defrosting meat

Ya, I still defrost my meat that way. Sometimes, I do put them in a container with tap water. Microwave? I do to defrost those cooked food only. I tried to defrost meat in the microwave once, it defrosted fast,but the taste of the meat is too dry. Since then, no defrosting of meat anymore for me, just the old traditional way to maintain the juicyness of it.

For me it always depends on the amount of time I have available. I prefer to defrost my meat the old fashioned way. I will either leave it out on the counter, put the package in some water, or even leave it in the sink if I think it's going to leak. I will also defrost things in the fridge if I know I'm not going to eat it for a few days, though the amount of time that can take makes me worry a bit. I have defrosted meat in the microwave when I have no other choice. I don't really like to because it really does dry things out. I also hate how it will cook teh meat a little bit on the edges. I long time ago I saw an info-mercial about a product that is supposed to be really great for defrosting meat. Itwas a special stone/board that you would put your meat on and it would defrost faster. I often wonder if that thing really worked.

There are a few different ways I use to defrost meat. I truly believe anyone should have a few different techniques to defrost meat just in case something happens. What I mean is that if you need to defrost meat very quickly you may just go ahead and throw it in a sinkful of warm water. I've used this technique before and it works really well to quickly thaw the meat. If I'm really pressed for time I will use this method. If that way of thawing meat doesn't work well enough for me & my other half I will go ahead and pick out one of our other techniques. I will also go ahead and put the meat on a plate and put it in the microwave for about five or ten minutes. I will also check it and make sure it is getting defrosted properly. I will usually put the temperature setting on the microwave as low as possible so the meat I'm defrosting doesn't actually cook in the microwave, just thaws out slowly. I found that the higher temperature the microwave is on, the harder it is to thaw the meat without it cooking. I will try to stay away from this method as the results are usually less than perfect in my opinion. I've had to sometimes just put the meat I am going to use in the fridge as I would not need it right away. If I knew exactly what I was making the next day and I did not want to go to the trouble of using either of the methods above I would use the fridge method. The only problem with this way is that it takes forever for the meat to get to the point where it can use it. If I have to cut it or dice it, I will have to wait a long time for it to get to the pont where I can work with it. I used to put frozen meat in the sink or even on the counter so that it could thaw. I don't do that anymore because I've found that there is a possibility the meat could spoil. I don't like the idea of putting the meat out on a plate and placing it in the sink . It could lead to both me and my other half getting some terrible upset stomach or some other stomach problem from eating it after it was cooked. There is one other way that I use to defrost more prepackaged meats like bacon or sausages. I will take the package and place it in a bowl of warm water. I will usually try to complete the rest of the meal while the meat defrosts. Once it is defrosted about ten minutes later I can go ahead and use the meat for what I had originally planned to use it for. This method is one of the fastest ones I have ever used and I was surprised actually that it did as good of a job as it did. In conclusion, I believe that anyone should have more than one way to defrost meat. If one technique doesn't work, you should be able to fall back on another way to make sure the meat gets properly and safely thawed out! . . Thanks for allowing me to share! xx

What I generally try to do is put any meat I plan on using in the frig overnight. Then if I remember in time I do take it out and set it on the counter, or in the sink, depending on if it will leak. If I don't remember in time, or end up needing it in a pinch I use the microwave to defrost.

I usually put mine in the sink to defrost or I will put it in the fridge. I know they say not to leave it out on the counter but that is what I do =)

If I think about it ahead of time, I put it in the fridge in the morning...otherwise I use the microwave.

I defrost for about a day or two in the fridge if I can. If not, yes I still pull my meat out and leave it on the counter to defrost-usually about 6 to 8 hours. I try not to do that too often in the summer though, so if any bacteria develops it doesn't go so far as food poisoning or spoiling by sitting out all day.

i normally take it out in the morning and leave it on the counter to defrost, but if i have forgotten then i use the microwave.

I still defrost by sitting the meat on the stove. Out of poochie reach of course. Sometimes we will put it in the fridge overnight, but it usually isn't defrosted by the next day. So, I do leave it out on the counter. I won't use the microwave to defrost because our's tends to cook it the food even on the defrost cycle.

It depends wether you don't want to use a lot ef electricity by using a micro.

I cheat...I use the defrost setting on my microwave. Very rarely do I ever know in advance what I'm going to fix for dinner.

I defrost meat according to how much time I have. I almost always defrost ground beef in my microwave. Turkey on the other hand, I leave in the sink...If I'm cooking a turkey it means I'm having company and I need at big bird...no room in my fridge for 15 lbs of poultry! If I actually remember to take meat out the night before then I defrost in the fridge. I know the "rules" about defrosting meat but I've never caused anyone food poisoning... Yet!