How can I tell when the meat is thawed?

[dfcrackhead]

So I decided to teach myself how to cook and I got a pound of hamburger from the freezer and submerged it in the sink full of water(still in the package)....How do I tell when it's thawed out and ready to cook?

 

[Bravo Company]

There is no ice left in the package and/or you can move it around easily in the bag.

 

[Grey_Focks]

it should be completely soft. I mean COMPLETELY soft.

 

[Thedayrecker]

Eat it, and if you don't die, you win.

OT: Leave it out til it's soft, I suppose. I don't cook much

 

[Matt_LRR]

Depends what you plan to do with it. If you're making hamburgers, then it's gonna be a few hours. If you're just frying it up for tacos or a casserole, you can pretty much just toss it in the pan frozen, and it'll thaw as it cooks.

As above though, it's thawed when it's not frozen any more.

-m

 

[Kasawd]

Stick your finger into it. Remember that if you can sink your finger through lukewarm meat to find a frozen center, it's ready to use.

That frozen center can still be used.

 

[dfcrackhead]

Depends what you plan to do with it. If you're making hamburgers, then it's gonna be a few hours. If you're just frying it up for tacos or a casserole, you can pretty much just toss it in the pan frozen, and it'll thaw as it cooks.

As above though, it's thawed when it's not frozen any more.

-m

Making Hamburger Helper, I know I can't be a gourmet chef overnight, but it certainly beats microwaveable chicken nuggets

 

[SnootyEnglishman]

The outside parts of the meat will be soft and mushable while the middle may still be frozen but that shouldn't be a problem once it's put in the frying pan.

 

[YouBecame]

Stick a skewer or a knife into the meat. If you meet any resistence over the usual texture of the meat then its still frozen.

 

[Matt_LRR]

Depends what you plan to do with it. If you're making hamburgers, then it's gonna be a few hours. If you're just frying it up for tacos or a casserole, you can pretty much just toss it in the pan frozen, and it'll thaw as it cooks.

As above though, it's thawed when it's not frozen any more.

-m

Making Hamburger Helper, I know I can't be a gourmet chef overnight, but it certainly beats microwaveable chicken nuggets

Oh, that's easy, then. you can pretty much fry it up frozen. As the outside layer of the meat thaws and cooks, you can scrape it off, revealing the frozen meat below. Since you'd be breaking the meat up anyhow, and since you have to cook it through, being fully thawed is not really an issue.


-m

 

[dfcrackhead]

Depends what you plan to do with it. If you're making hamburgers, then it's gonna be a few hours. If you're just frying it up for tacos or a casserole, you can pretty much just toss it in the pan frozen, and it'll thaw as it cooks.

As above though, it's thawed when it's not frozen any more.

-m

Making Hamburger Helper, I know I can't be a gourmet chef overnight, but it certainly beats microwaveable chicken nuggets

Oh, that's easy, then. you can pretty much fry it up frozen. As the outside layer of the meat thaws and cooks, you can scrape it off, revealing the frozen meat below. Since you'd be breaking the meat up anyhow, and since you have to cook it through, being fully thawed is not really an issue.


-m

Well thanks to the help of you and other escapists, I should be having dinner in about 10 minutes and hopefully not dying because my colorblindedness caused me to not realize the meat wasn't completely browned