Defrost Frozen Meat With a Little Vinegar
My freezer is ineffective trash and any steak, chop, or chicken thighs I freeze get covered in frost. The meat is technically edible, but not very tasty. This is why I’ve been keeping one frosty pork chop next to a bag of frozen corn for months now.
But I recently read a little tip on The Kitchn that suggested thawing meat with a little vinegar to improve flavor and texture, and I was intrigued:
Whether it’s defrosting all day or quickly in the sink, there’s always time to add some flavor. I have found that adding a little balsamic vinegar to the bag allows the meat to marinate slightly when thawed. The meat becomes quite tender due to the acidity, and also very aromatic without the strong vinegar aftertaste.
I like to add vinegar to anything , so I decided to add frozen pork chop to it. While The Kitchn suggests a tablespoon per pound, I added a tablespoon to the freezer bag along with an eight-ounce chop, then placed the bag in a bowl of cold water to melt. As soon as it stopped freezing, I drained off the excess vinegar and prepared this suction cup with a submersible circulation pump at 140 ℉ for an hour. I finished the chop in a hot cast iron skillet, greased it with bacon grease and gave it some flavor.
It was very good. Although I didn’t taste the “vinegar,” I did experience a slight sweetness, I didn’t find any “off” flavors that sometimes occur with thawed meat, and the chop was quite tender. It’s worth noting that I didn’t add anything other than vinegar to the bag while the chop was thawing (and some salt right before watching sous-video) so I can judge the vinegar more accurately, but I bet you could add some soy. sauce or another flavorful friend to make it even better. It’s not limited to pork; You can defrost beef, chicken, lamb – all of this – with one or two glasses of balsamic solution, and I bet you could substitute vinegar. Apple cider vinegar, sherry vinegar, or champagne vinegar go especially well with chicken.
One Ingredient That Makes Defrosted Meat So Much Better | Kitchen