Better Home Cooking Basics: #8 Always Defrost Meat Completely

At our house growing up & at my grandma's house (where I also grew up) there was always a full second freezer for storing two month's worth of food either in a separate room (the laundry room at my parents' house) or the garage (at my grandma's). We don't have an extra freezer, yet, but ours is pretty full. I usually try to freeze chicken, shrimp & other meat in fear that I'll forget it in the back of my fridge where it will no doubt rot away - which would stink on all accounts.

One thing I've learned is that if you freeze your meat, always, always defrost it completely before you cook it. And don't do it in the microwave. Try to plan ahead & take it out in the morning or the night before & defrost it gradually. Defrosting it completely allows for it to cook evenly - so you won't get random raw or worse - frozen - spots in your meat all the while burning the outside.

Check out more better home cooking basic tips here.