Can thawing meat more quickly (e.g. warm water, microwave, warm oven) than normal (leaving out at room temperature) affect the taste / texture of the meat? Is there a particular maximum rate of temperature change for various types of meat (beef, pork, and chicken is what I'm most interested in)?
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Possibly related to cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/47351/…– Neil MeyerJun 7, 2015 at 7:11
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Possible duplicate of Is a longer defrost better than microwave defrosting?– LucianoOct 22, 2018 at 10:47
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1I don't think that is a duplicate since it focuses on the effects of the microwave, and this question is more interested in the rate of temperature change. Definitely related, though.– EricaOct 22, 2018 at 12:11
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1I agree with Erica. I read the linked question, and it is interesting (thanks!) but you could do a very slow defrost in the microwave vs a much higher power defrost also in the microwave, you could also do slow vs fast defrost and never use a microwave, and those are the kinds of situations I was asking about.– Jason COct 23, 2018 at 3:49
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1 Answer
I'd be more concerned about the meat's safety than taste/texture. "Warm" thawing creates the perfect environment for bacteria growth.
That having been said, my experience mainly involves the use of a microwave to thaw meat. When microwaving meat to thaw, try to avoid the meat having corners or protrusions. This adversely affects taste/texture because they usually start to cook before the rest of the meat thaws.
Freeze ground meat, in a circular shape with a hole in the middle for quickest microwave thawing time. When thawing meat 'parts' place them in a circle, thickest side outward.
So long as no noticeable cooking has started, the taste/texture should be fine. Cook immediately.
