Putting half thawed joint of pork back in fridge to fully defrost?
I have a 2kg joint of pork which I took out of freezer last night and kept of the kitchen counter. I was wondering is it safe to now put back in the bottom of fridge to continue the safe defrosting proceedure? Or should I throw the joint away?
Best Answer
Frozen food should always be thawed in the refrigerator no matter what, here's an explanatioon :
frozen food put on the counter will defrost quicker than in the fridge , but bacteria activities will occur, now bacteria activities will occur no matter what, but if you keep it in the fridge the amount of bacteria will be less than if you left it on the counter.
That being said, I would check what the temperature on the surface is, if it's between 2 and 5 degree celcius than I would assume it would be safe for consumption if you let it finish defrosting in the refrigerator, otherwise might as well throw it away because when you get to the point of completely thawing your joint on the counter, the surface will be swarmed with bacterias and will most likely make you sick.
So in a shell : temperature on the surface is key.
Hope it's not too late !
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Quick Answer about "Putting half thawed joint of pork back in fridge to fully defrost?"
Leave the meat wrapped and placed on a platter or a tray to catch the drippings as it thaws or unwrap and loosely cover with plastic or foil. After thawing in the refrigerator the pork can be refrigerated safely for 3 to 5 days. If you decide to not cook the meat within this time, the meat can be refrozen.The Best Way to Thaw Meat
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