Meat! Not Just for Cooking Anymore!

I think there should be a class in high school that teaches you all about living alone. You know: balancing checkbooks, tying ties, the proper storage of meat...

I can't remember how many times I've headed over to a friend's house and been horrified at the state of their freezer. I don't know about you, but I don't like the taste of freezer burn. With that in mind, read on to learn how to avoid it.

Freezing Fresh Meat
If you're going to shell out the money for the fresh stuff, you need to take care of it. Fresh meat can't just be thrown into the freezer in the package you bought it in-- that's just asking for freezer burn.

1) Remove the cuts from the package. For chicken, rinse it and remove any excess fat or skin (if you're not a fan). This can be done through a combination of yanking and sawing away with a knife. Don't worry about keeping the cuts pretty, but don't try to remove every last trace of fat. Just the thick ribbons.

For boneless breasts, I'd separate away the rib meat: that's the raggedy looking portion on the back of the breast. I usually trim the good parts off (hint: the stringy white sections through the center do not qualify as edible), chop it up, and toss it into a marinade to use it in a stir-fry, because it's not good for much else.

For ground beef, I'd go ahead and prepare it as needed. If it's for hamburgers, season the meat and shape it into patties. Remember that the more work you do when you get home from the grocery store, the less you have to do when you're hungry for food.

Pork seems to take care of itself. Removing fat from pork and beef cuts makes them less tender in the long run, anyway, which kind of takes the flavor out of chewing.

For fish,

2) Wrap each portion in cling wrap. Just tossing it in foil will cause freezer burn.

3) Wrap each cling-wrapped portion in aluminum foil. Just leaving it in the aran wrap will cause freezer burn. When their powers combine, though, the meat is safe!

4) Stack neatly in the freezer and feel secure.

Thawing
Never take meat from the freezer and toss it out onto a counter to thaw. That is asking for sickness and nasty. Instead, do one of two things:

1) Plan ahead. Take what you need out the night before and toss it in the fridge.

2) Improvise: Thaw it in the microwave (removing foil first, please.) Microwave it on 1/2 power or defrost setting in three-minute intervals until thawed. This will probably partially cook the edges of the meat, and I think it makes it less tender in the end, but if you're pressed for time, this will get it ready to cook and won't kill you as a side effect.

Flash Frozen Meats
These are cheaper alternatives to what you find in the butcher's aisle, usually found in the form of boneless chicken breasts. They come coated in a protective layer of ice, but will still freezer burn if you fail to seal the bag each time you grab a hunk of meat. When thawing in the fridge, place it in a container that will hold the extra water as it melts, or you're going to have a very disgusting fridge.