A mum has shared a very simple hack to defrost your meat in just a few hours and you only need two pans. It has been branded ‘genius’ by people as she shared the method online
There’s nothing more frustrating than being hungry and realising you’ve forgotten to defrost your meat; the thawing process can be a bit of a drag. However, a straightforward trick could help speed things up.
Usually, folks defrost their meat by moving it from the freezer to the fridge and leaving it overnight until it is fully thawed. Some prefer to immerse their chicken, beef or other meats in cold water, or perhaps you’ve tried the defrost button on your microwave – this is the quickest method but it necessitates immediate cooking of the meat. Plus, you must be cautious not to over-defrost it in the microwave.
Mum-of-two Laza Storm, who shares her top lifestyle, family and travel tips online, says she only recently discovered a defrosting hack that has revolutionised her meal times. Laza said: “Would you believe me if I told you you can defrost a full block of meat – could be chicken or beef or anything in a couple of hours.”
In a video clip she posted on Instagram, Laza demonstrated how she thaws her meat using two pans. She turns a pan upside down and places it on the countertop, puts a packet of minced lamb on top and then places another pan on top of the packet.
Laza added: “Life hack – who knew because I certainly didn’t. No more stressing if you didn’t take it out first thing in the morning! Thank me later.” One viewer of the clip commented: “This is genius.”
Another penned: “Absolute life saver! The amount of times I’ve switched dinner ideas because i forgot to take the meat out in time.. seriously thanks for this. “Amazing, will try this,” chimed in another. “Wow,” wrote a different user.
“There will definitely be a time when we need to try this,” concurred another.
The Foods Standards Agency (FSA) advises that any piece of thawed meat should not be left at room temperature for more than two hours.
Other things to remember when defrosting your food
The FSA shares some important tips to make sure you are being safe while defrosting their food. They suggest to:
- always clean surfaces, chopping boards, utensils, plates and hands thoroughly with warm soapy water after they have touched raw or thawing meat to stop bacteria spreading around the kitchen
- you can freeze food again once cooked, but you’ll only be able to reheat it once after that
- freezing in individual portions will help you defrost only what you need
- we also have tips on defrosting a Christmas turkey and other large cuts of meat.
