Want the convenience...not the bacteria HELP

TheRightWeigh

Ok. So I see the benefit of cooking in advance. I'm all for the convenience of it...but it sort of creeps me out. Food Safety is VERY important to me. now for my protein I generally eat boneless skinless chicken breasts, Salmon fillets/steaks, and extra lean hamburgers/ occasional steak. I don't want to go the whole freezing route seeing as when I think about thawing...i think about the drive-thru as an alternative to waiting for the thawing....not that the drive-thru is inherently evil.

In short: How far in advance should i cook these meats SAFELY??

Thanks

explosivedonut

I buy whole chickens, and cook them. The meat lasts me the better part of a week. I keep the leftovers in the fridge, and heat them up in the microwave before I eat it. I would not worry about bacteria.

If I buy meat and don't cook it within the next day or two (if its on sale or something) I store it in the freezer. Any bacteria from the thawing process will be killed off when it is cooked.

In short, cooking properly first, plus the microwave means no real worry about bacteria.

elvensnow

Meat that has been cooked, if I am remembering correctly, is good for up to around 3 days. You can go longer if it's leaner meats, chicken and the like. The faster you can get it into the fridge, the less chance for bacteria growth.

I am also wary of leftovers, but I definitely toss stuff after 3-4 days and have never given myself food poisoning.

Also the safest way to thaw meats is in the fridge.

allshebe

I figure cooked meat stored covered/wrapped in a fridge at a reasonably cold temperature is safe for about a week. The University of Illinois is a bit more conservative, suggesting 3-4 days < http://web.extension.illinois.edu/meatsafety/storage.cfm >

TavistockToad

Ok. So I see the benefit of cooking in advance. I'm all for the convenience of it...but it sort of creeps me out. Food Safety is VERY important to me. now for my protein I generally eat boneless skinless chicken breasts, Salmon fillets/steaks, and extra lean hamburgers/ occasional steak. I don't want to go the whole freezing route seeing as when I think about thawing...i think about the drive-thru as an alternative to waiting for the thawing....not that the drive-thru is inherently evil.

In short: How far in advance should i cook these meats SAFELY??

Thanks

The what now?!

oldernotwiser

I cook protein, fish, chicken & shellfish primarily, every Sunday and eat it through the week. I have never had a problem with it.

ALKNica

You can also cook the meat and then freeze. I sometimes bake several chicken breasts, slice them up and portion them out in baggies. I keep some in the fridge for the following days and freeze the rest. It thaws out well, especially for salads.

I also make soups, stews and the like and portion them out in tupperware. I keep some in the fridge and some in the freezer. Lots of things freeze well.

TheRightWeigh

Ok. So I see the benefit of cooking in advance. I'm all for the convenience of it...but it sort of creeps me out. Food Safety is VERY important to me. now for my protein I generally eat boneless skinless chicken breasts, Salmon fillets/steaks, and extra lean hamburgers/ occasional steak. I don't want to go the whole freezing route seeing as when I think about thawing...i think about the drive-thru as an alternative to waiting for the thawing....not that the drive-thru is inherently evil.

In short: How far in advance should i cook these meats SAFELY??

Thanks

The what now?!

Did me make typo??:huh:

corgicake

Not as much help because I don't do much fish. BUUUT...

Pre-cooked and then frozen hamburgers nuke well. Also next time you're at the meat counter, ask 'em to thin slice your cut of choice. Sufficiently thin cut steak can be marinated in the fridge and shoved in the freezer (while still raw) for as long as you need, then brought out to cook from frozen.