FREEZING AND
THAWING BEEF
One of the practices that raise the most questions regarding the proper storage and preparation of Angus beef is its freezing and thawing. In the production process, immediately after cutting the beef, the cuts intended for freezing enter into a rapid freezing process that ensures the preservation of all its properties, due to the freezing speed and the extremely low temperature that in the domestic freezers cannot be replicated. The beef passes through the freezing tunnel in 24 hours, at a temperature between -32 and -36 ° C, and is then stored at a constant temperature of -18 ° C.
Once it reaches the households, the beef cuts can either be thawed and cooked later or stored under optimum conditions. Below are the main rules for defrosting and preparing the beef for cooking. Food defrosting is most often done by deficient methods. Defrosting at room temperature, although a faster practice, stimulates the growth and propagation of bacteria. If the meat has not been cooked properly (at a temperature and for a duration that will ensure the elimination of bacteria), the risk of illness can increase substantially.
This is why it is recommended that defrosting be done in the refrigerator. About 12-24 hours are required for defrosting red meat under these conditions, depending on its size. He beef is kept in its original packaging to maintain optimum hygiene standard and, before cooking, the beef is removed from the plastic wrap and is allowed to breathe for up to 2 hours. Do not defrost or cook beef in the microwave oven. This can change its texture and aroma. Also, it is not recommended to cook frozen or partially frozen beef – the beef will become dry, tough and stringy.
Frozen products should be consumed before six months of storage in the freezer. It is not recommended that the meat be frozen again after thawing, the quality of the meat being affected by this process. The ice crystals affect the elasticity of the muscle fibre and the defrosting also releases its own juices, which shorten the fibre and make it tougher.
This process does not affect the beef at a single freezing, the quality difference being often almost unnoticeable. Its repetition, however, can lead to tasteless beef, without nutritional properties.
Find in the Angus Premium store the right pack for you and take into account the cooking recommendations for the beef cuts included.
