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Like all perishable foods, beef must be handled and stored properly to avoid spoilage and food-borne illness. Follow these food-safe practices:
• Refrigerate or freeze beef as soon after purchasing as
possible. (If it will take longer than 30 minutes to get it
home, keep it cold in a cooler in your car.)
• If refrigerating beef, place it in the meat compartment or in
the coldest part of the refrigerator.
• If purchased beef is wrapped in transparent film, it can be
refrigerated without re-wrapping. It can also be frozen up
to 2 weeks without rewrapping. For longer freezer storage,
to prevent freezer burn, repackage in heavy-duty aluminum
foil, freezer paper or plastic freezer bags, removing as
much air as possible.
• Label and date frozen beef packages, including weight
and/or number of servings. Practice the FIFO inventory
system — first in, first out.
• Do not defrost frozen beef at room temperature. Defrost
frozen beef in the refrigerator, to prevent bacterial growth.
Place package on a tray to catch any drippings and place
in refrigerator the day before it's needed.
• Allow about 24 hours to defrost a 1 to 1-1/2-inch
thick package of ground beef or beef pieces.
• Allow12 hours to defrost 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick ground
beef patties.
• Allow 12 to 24 hours to defrost steaks, depending on
thickness.
• Allow 4 to 7 hours per pound to defrost large roasts
or thick compact pot roasts.
• Allow 3 to 5 hours per pound to defrost small roasts
or thin pot roasts.
• Cook ground beef as soon as possible after defrosting.
• Remember that ground beef, beef for stir-fry, beef for stew
and beef for kabobs are more perishable than whole
muscle cuts (roasts and steaks). During the grinding process
for ground beef, any bacteria on the surface are mixed
throughout. Cutting into strips or cubes exposes more
surface area where bacteria can grow. Both processes
result in shorter shelf life.
• Refrigerate leftovers promptly after serving, within 2 hours
after cooking. To speed up the chilling, divide large
quantities into smaller portions or spread food out in
shallow container.
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