Is it really that dangerous to defrost meat at room temp?

[pinklightbulb]

I do it all the time and have never gotten sick
Who else does it? Obviously if I do it's out for six hours max and still cold when I go to use it. I'm currently defrosting chicken for tea and wondering really how dangerous it is?

 

[irmastar]

don't know but I wuld like to know as I defrost meat at room temp all the time

 

[babybaker2011]

I do it all the time too and curious to know the dangers as well...

 

[Jaylynne]

I do it. As long as it's not out past room temperature for up to 2 hours before cooked it shouldn't have dangerous levels of bacteria.

 

[mrs_park]

I am a vegetarian so am not in the habit of defrosting meat but on cooking shows they often say to cook room temp meat?

 

[pinklightbulb]

Well, I was researching it and all the websites say DON'T DO IT!!!11!! but I always have and never died... I hate to touch raw chicken because I'm scared of food poisoning lol and even more scared of thawing/preparing/cooking it wrong. Is anyone else a big baby like me? I can handle red meat but hate touching chicken.

 

[NDH]

Its not recommended cause its easy to forget that its out and leave it toi long. If its still cold it should be fine.

 

[pinklightbulb]

I just checked mine and it's still cold. Does it matter if it's still a bit frozen in the middle if it's going to be cut up into small pieces and stir fried?

 

[NDH]

Im too lazy to defrost my meat - maybe an hour in the sink and then i cook it half frozen.

 

[pinklightbulb]

I've never seen that method done IRL. I always thought I wouldn't do it right so just defrosted on the bench and go back every hour or so if I'm home to make sure it's going OK lol.

 

[Squidge]

I always defrost my meat at room temp, didn't know you wasn't supposed so

 

[pinklightbulb]

I didn't either till I saw it on some cooking show and then online. Talk about fearmongering huh

 

[Loui1001]

I've always defrosted it at room temperature too

 

[pinklightbulb]

Might chalk it up to scaremongering then I just cooked my room temp defrosted chicken and it was FAB... stupid websites lol.

 

[Boothh]

I do both either put it on a tray on the side or put it in the fridge the night before, we've never been ill from anything I've cooked x

 

[v2007]

I defrost in fridge overnight or if I forget I defrost as soon as I get up at room temp.

Once it's defrosted whack it in the fridge till it's time to cook it.

V xxx

 

[Rhio92]

I always do it... And I've got a phobia of being sick, so don't take risks!

 

[RachA]

I always do mine at room temperature - quite often i take it out in the evening and leave it on the draining board overnight.

You can also defrost meat in water: chicken and lamb have to be done in cold water but beef and pork can be done in warm/hot water.

 

[smokey]

I do food health an safety training for work and idealy it should be defrosted in a fridge but as long as the food is not exposed and only out no more then 6 hours its normaly fine.

Just follow a few rules of dint leave it in sunlight and keep it covered preferably sealed, if its not sealed keep it somthing like a cooking pot wirh a lid.
Keep it away from other foods.

Truth is more people get suck from defrosting it in a fridge because the put ir above other foods without thinking and the other food makes them sick

 

[Char&Bump-x]

I usually defrost mine in a mixing bowl with cold water