Why Is Only Some Meat Safe To Cook From Frozen?

There are countless myths surrounding the cooking and consumption of frozen meat. You might have heard some bizarre rules when it comes to freezing meats. But the truth is most of us don’t know which of these so-called rules should be followed and which of them should be tossed outside the window. Here Tariq Halal Meats is sharing with you everything you have to know to work with frozen meats.

You may already know that some meats cannot be cooked directly from the freezer and they must be thawed completely before cooking, for example, if the frozen chicken is in small pieces, it can be cooked straight from the freezer but larger chicken pieces, like a chicken breast, needs to be defrosted.

Although it is correct that the quality of meat declines each time it is thawed and refrozen but the more important question is how long you can freeze meat before it is unfit for consumption? Every single type of meat has an optimal freezing time after which the quality of meat begins to deteriorate. For example, fresh beef, veal and lamb can be stored in the freezer for up to 10-12 months, poultry for up to a year and ground meats can be stored in the freezer for only up to 4 months.

Cooking with frozen meats is absolutely safe if you take care of the following before you freeze your meats:

·         Place your ground meats in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in a plastic bag. Although for steaks, it is better to place them in a Ziploc bag and vacuum seal them.

·         Keep the meats in the coldest regions of the freezer, like at the bottom or back of the freezer. Avoid putting the meat in the side doors as they get slightly warmer.

·         Unlike the common misconception, you can refreeze meats provided that they were thawed in the refrigerator or kept below the temperature of 40°F

Advantages of Frozen Meat

Frozen meats are not only convenient but they also have numerous health benefits:

·         There are no added preservatives in frozen products because below the temperature of 15°F (-9.5°C) the growth of microorganisms is too slow to none, which prevents the food from being spoiled.

·         It is said that frozen meats are more nutritious than fresh as they retain vitamins and minerals, unlike fresh meats which lose nutrients over time.

·         Frozen halal meat products have a longer shelf life than fresh ones, so you can enjoy them whenever you want.