Thawing frozen meat: How long in fridge? [duplicate]

So I had a 4-5 lb chunk of chuck roast sitting in the freezer for a few weeks, it was obviously frozen solid at that point. I wanted to eventually make some roast in the slow cooker but I figured I would need to thaw it in the fridge of course.

However it takes more than 1 day to "thaw" such a big piece of meat. At what point am I starting the "Fridge Clock" when thawing? Food safety guidelines talk about total time that food can spend at different temperatures and different storage methods, but when does my roast stop being "frozen" and when does it start being "refrigerated"?

I wanted to make it tomorrow because it's pretty much mostly thawed but still a little frozen in the middle. Is it safe to wait another day? (It's been in the fridge maybe 2-3 days by now, but was hard as a rock the first few days.)

food-safety

Best Answer

When you have food transitioning between various temperature zones -- either frozen to fridge, or through the "danger zone" from hot to cold -- you always consider for the worst case scenario.

If thawing a roast, it is considered "refrigerated" the moment the surface starts to thaw & is no longer frozen, even if the middle part is still frozen. Similarly, when freezing something that was in the fridge, it isn't considered "frozen" until the entire item is frozen through.

With food passing from hot to cold through the 40°-140°F "danger zone", the food item is considered to be in that zone from the moment the first bit drops below 140°F until the entire dish is fully below 40°F.

For things that can be molded into shapes, it is usually ideal to have wide flat containers to help food pass quickly across these temperature zones, rather than thick, squat containers. (A shallow sheet pan is better than a cube.) For roasts & things that cannot be molded into a shape that warms/cools faster, you just have to be patient and recognize that the longer transition time to thaw completely is part of the "storage math" that food safety regulators consider.

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Quick Answer about "Thawing frozen meat: How long in fridge? [duplicate]"

While foods are in the process of thawing in the refrigerator (40 °F or less), they remain safe. After thawing, use ground meats, poultry, and fish within one or two additional days, and use beef, pork, lamb or veal (roasts, steaks, or chops) within three to five days.

Can you refreeze meat that was frozen and then thawed?

The U. S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) advises: 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 thawing. After cooking raw foods which were previously frozen, it is safe to freeze the cooked foods.

What happens if meat is frozen twice?

Refreezing meat can be done safely, but the quality of the meat may be affected. For example, freezing and thawing meat more than one time might cause color and odor changes, moisture loss, and increased oxidation of its fat and protein ( 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ).

How long can you keep meat in the fridge after thawing?

Once meat has been frozen and thawed, it will deteriorate more rapidly than if it had never been frozen. Whole meat cuts (chops, roasts) will remain useable for another 3-5 days in the refrigerator before cooking. Meat defrosted in the refrigerator can be re-frozen without cooking, although some quality may be lost.

Can you eat meat that has been frozen twice?

Sure, you can still cook twice-thawed meat and eat it safely \u2015 this isn't a safety issue we're discussing. According to the USDA, refreezing previously-thawed meat is safe to do, as long as the meat was thawed in the fridge and not out on the counter at room temperature, or worse, in a microwave.

The Best Way to Thaw Meat

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