re-freezing?
>
> You don't have to thaw until they are soft, just until you can
> separate them. *Use a spatula to get between them. *You won't forget
> again!
>
Right, thaw just until they can be separated, wrap individually and
refreeze. The second point is that the OP should be discouraged from
buying 8 pork chops and immediately freezing them in the first place.
The freezer is a very convenient device but fresh food is better than
frozen. -aem

Separating pork chops and refreezing
 

In article
>,
" > wrote:

> I bought a package of 8 pork chops and neglected to split them into
> single servings before freezing. Now I can't separate them! What's
> the best way to do this retaining as much flavor and texture as
> possible prior to re-freezing?

Quick thaw the edges under cold running water until they are coming
apart but still partially frozen, then re-package and freeze.

I've had to do that a few times. ;-)
--
Peace! Om

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.
It's about learning to dance in the rain.
-- Anon.


Subscribe:

Separating pork chops and refreezing
 

On Jul 17, 8:49*pm, Omelet > wrote:
> In article
> >,
>
> " > wrote:
> > I bought a package of 8 pork chops and neglected to split them into
> > single servings before freezing. *Now I can't separate them! *What's
> > the best way to do this retaining as much flavor and texture as
> > possible prior to re-freezing?
>
> Quick thaw the edges under cold running water until they are coming
> apart but still partially frozen, then re-package and freeze.
>
> I've had to do that a few times. ;-)
> --
> Peace! Om
>
> Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.
> It's about learning to dance in the rain.
> -- Anon.
>
>
> Subscribe:

Why is the cold water method preferable to partial thawing in the
microwave (using low power, of course)?
Bob

Separating pork chops and refreezing
 

On Jul 17, 8:49*pm, Omelet > wrote:
>
> Quick thaw the edges under cold running water until they are coming
> apart but still partially frozen, then re-package and freeze.
>
> I've had to do that a few times. ;-)
> --
> Peace! Om
>

That works even better if you slip the chops into a ziplock freezer
bag and hold it under cold water. As soon as the chops are barely
flexible remove from the bag and separate with a table knife or small
metal spatula. That way the cops dont get so waterlogged. I just
freeze them in individual ziplock sandwich bags and then stick 'em all
into a larger freezer bag.
Lynn in Fargo

Separating pork chops and refreezing
 

> wrote
>Why is the cold water method preferable to partial thawing in the
>microwave (using low power, of course)?

Because the microwave method is icky.

Separating pork chops and refreezing
 

"brooklyn1" > wrote in message
...
>
> > wrote in message
> ...
>>I bought a package of 8 pork chops and neglected to split them into
>> single servings before freezing. Now I can't separate them! What's
>> the best way to do this retaining as much flavor and texture as
>> possible prior to re-freezing?
>
> Pork chops are relatively inexpensive... rather than refreeze I would cook
> them all... fry four for dinner tonight, and braise four to make a
> luscious tomato sauce for pasta.
>
>
>

That (or something similar) would be my choice also. You can freeze the
chops after cooking also. Not worth the risk of a partial thaw and
re-freeze.

Separating pork chops and refreezing
 

On Jul 17, 7:31*pm, "
> wrote:
>
> Why is the cold water method preferable to partial thawing in the
> microwave (using low power, of course)?
> Bob-

Only in that it's slower and therefore easier to take care that you
don't overdo it. If you are careful to use the micro in short bursts
it can work fine. -aem

Separating pork chops and refreezing
 

aem wrote:
> On Jul 17, 7:31 pm, "
> > wrote:
>> Why is the cold water method preferable to partial thawing in the
>> microwave (using low power, of course)?
>> Bob-
>
> Only in that it's slower and therefore easier to take care that you
> don't overdo it. If you are careful to use the micro in short bursts
> it can work fine. -aem

And a lot depends on the microwave. Some (like our non fancy Panasonic
countertop) have much better power control. Panasonic has something they
call "inverter technology" that does an exceptional job defrosting stuff.

Separating pork chops and refreezing
 

George said...

> aem wrote:
>> On Jul 17, 7:31 pm, "
>> > wrote:
>>> Why is the cold water method preferable to partial thawing in the
>>> microwave (using low power, of course)?
>>> Bob-
>>
>> Only in that it's slower and therefore easier to take care that you
>> don't overdo it. If you are careful to use the micro in short bursts
>> it can work fine. -aem
>
> And a lot depends on the microwave. Some (like our non fancy Panasonic
> countertop) have much better power control. Panasonic has something they
> call "inverter technology" that does an exceptional job defrosting stuff.


I never mastered the "least possible user friendly" Tappan microwave
defrost feature. Lost the user manual early on.

I certainly wouldn't risk microwave thawing out a $100 4lb. chateaubriand.
Two days in the fridge, two hours in cold water has worked best.

Andy

Separating pork chops and refreezing
 

On Jul 18, 6:22*am, Andy > wrote:
> George said...
>
> > aem wrote:
> >> On Jul 17, 7:31 pm, "
> >> > wrote:
> >>> Why is the cold water method preferable to partial thawing in the
> >>> microwave (using low power, of course)?
> >>> Bob-
>
> >> Only in that it's slower and therefore easier to take care that you
> >> don't overdo it. *If you are careful to use the micro in short bursts
> >> it can work fine. * * -aem
>
> > And a lot depends on the microwave. Some (like our non fancy Panasonic
> > countertop) have much better power control. Panasonic has something they
> > call "inverter technology" that does an exceptional job defrosting stuff.
>
> I never mastered the "least possible user friendly" Tappan microwave
> defrost feature. Lost the user manual early on.
>
> I certainly wouldn't risk microwave thawing out a $100 4lb. chateaubriand..
> Two days in the fridge, two hours in cold water has worked best.

Putting raw meat into a microwave is never a good idea.
>
> Andy

--Bryan

Separating pork chops and refreezing
 

Bobo Bonobo® said...

>> I certainly wouldn't risk microwave thawing out a $100 4lb. chateaubriand
> .
>> Two days in the fridge, two hours in cold water has worked best.
>
> Putting raw meat into a microwave is never a good idea.


Bryan, you didn't notice I wasn't talking about raw meat!

Andy

Separating pork chops and refreezing
 

On Jul 18, 8:35*am, Andy > wrote:
> Bobo Bonobo® said...
>
> >> I certainly wouldn't risk microwave thawing out a $100 4lb. chateaubriand
> > .
> >> Two days in the fridge, two hours in cold water has worked best.
>
> > Putting raw meat into a microwave is never a good idea.
>
> Bryan, you didn't notice I wasn't talking about raw meat!

No? The GIANT "chateaubriand" was already cooked?? 4lb.???

Still, I wasn't criticizing YOU. I was agreeing with you about not
using the microwave to thaw. You're so defensive these days.
>
> Andy

--Bryan

Separating pork chops and refreezing
 

On Jul 17, 9:31*pm, "
> wrote:
> On Jul 17, 8:49*pm, Omelet > wrote:
>
>
>
> > In article
> > >,
>
> > " > wrote:
> > > I bought a package of 8 pork chops and neglected to split them into
> > > single servings before freezing. *Now I can't separate them! *What's
> > > the best way to do this retaining as much flavor and texture as
> > > possible prior to re-freezing?
>
> > Quick thaw the edges under cold running water until they are coming
> > apart but still partially frozen, then re-package and freeze.
>
> > I've had to do that a few times. ;-)
> > --
> > Peace! Om
>
> > Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.
> > It's about learning to dance in the rain.
> > -- Anon.
>
> >
> > Subscribe:
>
> Why is the cold water method preferable to partial thawing in the
> microwave (using low power, of course)?
> Bob

Because I'd imagine that at a microscopic level, microwaves will
always denature (cook) a small amount of the meat (protein), whereas
cold water (or better yet, just letting it thaw in the refrigerator)
cannot denature (cook) the meat (protein).

Splitting hairs, but that's what many seem to like doing here.

John Kuthe...

Separating pork chops and refreezing
 

Andy wrote:
> George said...
>
>> aem wrote:
>>> On Jul 17, 7:31 pm, "
>>> > wrote:
>>>> Why is the cold water method preferable to partial thawing in the
>>>> microwave (using low power, of course)?
>>>> Bob-
>>> Only in that it's slower and therefore easier to take care that you
>>> don't overdo it. If you are careful to use the micro in short bursts
>>> it can work fine. -aem
>> And a lot depends on the microwave. Some (like our non fancy Panasonic
>> countertop) have much better power control. Panasonic has something they
>> call "inverter technology" that does an exceptional job defrosting stuff.
>
>
> I never mastered the "least possible user friendly" Tappan microwave
> defrost feature. Lost the user manual early on.
>
> I certainly wouldn't risk microwave thawing out a $100 4lb. chateaubriand.
> Two days in the fridge, two hours in cold water has worked best.
>
> Andy
>
The current oven was purchased to replace an older very high end unit
that had died and was completely useless except for warming stuff.
Previously I never used it for thawing because it just destroyed stuff
by cooking the edges.

One day I decided to try the new oven for defrosting after a long day
and needing to defrost meat. With the new unit you just press defrost
and then an approximate weight range. It perfectly thawed the meat with
no sign of cooking. This was the major claimed feature of its "inverter
power supply" technology.

Separating pork chops and refreezing
 

On Fri, 17 Jul 2009 23:05:59 -0400, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

> "brooklyn1" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>> > wrote in message
>> ...
>>>I bought a package of 8 pork chops and neglected to split them into
>>> single servings before freezing. Now I can't separate them! What's
>>> the best way to do this retaining as much flavor and texture as
>>> possible prior to re-freezing?
>>
>> Pork chops are relatively inexpensive... rather than refreeze I would cook
>> them all... fry four for dinner tonight, and braise four to make a
>> luscious tomato sauce for pasta.
>>
>
> That (or something similar) would be my choice also. You can freeze the
> chops after cooking also. Not worth the risk of a partial thaw and
> re-freeze.

what risk (other than the texture will suffer)? as far as i know, it's
perfectly safe (assuming you thaw it properly, i.e., not at room temp):

Refreezing
Once food is thawed in the refrigerator, it is safe to refreeze it without
cooking, although there may be a loss of quality due to the moisture lost
through defrosting. After cooking raw foods which were previously frozen,
it is safe to freeze the cooked foods. If previously cooked foods are
thawed in the refrigerator, you may refreeze the unused portion.

If you purchase previously frozen meat, poultry or fish at a retail store,
you can refreeze if it has been handled properly.

<http://www.fsis.usda.gov/FactSheets/Focus_On_Freezing/index.asp#14>

your pal,
blake

Separating pork chops and refreezing
 

On Fri, 17 Jul 2009 22:42:18 -0400, cybercat wrote:

> > wrote
>>Why is the cold water method preferable to partial thawing in the
>>microwave (using low power, of course)?
>
> Because the microwave method is icky.

that was my thought as well, but i can't say i've ever done it.

your pal,
blake

Separating pork chops and refreezing
 

Bobo Bonobo® said...

> On Jul 18, 8:35*am, Andy > wrote:
>> Bobo Bonobo® said...
>>
>> >> I certainly wouldn't risk microwave thawing out a $100 4lb.
chateaubri
> and
>> > .
>> >> Two days in the fridge, two hours in cold water has worked best.
>>
>> > Putting raw meat into a microwave is never a good idea.
>>
>> Bryan, you didn't notice I wasn't talking about raw meat!
>
> No? The GIANT "chateaubriand" was already cooked?? 4lb.???
>
> Still, I wasn't criticizing YOU. I was agreeing with you about not
> using the microwave to thaw. You're so defensive these days.
>>
>> Andy
>
> --Bryan


Bryan, I don't think you read the post in earnest.

I wasn't defensive in the least. I didn't mention nuking RAW meat. YOU did.

Andy




--
Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has left the building. Thank you and good
night.

Separating pork chops and refreezing
 

George said...

>> I never mastered the "least possible user friendly" Tappan microwave
>> defrost feature. Lost the user manual early on.
>>
>> I certainly wouldn't risk microwave thawing out a $100 4lb.
>> chateaubriand. Two days in the fridge, two hours in cold water has
>> worked best.
>>
>> Andy
>>
> The current oven was purchased to replace an older very high end unit
> that had died and was completely useless except for warming stuff.
> Previously I never used it for thawing because it just destroyed stuff
> by cooking the edges.
>
> One day I decided to try the new oven for defrosting after a long day
> and needing to defrost meat. With the new unit you just press defrost
> and then an approximate weight range. It perfectly thawed the meat with
> no sign of cooking. This was the major claimed feature of its "inverter
> power supply" technology.


George,

Microwave defrosting has always put me off. Probably more to do with not
being in such a hurry.

What I more believe in is the toaster-convection oven. Does a chateaubriand
in 30 or so minutes, compared to hours on the rotisserie over the BBQ.

Then there are the new age "frozen to finished" as-seen-on-TV "miracle"
ovens I've yet to witness with my own eyes, claiming faster than microwave
cooking.

Best,

Andy

Separating pork chops and refreezing
 

On Jul 18, 9:05*am, John Kuthe > wrote:
> On Jul 17, 9:31*pm, "
>
>
>
> > wrote:
> > On Jul 17, 8:49*pm, Omelet > wrote:
>
> > > In article
> > > >,
>
> > > " > wrote:
> > > > I bought a package of 8 pork chops and neglected to split them into
> > > > single servings before freezing. *Now I can't separate them! *What's
> > > > the best way to do this retaining as much flavor and texture as
> > > > possible prior to re-freezing?
>
> > > Quick thaw the edges under cold running water until they are coming
> > > apart but still partially frozen, then re-package and freeze.
>
> > > I've had to do that a few times. ;-)
> > > --
> > > Peace! Om
>
> > > Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.
> > > It's about learning to dance in the rain.
> > > -- Anon.
>
> > >
> > > Subscribe:
>
> > Why is the cold water method preferable to partial thawing in the
> > microwave (using low power, of course)?
> > Bob
>
> Because I'd imagine that at a microscopic level, microwaves will
> always denature (cook) a small amount of the meat (protein), whereas
> cold water (or better yet, just letting it thaw in the refrigerator)
> cannot denature (cook) the meat (protein).

That sure seems to be the case.
>
> Splitting hairs, but that's what many seem to like doing here.
>
> John Kuthe...

--Bryan

Separating pork chops and refreezing
 

"blake murphy" > wrote in message
...
> On Fri, 17 Jul 2009 22:42:18 -0400, cybercat wrote:
>
>> > wrote
>>>Why is the cold water method preferable to partial thawing in the
>>>microwave (using low power, of course)?
>>
>> Because the microwave method is icky.
>
> that was my thought as well, but i can't say i've ever done it.
>

Icky, sticky partly warmed pork. Not sexy.

Separating pork chops and refreezing
 

"blake murphy" > wrote in message
.. .
> On Fri, 17 Jul 2009 23:05:59 -0400, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>
>> "brooklyn1" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>>
>>> > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>>I bought a package of 8 pork chops and neglected to split them into
>>>> single servings before freezing. Now I can't separate them! What's
>>>> the best way to do this retaining as much flavor and texture as
>>>> possible prior to re-freezing?
>>>
>>> Pork chops are relatively inexpensive... rather than refreeze I would
>>> cook
>>> them all... fry four for dinner tonight, and braise four to make a
>>> luscious tomato sauce for pasta.
>>>
>>
>> That (or something similar) would be my choice also. You can freeze the
>> chops after cooking also. Not worth the risk of a partial thaw and
>> re-freeze.
>
> what risk (other than the texture will suffer)? as far as i know, it's
> perfectly safe (assuming you thaw it properly, i.e., not at room temp):
>

So tell us, mick, how does someone with no legs leap to conclusions? hehe
The texture will indeed suffer but no one mentioned spoilage. In fact the
texture has already suffered by the initial freezing... quality meat should
never be frozen prior to cooking... freezing is the primary reason pork
cooks up dry... dryness has absolutely nothing to do with fat content...
meats are dry because they lack water, not fat. Meat is muscle and freezing
ruptures muscle cells causing lack of water. I can't imagine why anyone
would prefer a greasy oily pork chop, well guineas.

Separating pork chops and refreezing
 

On Jul 18, 9:05*am, John Kuthe > wrote:
> On Jul 17, 9:31*pm, "
>
> > wrote:
> > On Jul 17, 8:49*pm, Omelet > wrote:
>
> > > In article
> > > >,
>
> > > " > wrote:
> > > > I bought a package of 8 pork chops and neglected to split them into
> > > > single servings before freezing. *Now I can't separate them! *What's
> > > > the best way to do this retaining as much flavor and texture as
> > > > possible prior to re-freezing?
>
> > > Quick thaw the edges under cold running water until they are coming
> > > apart but still partially frozen, then re-package and freeze.
>
>
> > >
> > > Subscribe:
>
> > Why is the cold water method preferable to partial thawing in the
> > microwave (using low power, of course)?
> > Bob
>
> Because I'd imagine that at a microscopic level, microwaves will
> always denature (cook) a small amount of the meat (protein), whereas
> cold water (or better yet, just letting it thaw in the refrigerator)
> cannot denature (cook) the meat (protein).
>
> Splitting hairs, but that's what many seem to like doing here.
>
> John Kuthe...

John,
Thank you for your reply which is satisfying from a both a logical and
a scientific perspective. As far as splitting hairs goes, I'd like to
take this just a bit further if you don't mind.

Is it reasonable to expect that at the lowest power level of an
inverter microwave oven (which I happen to have), the energy added
will only be enough to slowly melt the frozen water while being
insufficient to denature the protein? It may be worth noting that the
"inverter turbo defrost" setting uses power level 3 and the power can
be set all the way down to 1.

(I recognize that cold water thawing will conserve energy compared to
MW thawing but let's ignore that for the moment.)
Bob

Separating pork chops and refreezing
 

In article
>,
" > wrote:

> On Jul 17, 8:49*pm, Omelet > wrote:
> > In article
> > >,
> >
> > " > wrote:
> > > I bought a package of 8 pork chops and neglected to split them into
> > > single servings before freezing. *Now I can't separate them! *What's
> > > the best way to do this retaining as much flavor and texture as
> > > possible prior to re-freezing?
> >
> > Quick thaw the edges under cold running water until they are coming
> > apart but still partially frozen, then re-package and freeze.
> >
> > I've had to do that a few times. ;-)
>
> Why is the cold water method preferable to partial thawing in the
> microwave (using low power, of course)?
> Bob

Because no matter how careful you are with microwave thawing, you nearly
always get some cooked meat out of it.

I never, ever thaw in the microwave and I'm generally a big proponent of
microwave use!
--
Peace! Om

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.
It's about learning to dance in the rain.
-- Anon.


Subscribe:

Separating pork chops and refreezing
 

"Omelet" > wrote in message
...
> In article
> >,
> " > wrote:
>
>> On Jul 17, 8:49 pm, Omelet > wrote:
>> > In article
>> > >,
>> >
>> > " > wrote:
>> > > I bought a package of 8 pork chops and neglected to split them into
>> > > single servings before freezing. Now I can't separate them! What's
>> > > the best way to do this retaining as much flavor and texture as
>> > > possible prior to re-freezing?
>> >
>> > Quick thaw the edges under cold running water until they are coming
>> > apart but still partially frozen, then re-package and freeze.
>> >
>> > I've had to do that a few times. ;-)
>>
>> Why is the cold water method preferable to partial thawing in the
>> microwave (using low power, of course)?
>> Bob
>
> Because no matter how careful you are with microwave thawing, you nearly
> always get some cooked meat out of it.
>
> I never, ever thaw in the microwave and I'm generally a big proponent of
> microwave use!
>
>

Depends on the cut of meat and what one considers thawing. I never fully
thaw meat in a microwave but ten minutes with the defrost cycle with say a
4-5 lb roast will yield no soft spots but will cause it to defrost in the
fridge in half the time it would otherwise. As to cut of meat it's criminal
enough to freeze tender beef, say a porterhouse or rib roast, it's felonius
to thaw it with a microwave. But I see no problem with freezing and
partially thawing a hunk of round/chuck for pot roast... in fact it's
totally unnecessary and the results much better for a pot roast to be fully
thawed before begining cooking... all pork cuts the same, even bacon and
sausage.