Thawing meat in cold water?

Question

I usually thaw my meat in cold water (while still in it's package of course) and never had a problem. Well today I went to the gym for an hour and came home to find that the water had seeped into the package and filled it with water. After I drained the water I can tell the meat's color was not so red since most of the blood was drained out. I'm very careful when dealing with bad meat so I guess my question is if this is still ok to cook? I wanted to defrost it then marinade it overnight. Thanks!

Answer 1

1) The cold water should be changed every 20-30 minutes. An hour is too long to leave it, as the water will have become warm by then and provided a breeding ground for bacteria.



2) The meat was not drained of blood, because all the blood was drained at the processing plant (i.e. slaughterhouse). If blood was left in the meat after processing it would have been condemned by the USDA inspector and not allowed to be sold for human consumption. What was leached out of your meat by submerging it in water was protein laden water, which is found in between the cell walls of the meat fibers, and is a natural moisture retention device.



3) Your meat will now taste bland and will probably become very dry when you cook it. Marinating it may help, if the meat does not make you sick. Next time, put the meat in a zip-top plastic bag and defrost it in a bowl of water in the refrigerator. The plastic wrap and styrene tray that meat is usually packaged in at the grocery store are not meant to be water tight or even air tight.

Answer 2

The meat is in Cold water in the Refrigerator or in the Room? If it has got to room Temperature Bacteria could have multiplied if it smells bad or its white meat I wouldn't risk it.



If its red meat and its still cold to the touch and doesn't smell at all its probably OK, but if it has changed color on the edges I wouldn't, and of course if you decide its ok, give it a good rinse in some salt water before you cook.

Answer 3

Perfectly fine. Just be careful with the water, that is then part that is now contaminated. Careful not to splash, and sanitize the sink.

Answer 4

Of course its still good. It only got water on it...