In need of quick answer, beef and defrosting

[1gear]

I need to defrost some beef a bit quick, i forgot to take it out yesterday morning to defrost for today. I put it in the fridge this morning, taking it out from the freezer and its still not defrosted. No shop open to get some more, can i bang it in the microwave to defrost fully, even though its partly defrosted in the fridge already?

[Euan Uzami]

I think you can. The only thing you don't want to do is re freeze it once it's been defrosted.
Put it on low power so it doesn't cook the outside.

[Phil]

If it's still mostly frozen, you'll cook the outside before you get anywhere near thawing the middle.  If it's just a bit solid in the middle you should get away with it. Even on defrost mode you risk making it incredibly tough if you overdo it. 

The quickest way to thaw meat without damaging it is to put it, still packaged, in a basin of cold water, changing the water regularly.  It'll take a while though. 

[Rapples]

I'd be tempted to put in a sink of hot water not boiling.  Depending on how big it is it should defrost quite quickly,(an hour) once it gets started it gets going quite quickly.

The worst that can happen is it'll be a little rare once cooked, tell your guests it's a French recipe

[David Martin]

What phil said. Though you can use coolish water rather than cold, and keeping it agitated helps. If it is in a vacuum pack, don't unpack it. If it is in a pack with lots of air/gas then unpack it and repack in a plastic bag from which you remove most of the air.

The big worry is bacterial spoilage.

..d

[Polar Bear]

Definitely cold water, not hot and change regularly.

You cannot rush a defrost if you want the meat to be good when you've cooked it.

[Rapples]

You cannot rush a defrost if you want the meat to be good when you've cooked it.

Perhaps he should put it back in the fridge then

[1gear]

Shot out to Tesco Express and got some meat instead. Id read you had to be careful using a microwave and although its diced beef its all clumped together. My thoughts were that it would cook bits and the middle would still be frosty.
That shall do me tomorrow

Cheers

[Valiant]

Should have got the cleaver out and chopped it into quaters and then defrosted in the microwave/sink.