I just learned a simple way to cook frozen meats. A large Turkey or roast - no problem. Using the old way I make a mess. What I dislike is making room in the fridge to let the frozen block of food thaw out. There is an ongoing risk of spillage from the fluids and the even bigger one, waste. Since the meat takes days to thaw I may not be feeling well enough to cook the meat, which means it sits int he refer until it ends up in the trash. What a waste. Sure, I could put the block of meat in the sink and run water over it, but that can be messy, increases the chance that I hurt myself, and extends the time I must be in the kitchen. Not to mention the wasted water.
I have just discovered that you can cook meats from a frozen state! It is simple, takes zero advance planning, and the food is better than if you used the thawed out method!
You need 3 basic tools.
- A meat thermometer
- A shallow pan
- A turkey cooking bag (or aluminum foil)
Cook Frozen Turkey
Here is a link from a Government site: http://www.foodsafety.gov/blog/thanksgiving_cook.html
If that link is bad go to: foodsafety.gov and search for turkey.
Here are my thoughts. If you want to cook a frozen turkey or large bird there are plenty of web sites with instructions. Basically you place the frozen bird in a shallow pan, stick it in the oven and set the stove on 350. Wait hours and hours and the bird comes out juicy and nummy. What about the giblets? Well, a few hours after the bird is placed in the oven, the insides get thawed enough and you can pull the stuff out. DON"T add stuffing! I find that the bird cooks better if the insides are hollow, sticking stuffing in there risks under cooking the bird.Cook Frozen Roast
I just did this tonight. I had a 5 pound rump roast. I don't have enough teeth to chew well so the meat must be tender and flakey. I placed the block of roast in a shallow pan, I think it was a glass cake pan (square). Set the oven on 350, put some spices on top of the meat, covered with foil, added 1 cup of water and put it on the center rack. About 3 hours later it was done. I did chop up some onions and put them on top of the meat. When I opened the oven, i used the meat thermometer, it read 200 degrees, plenty war,m. The meat was so tender I hardly had to cut it with a knife.
One thought, don't use a too shallow of a pan unless you want to remove drippings, there will be plenty of that liquid coming from the frozen food.
I have done both of these meats in the last month. Even when I am having a rotten day I can pull some block of meat out of the freezer, throw a few spices on it, cover with foil, and set it in the oven. Makes for a real easy dinner. REALLY EASY.
