Whether buying beef in bulk to take advantage of sales, or committing to a full side of beef to support a local cattle farmer by, proper storage is key to enjoying your investment for months to come. Bonus: When there’s properly stored beef cuts in the freezer, meals are a breeze.
In the past – before refrigeration – smoking, drying, fermenting, canning, pickling, and curing were the only ways to make the meat from a large animal last, and that meant radically altering the flavour and texture. Thankfully, we can now pop fresh beef into the freezer for another day, but there are still a few threats to flavour and texture to guard against.
Tips for Safe Storage
The first step in proper beef storage is always hygiene. Use clean utensils and knives, clean bags, wrappings, and containers, clean surfaces, and above all, clean hands. Handling beef or any food with hands that aren’t perfectly clean can cause cross-contamination and that can spoil anything you touch by introducing harmful bacteria.
When it comes to keeping beef fresh, healthy, and tasty, oxygen is not our friend. Exposure to air causes oxidization – discolouring – and loss of moisture and flavour, so keep fresh beef well-wrapped in a properly cold fridge or freezer.
Another way to keep oxygen away from beef is to submerge it in liquid: a marinade, brine, or generous slathering of fat. Beef covered with oil or marinade in a sealed container will not only last up to three days in the fridge and three months in the freezer, it also becomes more tender and more flavourful.
Freezing
Most of us have found something forgotten in the freezer that’s become frost-covered, dried out, and lost its colour: That’s freezer burn, and it’s caused by a combination of improper wrapping and too much time in the deep freeze.
To keep beef as fresh as can be, it’s vital to keep that icy, dry freezer air away from it. If you already have one – or can afford the investment in a sealer – vacuum pack each cut individually, and write the date on it.
No fancy sealer? No problem! Double or triple wrap, first in plastic wrap and then in a heavy-duty freezer bag, or foil. A layer of butcher paper is nice, but, as with foil, you won’t be able to see the contents; so, remember to label what’s inside and don’t forget to add the date. Containers with tight-sealing lids are good too. Whatever you do, don’t depend on that loose plastic wrap-over Styrofoam tray grocery store wrapping; it’s not designed for freezer life! Enjoy properly wrapped and frozen beef for up to three months.
Freezing Tip: Try adding your favourite marinade to the freezer bag along with that steak or roast. This does two great things: it adds flavour and an extra layer of protection from oxidation.
From the Freezer to the Fire
When ready to cook, allow it to thaw in its package, in the refrigerator on a plate at the lowest level of the fridge. Depending on the cut, that might take a few hours to overnight.
When cooking off a bulk-buy of beef – ground, strips, or cubes, perhaps – always chill the cooked beef in the fridge, uncovered, before stashing in the freezer Adding foods that are still warm into the freezer can raise the temperature of nearby frozen items potentially causing them to partially thaw and refreeze.
A real time-saver is cooking up big batches of beef dishes, such as meatballs, bolognese sauce, or chili, which all freeze well and stay delicious for up to three months in airtight containers, ready for weekday meals in minutes.
Safety Tip: Don’t forget to check the running temperature of your fridge from time to time. Keeping it at 40F/4C is ideal, and the freezer should be 0F/-18C or lower. Any beef (or other meats) in the freezer should be rock hard once frozen, and frozen as quickly as possible, so place raw or cooked beef into the deepest, coldest part of the freezer.
So Many Cuts, So Many Choices
All beef cuts freeze beautifully, and with so many cuts to choose from, it’s incredibly versatile. Keeping a wide selection of raw and cooked beef properly stored in the freezer makes busy weekday dinners easy, varied, delicious, and nutritious.
