the meat surface which scatter light and so
appear white. The meat surface is now in
effect a thin layer of freeze-dried meat where
oxidation of fat and pigment is accelerated, so
texture, flavor, and color all suffer.
Freezer burn can be minimized by
covering the meat as tightly as possible with
water-impermeable plastic wrap.
Thawing Meats Frozen meats are usually
thawed before cooking. The simplest method
— leaving the meat on the kitchen counter —
is neither safe nor efficient. The surface can
rise to microbe-friendly temperatures long
before the interior thaws, and air transfers
heat to the meat very slowly, at about one-
twentieth the rate that water does. A much
faster and safer method is to immerse the
wrapped meat in a bath of ice water, which
keeps the surface safely cold, but still
transfers heat into the meat efficiently. If the
piece of meat is too large for a water bath, or