How to Defrost Meat Safely Without Losing the Juice

Three methods that work, two that do not

The fridge is slow and hands-off, and the meat never leaves the cold. Cold water is faster but needs watching. The microwave takes minutes but starts to cook the edges. The worktop and hot water both fail: on the worktop the outside sits at room temperature for hours while the centre is still frozen, and in hot water it starts to cook, turns grey and loses its juice.

How long it takes, by weight

Approximate times for meat frozen flat in its vacuum pack. The Spanish names in italics are what to ask for at the counter.

Divide large joints before freezing them: see how to cut a whole loin into steaks.

In the fridge: the method to plan for

Leave the meat in its pack, on a plate on the bottom shelf so nothing drips onto other food, and open it only once it has fully thawed. Plan backwards from the meal: for a Saturday lunch, move a chuletón from the freezer (congelador) to the fridge (nevera or frigorífico) on Friday morning, and a whole fillet on Thursday.

Cold water: if you forgot

• Keep the meat sealed. If the vacuum pack is punctured, put it in a freezer bag and press the air out; otherwise the meat soaks up water.
• Submerge it completely, with a plate on top to hold it under.
• Change the water every 30 minutes. In southern Spain in summer the tap can run lukewarm, so add ice.
• Cook the meat as soon as it has thawed.

The microwave: thin cuts only

Take the meat out of its vacuum pack first. Choose the defrost setting (descongelar on a microwave bought in Spain), enter the weight in grams, turn the meat every couple of minutes and stop while the centre is still a little firm. The edges will have started to cook, so the meat goes straight into the pan.

Defrosting vacuum-packed meat

All our meat is vacuum-packed. Thaw a frozen pack unopened, in the fridge or in cold water, then:

1. Open it over the sink and pour away the liquid. It is water and meat pigment (myoglobin), not blood.
2. Pat the meat dry with kitchen paper (US: paper towels). A wet surface steams instead of browning.
3. Beef kept without air looks dark, almost purple, and turns red again in the air, usually within half an hour. A slight smell on opening is normal and should go within minutes; if it lingers, or the meat feels slimy, do not use it.
4. Take it out of the fridge 30 to 60 minutes before cooking, and salt it as set out in when to salt steak.

Can you refreeze meat?

Not raw, in our view. Official guidance on meat thawed in the fridge varies between countries, but a second freeze costs texture and juice, and meat thawed in cold water or the microwave must be cooked first. Cook it, then freeze the cooked dish. On a Spanish label, descongelado means the meat was frozen and thawed before sale, and no volver a congelar una vez descongelado means do not refreeze once thawed; see how to read a Spanish meat label.

Freeze it so that it thaws well

Chilled vacuum-packed meat can be frozen on the day it arrives: leave the pack unopened, lay it flat so that it freezes quickly and write the date on it. At a Spanish counter, say the meat is para congelar (for the freezer) and ask for the steaks to be packed separately (separados). Buying for the end of the year? See our December delivery page.