The food lab better home cooking through science ( PDFDrive ) 83

best is to wrap the meat tightly in foil, followed by several layers of plastic wrap (plastic wrap on its own will be airpermeable), or to use a freezer bag designed for long-term storage • Freeze flat Wide, flat shapes freeze faster and can be stacked more efficiently than bulky packages Freeze meats in a single layer in vacuum-sealed packages or freezer bags Not only will this help you organize your freezer space, it’ll also greatly cut down on defrosting time • Label everything! All packages should have the contents and date written on them Nobody likes to play the frozenmystery guessing game • Defrost safely The best way to safely defrost meat is on a plate or a rimmed baking sheet in the refrigerator Be aware that it’ll probably take longer than you think: allow at least overnight for thin items like steaks, burgers, chicken breasts, and the like; up to days for beef and pork roasts or whole chickens; and up to 3 or even 4 days for large turkeys In emergencies, thinner foods can be rapidly defrosted by placing them in a bowl of cold water under a slowly running tap or, better yet, placed on an aluminum tray or pan, which will very quickly transmit energy from the room to the food Steaks will defrost about 50 percent faster on an aluminum tray than on a wooden or plastic cutting board Turn them over every half hour or so as they thaw Do not try to defrost large items rapidly—the risk of dangerous bacteria growing on the exterior before the interior defrosts is too great ESSENTIAL PANTRY INGREDIENTS Cold Pantry Here are the refrigerated items I have on hand at all times: • Bacon, slab (will last several weeks in the fridge, can be frozen for longer storage) • Butter, unsalted (will last several weeks in the fridge; I keep a few extra pounds in the freezer, where it will keep indefinitely) • Buttermilk • Cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano • Eggs, large • Ketchup • Maple Syrup, Grade A dark amber • Mayonnaise • Milk, whole or 2% (or, if you must, skim) • Mustard, Dijon • Mustard, brown Baking Pantry Some people are bakers, some are not I wasn’t born a baker, but I’ve discovered that after organizing my baking pantry, making bread and pastry has become far more pleasurable for me I used to store my flours and such in their original bags in a cabinet To bake something, I’d have to pull everything out, try and measure out of a paper bag with a narrow opening, and finally end up folding the bag ... Here are the refrigerated items I have on hand at all times: • Bacon, slab (will last several weeks in the fridge, can be frozen for longer storage) • Butter, unsalted (will last several weeks in the. .. keep a few extra pounds in the freezer, where it will keep indefinitely) • Buttermilk • Cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano • Eggs, large • Ketchup • Maple Syrup, Grade A dark amber • Mayonnaise • Milk, whole or 2% (or, if you must, skim)... and such in their original bags in a cabinet To bake something, I’d have to pull everything out, try and measure out of a paper bag with a narrow opening, and finally end up folding the bag