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SAFE HANDLING OF BEEF
The USDA’s Food Safety and
Inspection Service offers the following guidelines for the safe
handling of beef.
Purchasing Beef
When purchasing raw beef, make your selection just before
checking out at the register. Place packages of raw beef in plastic
bags, to prevent any leakage from contacting other foods. Beef must
be kept cold to retard the growth of bacteria. Take fresh beef home
immediately and refrigerate at 40° F (or colder) or freeze (0˚ F).
Use refrigerated beef within 3 to 5 days. If kept frozen
continuously, it will be safe indefinitely, but should be used
within 9 to 12 months for best quality.
It is safe to freeze beef in
its original packaging, or you can repackage it. However, for
long-term freezing, over-wrap the porous store plastic with aluminum
foil, freezer paper or freezer-weight plastic wrap or bags to
prevent freezer burn.
It is safe to cook frozen
beef in the oven, on the stove or grill without defrosting it first;
the cooking time may be about 50% longer. Do not cook frozen beef in
a slow cooker.
Defrosting
There are three safe ways to defrost beef: in the refrigerator,
in cold water or in the microwave. Never defrost by letting frozen
meat sit out on the counter.
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Refrigerator Defrosting. Plan ahead for slow, safe thawing
in the refrigerator. Ground beef, stew meat and steaks may
defrost within a day. Bone-in parts and whole roasts may take 2
days or longer. Once the raw beef defrosts, it will be safe in
the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days before cooking. During this
time, if you decide not to use the beef, you can safely refreeze
it without cooking it first.
- Cold Water Defrosting.
To defrost beef in cold water, do not remove packaging. Be sure
the package is airtight or put it into a leakproof bag. Submerge
the beef in cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes so
that it continues to thaw. Small packages of beef may defrost in
an hour or less; a 3- to 4-pound roast may take 2 to 3 hours.
- Microwave Defrosting.
When defrosting beef in the microwave, it is important to plan
to cook it immediately after thawing, because some areas of the
food may become warm and begin to cook during microwaving.
Holding partially cooked food is not recommended because any
bacteria present wouldn’t have been destroyed. Note: Foods
defrosted in the microwave or by the cold water method should be
cooked before refreezing, because they may have been warmed to
temperatures above 40 °F.
Marinating
Marinate beef in the refrigerator up to 5 days. Boil used
marinade before brushing on cooked beef. Discard any uncooked
leftover marinade.
Partial Cooking
Never brown or partially cook beef to refrigerate and finish
cooking later, because any bacteria present wouldn’t have been
destroyed. It is safe to partially pre-cook or microwave beef
immediately before transferring it to the hot grill to finish
cooking.
Serving
Basic tips include washing hands with soap and water before
serving or eating food. Serve cooked products on clean plates with
clean utensils and clean hands. Never put cooked foods on a dish
that has held raw products unless the dish is washed with soap and
hot water. Hold hot foods above 140˚F and cold foods below 40˚F.
Never leave foods, raw or cooked, at room temperature longer than 2
hours. On a hot day with temperatures at 90˚F or warmer, this
decreases to 1 hour.
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