Nowadays, many families freeze meat in the refrigerator to use gradually. When needed, they take the meat out of the freezer to thaw, saving time going to the market and being more proactive in cooking. However, thawing meat is not something that everyone does correctly, which makes the meat taste bland. Many people thaw meat by soaking it in cold water. However, this method doesn’t speed up the thawing process and it also causes the meat to lose its texture and flavor. To make the thawing process faster while still maintaining the natural sweetness of the meat, you can follow the methods below.
Slow thawing
This is the safest method to thaw meat. This means that before you need the ingredients for cooking, you will transfer the meat from the freezer to the refrigerator compartment so that the meat thaws slowly. The downside of this method is that it takes a lot of time. It will take you about half a day to a day for the piece of meat to soften. The larger the piece of meat, the longer the thawing time.
Slow thawing is suitable when you have a cooking plan in advance. In case of urgency, if you want to thaw the meat faster, you should try a different method.
Thawing meat with vinegar
Vinegar is a common seasoning in every kitchen. You can use eating vinegar to speed up the meat thawing process. Just add a few spoons of vinegar to the water and soak the piece of meat in it. After a short time, the meat will soften.
You don’t have to wait until the meat becomes completely tender before cooking it. If you need to slice the meat, leave it slightly firm. This way, you will be able to slice the meat more thinly and evenly.
Thawing meat with salt
Salt helps speed up the thawing process of the piece of meat as well as helps kill bacteria. You can soak the meat in saltwater to make the meat soften faster. Note that you should only use a moderate amount of salt to avoid the meat being too salty.
Using sugar
Sugar is not only a seasoning to add to dishes but it can also be used to speed up the meat thawing process.
You can dissolve a little sugar in water and soak the meat in this mixture to make the meat soften.
Thawing with cold running water
To speed up the meat thawing process, you can put the meat into a bowl or small basin. Pour cold water into it. Turn on the faucet at a low level so that the water is constantly renewed, helping the meat thaw faster.
Thawing meat with stainless steel pot
Metal materials have the property of quickly conducting heat and can make the piece of meat thaw faster. You can take a stainless-steel pot (or other stainless-steel objects such as a large spoon, stainless-steel basin). Place the pot upside down on the table and put the piece of meat on the bottom of the pot. Take another stainless-steel pot, pour cold water into it and place it on top of the meat. With this method, the piece of meat will soften after a few minutes.
Some notes when storing frozen meat
When freezing meat, you should divide it into portions that are enough for one meal. By doing so, the thawing process will be faster and more convenient for cooking. If you leave a whole large piece of meat, the thawing time will be very long. Also, if you thaw and then refreeze the meat, it is very likely to be contaminated and deteriorated, affecting the health of the user.
If the meat has thawed, it should be cooked immediately to ensure the quality and flavor of the dish.