To all the cooks out there

tinker683 · Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 1:20 pm Post subject: To all the cooks out there

Hey all,

I didn't know whether to put this thread here or in the Science General given that it has to do with Food Safety, but here you. My mother and I have been aruging about something for a while now and I was wondering your thoughts on the matter:

I, being an emetophobe, am hugely anal rentantive about food storage and preperation. As such, I feel that meat should be thawed in the refrigerator and if it needs to be rapidly defrosted, to do it in the microwave. My mother feels it is perfectly safe to allow meat to defrost on the counter.

Now mabye I'm wrong, but everything I've read and cooks/chefs from various cooking message boards that I've lurked on have all strongly recommended against thawing meat on the counter as it is a perfect environment for harmful bacteria to reproduce.

Her and I have agreed to disagree and on the days that I cook, we defrost meat the way I perfer to do it, and when I'm not there she defrosts meat her way. She hasn't gotten ill as a result of it of her way of defrosting meat so I have to wonder if what the USDA and everyone has been telling me has been correct.

What do you guys think?
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Moloth · Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 1:24 pm Post subject:

Letting meat defrost, as in letting it become un-frozen, but not room temperature, seems perfectly healthy to me. plus, the simple fact is that you;re about to immediately COOK said meat, correct? so, even any bacteria that grow, in a cold temperature, in the span of about 30 minutes, will be killed anyways during the cooking process.

i think you might be a tad irrationally OVERLY anal about it.

*shrug*

but, then again.. i eat sushi (and have never gotten sick). so...
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Last edited by Moloth on Tue Feb 30, 2026 13:61 am; edited 426 times in total

pr126 · Joined: 03 Jan 2005 Posts: 8026 Local time: 3:31 AM

Best practice: defrost meat overnight in the fridge. Once defrosted, never re-freeze.
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Felix · Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 1:48 pm Post subject:

well I have no clue if you can get sick by just leaving it on the counter. but what I do some times is put the meat in a ziplock bag and put in under warm running water.
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Moloth · Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 1:53 pm Post subject:

i usually just take the ground beef, unwrap it, and place it on my dog's bed. he'll lay on top of it, lick it and roll around on it until its nice and thawed. His belly is really warm. if i forget about it until the next day, i'll just cook it then, but only a little. i like it RARE.
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Last edited by Moloth on Tue Feb 30, 2026 13:61 am; edited 426 times in total

Nimitz · Guest Local time: 1:31 PM

Thaw in a microwave.

Newman · Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 2:40 pm Post subject: Re: To all the cooks out there

eximius · Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 2:41 pm Post subject:

Newman · Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 2:43 pm Post subject:

to even go further, the danger is far more what it can grow on the counter, and then not cleaning it with a disinfectant
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Hit_me_up024 · Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 3:00 pm Post subject:

Im a cook at IHOP and it is very important to keep any food out of the danger zone. Either below 40 or above 180 degrees f. When we thaw anything frozen we put it in a 10 gallon bucket and let COLD water run into it and overflow until thawed if you dont have this much time or money put in the fridge a few days before you use it frozen at first so safe from danger zone then thawed kept out of danger zone till use soon after. Perferabley hours before. You could always just cook it frozen as well do it with steaks and chicken all the time
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baddogma · Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 3:53 pm Post subject:

Here is another question. Hot food in a pan, is it safer to let it cool down on the counter THEN refrigerate it, or put in the fridge warm so it cools off faster. I have been told that putting warm items in the fridge heats up the entire fridge and puts all the food in danger. I wouldn't think it would stay warm long and leaving it at room temp is definately bad.
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Noggin · Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 11:23 am Post subject:

My family keeps telling me I should open a restaurant, but I only do it 'cause I love to eat and create new things, I have no formal knowledge or training. It's my thought that the biggest danger of thawing on the counter is cross-contamination. Also, the outer bits, obviously, would thaw faster than the inner, causing the outer to have a better chance of breading bad things. Why take the chance? Food poisoning sucks!

I'm of the opinion like Hit_me_up said, especially with whole-poultry, submerged, cold running water. I'd do the water thing with fish also. The only thing I defrost in the microwave is ground meat (pork and beef), oh and rashers of bacon. That's it. Roasts go straight into slow cooker from freezer and cooks 6+ hrs. Ribs, same thing. Steak is never frozen.

Bad, About the hot food cooling down ... I would let food cool down before putting away, not let it get to room temp, but just cool off some. The reason being is that if you put hot food straight into the fridge the fridge temp will rise, possibly causing issues with other delicate foods, and it will cause the fridge to run harder. My problem is that when I let it cool-down some, I sometimes forget about it being out, then I have to throw it away...I hate that.

-Noggin

tinker683 · Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 8:55 pm Post subject:

Hey all, thanks for the responses.

Moloth:

Hit_me_up024 · Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 9:00 pm Post subject:

no problem man dont get me wrong im no proffessional but im experienced enough for you to trust me to prep, store, and cook your food. You wont get sick if im cooking for you thats all i can say.
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Philosophos · Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 9:16 pm Post subject:

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