Frozen meat?

(Cathrine Helle) #1

I’m considering investing in a proper freezer, as the only option I have now is the freezer part of our fridge (that also contains an ice maker), and there’s really not a lot of room in it. I’m fortunate enough to have access to buying pork, beef and lamb directly from a farm in bulk during slaughter season, but my limited freezer capacity has made this impossible.

Do any of you buy large and freeze, or do you shop fresh meat on a weekly/daily basis? How do you feel frozen meat compares to the fresh? Does the nutrients survive the freezing process?

I usually thaw frozen meat over night in the fridge or on the counter, depending on how large it is. I’ve never had much luck preparing steak that’s been frozen, I’ve had better luck with pork chops and such. Any tips for for me on how to handle and prepare frozen meat? :slight_smile:

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #2

Frozen meat is fine, though I find that the higher-fat mince/ground beef tends to get a bit watery when thawed. The only caveat would be to take the meat out of the freezer long enough to thaw before cooking. I don’t get great results from trying to thaw in the microwave. It’s possible to cook frozen hamburger patties fresh out of the freezer, but I wouldn’t try it with steak or liver.

(Chris) #3

Frozen meat is perfectly fine, and it’s better on your wallet to buy in bulk and freeze it. Any nutrient loss is insignificant as far as I’ve read. Go nuts!

(J) #4

I purchase from a meat share. I get a monthly delivery of a variety of cuts, all frozen. They go right into my freezer. I put a few things in the fridge at a time to thaw for cooking. It’s a really economical way to get humanely raised, pastured meat without the whole foods price tag.

(Todd Allen) #5

We buy pastured meat in bulk from a local farm cooperative that delivers it frozen by van into Chicago for pick up. In general the quality is much better than unfrozen meat from local grocery stores and it keeps excellently in our chest freezer. However, that may be due to their low moisture processing, vacuum sealing and flash freezing. When I’ve purchased grocery store meat and frozen it myself the results have been variable.

(Mike W.) #6

We buy meat in bulk, vac pack and then sous vide it so it’s all precooked. We label it and into the freezer it goes. When we want to prepare a meal, back into the sous vide for about an hour and it’s completely thawed and warmed up to serve.

(Allie) #7

I buy meat whenever I see it at a good price and store it in the freezer.

(Mike W.) #8

I’m also a big fan of the “Managers Special” half off meat at our local grocery chain.

(Tony Battelle) #9

The important thing is that the meat is grass fed, organic. Slow thaw is best. Try to get “grass finished” if possible. Some grass fed beef is grain finished to fatten them up in the end. A sure bet is Buffalo meat. Federal law prevents them from doing anything to them besides what they do and eat naturally.

(Allie) #10
(Cynthia Anderson) #11

I have 2 freezers and still run out of room.

I do think fresh meat tastes a bit better so I make sure to cook a meal out of any bulk meat before buying it.

I was given a deer around Christmas.
I still have some. In fact a roast is in the Crock-Pot right now

(Tony Battelle) #12

Ok, Ok! I come from a paleo background to this, so, I really can’t imagine why anyone who cares about what they eat would want to put second hand antibiotics in their body. But, I suppose if you just really care about losing weight and not your general health then it won’t make a difference to you.

(Allie) #13

Please actually read the thread I shared, which I don’t remember even commenting in although I may have done, before responding with sarcastic assumptions. Grass fed is not a rule of keto. We all do the best we can within our budgets, and comments like the one you made will only make people who genuinely cannot access / afford grass fed / organic meats feel as if they’re not doing things correctly. Everyone has to find their own way to make the keto lifestyle fit with their own lives.

(Ethan) #14

We buy a share of cow every couple months and freeze

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #15

You were both right to post what you and Allie each posted. It was very helpful that you suggested grass-fed, because I believe it’s the better option for people who can afford it. Allie’s point in posting the link to that thread was to supplement by saying that it’s better to be keto on whatever you can afford, than to put it off until you can do it 100% right.

Tim Noakes had to start a foundation to work with poor people in South Africa, to show them how they could afford to eat a ketogenic diet. It turns out that it’s cheaper for them in the long run, when you consider lost income from doctor visits, and so forth, but they still need help figuring out where to buy whole foods and how to manage until the benefits of keto kick in. I don’t know if grass-fed is even on their radar.

Dr. Westman has a homeless patient who had to figure out how to eat keto as inexpensively as possible, and he did it mostly by eating fast food. To tell him he could only eat grass-fed beef would have placed an impossible burden on his shoulders. As it is, the turnaround in his health has been remarkable.

If keto has a rule, the only one would be “Do what works.”

#16

I don’t see the point of freezing meat. It’s always available and tastes better fresh. I have to go to the store regularly for other stuff anyways. Even bulk meat at Costco is consumed quickly. I have become more of a believer in quality frozen veggies and berries though.

(Chris) #17

I think it’s been made pretty clear it’s for buying in bulk to get better pricing.

#18

“The important thing is that the meat is grass fed, organic.” Totally disagree.
I think the most important thing is it’s meat. Grass fed may be better, but for those who can’t afford those hiked up prices, just eat meat. Much better than anything else. I have read many times there is not much difference in either other than cost.
Here in the Uk, I live in Cumbria a farming community and can’t find any farmers / meat producers who do anything differently from the others. And I have asked most of them. It may be different in America, but not for all. Eat meat, cheap as you can get, then eat more meat. Nameste.

Sorry about rant OP, I have a normal sized freezer, hunt every day, Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s Aldi etc.

(Chris) #19

All beef is grass fed. Difference being whether or not it’s grass finished.

(Running from stupidity) #20

How’s that sneering at the dumb folks working for you?

Organic is a giant con.