On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 291

isn’t needed right away, then it’s also safe to thaw it in the refrigerator But cold air is an especially inefficient purveyor of warmth, so it can take days for a large roast to thaw Cooking Unthawed Meats Frozen meats can be cooked without thawing them first, particularly with relatively slow methods such as oven roasting, which give the heat time to penetrate to the center without drastically overcooking the outer portions of the meat Cooking times are generally 30–50% longer than for fresh cuts Irradiation Because ionizing radiation (p 782) damages delicate biological machinery like DNA and proteins, it kills spoilage and disease microbes in food, thus extending its shelf life and making it safer to eat Tests have shown that low doses of radiation can kill most microbes and more than double the shelf life of carefully wrapped refrigerated meats There is, however, a characteristic radiation flavor, described as metallic, sulfurous, and goaty, which may be barely noticeable or unpleasantly strong Beginning in 1985, the U.S Food and Drug Administration has approved irradiation to control a number of pathogens in meat: first trichinosis in pork, then salmonella in chickens, and E coli in beef A treatment like irradiation is an especially valuable form of insurance for the mass production of ground meats, in which a single infected carcass can contaminate thousands of pounds of meat, and affect thousands of consumers But its use remains limited due to consumer wariness Decades of testing indicate that irradiated meat is safe to eat But one other objection is quite reasonable If meat has been contaminated with enough fecal matter to cause infection with E coli, then irradiation ... irradiation is an especially valuable form of insurance for the mass production of ground meats, in which a single infected carcass can contaminate thousands of pounds of meat, and affect thousands of consumers... unpleasantly strong Beginning in 1985, the U.S Food and Drug Administration has approved irradiation to control a number of pathogens in meat: first trichinosis in pork, then salmonella in chickens, and E... affect thousands of consumers But its use remains limited due to consumer wariness Decades of testing indicate that irradiated meat is safe to eat But one other objection is quite reasonable If meat has been contaminated with enough fecal matter to