Are steaks I had in a cooler over the weekend ok to eat?

Over the Fourth of July weekend, we took steaks camping to BBQ but the ziplock bag I kept them in got water in it. They were kept on constant ice and never got warm, but they sat in a bag full of ice water. Are they still ok to eat? They look drained of their blood.
Best Answer
As long as they were kept cool, they will be safe to eat.
For example, high end steak houses and butchers age beef to improve flavor, sometimes to the point of allowing visible mold to form on the surface. In that circumstance it is removed before cooking, but the meat is safe to eat.
The fact that yours were immersed in water for a prolonged time may affect the quality but not the safety of the meat.
If those were in my kitchen I would thoroughly dry them, allow them to come to room temperature, pat them very lightly with corn starch aka corn flour ( a trick I learned from Cook's Illustrated) and grill them at high heat. A crust will form based on the corn starch which should act as a mouth-feel counterbalance to any texture changes from the soaking. I am thinking you may need to salt the meat after cooking or charring to account for the myoglobin loss (red fluid) but you will need to do that on an ad hoc basis
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Quick Answer about "Are steaks I had in a cooler over the weekend ok to eat?"
As long as they were kept cool, they will be safe to eat. For example, high end steak houses and butchers age beef to improve flavor, sometimes to the point of allowing visible mold to form on the surface. In that circumstance it is removed before cooking, but the meat is safe to eat.How long will steaks last in cooler?
Steak can safely stay in an ice-filled cooler (under 40 degrees Fahrenheit/4 degrees Celsius) an average of 3-4 days. Conservatively three days should be the max, though in theory the time can be even longer as long as the cooler's interior remains continuously under 40 degrees.Is it OK to eat leftover steak cold?
Luckily, there's a very easy way to prepare leftover steak that preserves all the tender, juicy flavor you worked so hard for and it's easier than any reheating method: Eat it cold! Sliced thin, cold steak makes a fantastic topping on a salad.How long is food good in a cooler?
An appliance thermometer takes the guesswork out of knowing your food is safe to eat. Put one in your cooler, and make sure it reads 40 \xb0F or below. When the temperature outside is above 90 \xb0F, put perishable food back in the cooler within 1 hour after eating. Otherwise, cool it within 2 hours.How long can meat stay warm in a cooler?
How Long Can I Safely Hold Meat In A Cooler? \u2014 The standard advice on food safety is that you can safely keep food in the "danger zone" for a maximum of four hours. The danger zone, of course, is between 40\xb0F and 140\xb0F.Savlonic - Epoch (The Living Tombstone's Remix) - Music Video
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