Questions about Cooking Beef
• I made a meatloaf the other night and it stayed red on the surface and all the way through, even though I cooked it very well done. Is this a bad thing?
• I work during the week. Can I speed up defrosting my beef by leaving it on the counter in the morning or by running it under warm water?
• In the summertime we grill and eat outdoors quite a bit. Are there extra precautions we should take with meat during the hotter weather to keep our meals safe?
• I made a meatloaf the other night and it stayed red on the surface and all the way through, even though I cooked it very well done. Is this a bad thing?
Don't worry. If you cooked the loaf to an internal temperature of at least 160ºF, there shouldn't be a problem. Due to the natural nitrate content of certain ingredients often used in meatloaf, such as onions, celery and bell peppers, meatloaf may remain pink even when a 160ºF internal temperature has been reached. Always check the internal temperature of meatloaf using a meat thermometer or instant-read thermometer to be certain it reaches 160ºF.
Check out our section on Getting Ready to Cook for more info about doneness & temperature.
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• I work during the week. Can I speed up defrosting my beef by leaving it on the counter in the morning or by running it under warm water?
Absolutely not! Both of these methods are terribly unsafe. Only defrost beef in the refrigerator or microwave oven and NEVER at room temperature. If defrosting meat in the microwave, you must finish cooking it immediately.
Plan ahead and follow these general guidelines for refrigerator thawing:
- Allow about 24 hours to defrost a 1 to 1-1/2-inch thick package of ground beef or beef pieces; 12 hours to defrost 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick patties.
- Allow 12 to 24 hours to defrost steaks, depending on thickness.
- Allow 4 to 7 hours per pound to defrost large roasts or thick compact pot roasts.
- Allow 3 to 5 hours per pound to defrost small roasts or thin pot roasts.
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• In the summertime we grill and eat outdoors quite a bit. Are there extra precautions we should take with meat during the hotter weather to keep our meals safe?
- Safe food handling practices should be followed year-round, although they become even more important when temperatures are higher. Most of them have to do with avoiding cross-contamination. In simpler terms, this means keeping raw meat and meat juices separate from cooked foods at every stage of handling.
- Wash hands, utensils, cutting surfaces and counters with hot soapy water after contact with raw meat and meat juices.
- Keep raw meat and meat juices from coming into contact with other foods during refrigeration and during preparation.
- Reserve carving boards for meat. Keep them separate from other food preparation boards.
- Never place cooked foods on the same platter, board or tray that held raw meat. Carry uncooked meat out to the grill on one plate; use a clean plate for the return trip with the cooked meat.
- When basting grilled meats, brush sauce only on cooked surfaces.
Always marinate meat in the refrigerator, NEVER at room temperature.
- Never save or reuse a marinade.
- Serve cooked meat as soon as possible. Don't let it sit out or at room temperature for more than 1 hour.
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