Thursday, October 25, 2007 3:24 PM
Freezer Burned
If freezers, like works of art, were categorized by genre, you could
say mine is Minimalist Icebox. Translation: Aside from ice, the odd
gelato container or pack of frozen veggies, it’s embarrassingly barren.
In fact, if my MIL saw it she might worry I’m starving her son, Into
the Wild style.
The reason? I’ve always been reluctant to
defrost meat. But last week, we had two unexpected dinners out, which
meant the pricey herb-crusted pork loin I’d bought would either hit the
ice or the garbage. I picked ice. When it came time to defrost that
evening, I popped it in the microwave on the lowest defrost setting. No
problem, right?
Big mistake: It was beyond rubbery, even after
I’d carefully roasted it in the oven with a flavorful reduction.
Watching my husband happily saw away at it, I thought he either had no
taste buds, or he must really love me.
I wasn’t going to make that mistake again, so I did a little research:
*Defrost
meats in the refrigerator the morning of. If it’s a large roast, turkey
or chicken, give it a couple of days. Leaving it in the fridge for a
few days at 40 degrees keeps it cool enough that it won’t go bad, since
you’ve slowed the aging process with your initial freeze.
*Do
not defrost meats by setting them out for hours on the counter. It
might seem like a reasonable way to bring it to room temperature, but
this encourages bacteria to grow.
*Each time you freeze food, it zaps moisture and flavor out of it, so defrost food in smaller portions to preserve its quality.
If
anyone has any defrosting tips, let ‘em rip! I’ll even consider the
microwave again if you can convince me that your technique works.
Posted by
Nest Riann
Filed under: Dinner