Guide to Meat: Storing Your Lobel's of New York Selections at Home
The way you care for meat at home is as important as the way
Lobel's of New York takes care of it before you buy it. It
is important to know how to keep meat fresh in your refrigerator
and how to store it in the freezer.
Your order from Lobel´s of New York is vacuum-sealed in air-tight,
Cryovac packages so that it can be transported safely. Kept
in this package, the meat will stay fresh in your refrigerator
for at least one week.
Refrigerate meat you buy from a butcher shop in a loose
wrapping, preferably the original butcher shop wrapping. Simply
loosen the ends so that the meat can ´´breathe.`` Don´t use
plastic bags or plastic wrap to repackage meat you plan to
store in the refrigerator: This decreases the partial surface
drying that increases the meat´s keeping quality.
back to top
Leftover meat and gravy should not be refrigerated for more
than two days. Cooked meat retains its quality best when left
in large pieces, even if bones have been removed. Small sections
will dry up more quickly.
back to top
Cut fresh meat into the individual pieces you plan to cook.
Wrap the meat in moisture- and vapor-proof plastic, making certain
each piece is wrapped tightly to seal out air and seal in moisture.
Proper wrapping for the freezer is important in order to avoid
freezer burn. Freezer burn results when air penetrates the package
and moisture is drawn from the surface of the meat.
Don't use the ice-cube compartment of your refrigerator
as a freezer. The temperature required to make ice cubes is
32 degrees F, while the temperature of your freezer should
not be above 0 degrees F.
back to top
The temperature in your freezer should be 0 degrees F or below.
Beef will be safe in this temperature range for six months.
Lamb and veal should be used within three to six months. Pork
should be used within two to three months.
back to top
Write the date on every package of meat you freeze. For convenience,
include the cut of meat and its weight on the label.
Caution: Never, ever
refreeze meat that has been even slightly thawed.
back to top
Wrap packaged, frozen meat in layers of newspaper and then place
in a cooler. The meat should remain stiffly frozen for four
to six hours. By insulating the meat with newspaper, you can
safely transport it to your vacation house.
back to top
All meat must be at room temperature before cooking. A
freezer full of meat can make you feel secure about
planning a dinner, but you must remember to ´´order`` from your
freezer, as if buying fresh meat from a butcher.
Defrosting time depends on the size of the cut of meat.
|
|
Small Chops
|
Place on the lower rack of the refrigerator on the morning
of the dinner. About four hours before cooking time, put
the chops on the kitchen counter to finish thawing and
reach room temperature.
|
|
Large Steaks
|
A big steak, such as a two-inch porterhouse, should
be placed on the lowest rack of the refrigerator at dinnertime
the night before. If the steak is still frozen in the
morning, take it out of the refrigerator around noon and
put it on the kitchen counter to finish thawing.
|
|
Roasts
|
Allow a large roast to ´´rest`` in your refrigerator
for a couple of days. Then bring it to room temperature
early on the morning of the day you will be roasting.
|
back to top
Lobel´s of New York does not recommend defrosting
meat in the microwave oven. The microwave usually defrosts
unevenly, cooking the meat on the outside while it is still
thawing inside. If you absolutely must use the microwave,
defrost the meat only 75 percent, so that it is still partially
frozen. Then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let the meat
finish thawing and reach room temperature on the counter.
Do not use the microwave to defrost small pieces of meat,
as they will dry out.
back to top