To go and throw a joint of beef at the butchers tomorrow - grrrrrr

[boringnickname]

Walked down to the town, bought what i was assured was a lovely joint of beef, enough for three people (DP, DD and myself), bought a nice bottle of red wine, some horse raddish sauce, excited, nice dinner for the three of us. DP potentially working late (he is now) but still, would have eaten with DD then he could eat when he comes home.

When i put the beef in the fridge earlier iwas a bit as if felt quite hard, but didnt think anymore about it. Then went to put it in the oven later on, still felt hard (not so much hard but resistive iyswim). One side, fine, the other fucking frozen!!!! I was and it had ice crystals in it too - i was soooo Nothing else in the house for dinner we were lazy at the weekend and didnt do a weeks shop so will have to cobble together or have a takeaway

It was raining so didnt want to go to the butchers again with whiney tired 6 yo DD who declared she didnt want to have to walk miles (its not miles but still) to go and replace it. Was going to call the butchers but it got busy here, my mum arrived and took up loads of my time (i dont mind) and now is too late to ring them.

Im going to tke it back in the morning - i dont want it now! I kmnow it will be defrosted by then but i bought what i thought was a FRESH joint of beef and now i dont really know WHAT has happened to it, how many times has it sat in their semi defrosting? God help them if i don't get a full refund in the morning - i am seriously considering a call to the environmental health guys. Fuckwits

Pick up the phone. Order a pizza. Cook beef tomorrow.

Problem solved.

Order a take-away. Cook the beef tomorrow. Not sure I'd be stressed by this.

pokes tongue out at Spotted - could you have not let me over dramatise a little longer. The thing is, that is the perfect plan in fact i am sat phone in hand ready to phone dominos but im just unsure about whether the beef will actually be safe to eat. Seriously, what do you think?

i know this seems really dim, but do you think the beef WILL be ok tomorrow? it shoudnt have been frozen in the first place surely?

No stranded defo not, it was resistive when i put it IN the fridge i just didnt register and it was only in there an hour, my fridge is at exactly 4 degrees (long story, but i KNOW this )

Im stressed and upset abut something else that i dont want to go into, but would be UR to go and lob this at the butchers tomorrow wouldnt it?

lol Yes stranded - this is startin to turn into a positive! dominos do those new boneless ribs, nom nom nom

I'm pretty lax with food. I'd just shove it in the oven and make sure it was well cooked (after defrosting it).

I don't see that there'd be an issue with it being frozen.

It has been ages since I bought any seafood at our local waitrose that wasn't partially frozen. Tis the norm now, unfortunately.

It will be fine. Beef is not even an "iffy" meat.

Order pizza, cook beef tomorrow it will be fine and then call the butcher a fuckwit.
Selling previously frozen meat as fresh is probably naughty, someone will be along who knows the rules.
Selling it still frozen so it won't cook properly is certainly wrong and if it was poultry, dangerous.

Can't you defrost it in the microwave?
I do this all the time, as I live in the middle of nowhere and I have to freeze everything.
It'll also defrost in the sink under a bit of water.

boringnickname

Can I ask where you are?
Very well known butchers round here are currently being investigated for selling fresh meat which has been frozen and i'm being nosey.

LadyBeagleEyes - i dont own a microwave, i think they are chirality altering machines of satanic origin!

Ok well, i'll cook it tomorrow i guess - im not saving the wine though, DP will have to buy me more. Too late for defrosting in bowl of water though - pizza it is :)

Just put your frozen beef into a bowl of hot water and it will be okay to cook for tonight after about (well, depends what time you want to eat, really) an hour or so.

I know it's different but I fancied some smoked salmon with my lunchtime salad the other day. I am building up a stock of reduced price smoked salmon in a big freezeer for a party I'm having in August so knew I had some. I kept it under hot water for 10 minutes and had four slices of lovely smoked salmon that was spread with cream cheese and rolled up. Ummy Ummy.

LadyBeagleEyes-Im so glad you said that first. I didn't want to admit I defrosted last sundays beef in the microwave!

I had taken it out hours before hand to defrost but still needed a good blast.

poor - i have PMd you - the butchers is an independent though, there was a joint of lamb there that was obviously frozen. sigh

Oh nowhere near me!
Perhaps the practice is more common than we think!
Enjoy your pizza and get stuck in the wine right now!

I'm just envious that you were excited about a joint of beef.

I think I must have become jaded.

generally meat you get from butchers and stuff has been frozen. it comes in like that so they can store plenty and then defrost as needed.

pretty much all supermarket joints are previously frozen

clearly the butcher should have either warned you, or if he didn't realise he should have!

oh and by the way... boneless ribs? that's just nothing surely?

yes, thats what i thought too thisisyesterday but i have ordered them now and im VERY excited!!

Cold running water, never hot!

Will i be unreasonable to apply "thisisyesterday's" pedantic advice to the calorie content of the whole portion of boneless ribs that i have just eaten, oh god, htey were sooooooo good i could become evangelical about them!

How considerate of the butcher to realise i really wanted pizza, ribs and wine for dinner tonight - i shall go there in the morning and give him a big wet kiss!