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Storing Meat
Appears in
By Anne Willan
Published 1989
At home, meat should be stored, loosely wrapped in plastic, in the coldest part of the refrigerator. Variety meats, ground meat, and cuts such as veal escalope are best eaten within a day; chops, steak and small pieces can be left for two to three days; large roasts for up to five days. Red meats keep better than white meats, and lean cuts better than fat, as fat turns rancid first.
An unpleasant smell, slimy surface and greenish tinge are all danger signs that meat has been stored at too high a temperature or for too long and that bacteria have developed. Problems caused by rapid commercial chilling of the carcass, which toughens fibers, are less easily detected, although pallid color and a wet package are an indication. For freezing details, see Preserving.