Useless Father Bought Xmas Meat Today (Tues 19th)

[Smerk]

Just want a sanity check here. We're hosting Xmas for 10 adults and 2 small children (as usual). My dad's one contribution to this is ordering the meat from his local butcher for me or him to collect close to Christmas.

After chasing him up for a week asking if he'd managed to order the beef joint and pigs in blankets, he finally confirms today that be has bought it all and it's currently sitting in his fridge.

When I expressed concern that it's not going to last until next Tuesday, he replied:
"The butcher said it'll be fine. The pigs were frozen and my fridge is cold."

I thought that you had 24 hours to eat something that was defrosted. I also thought that meat was good in the fridge for only 3-4 days. I am very concerned that if we wake up on Xmas Day and it's turned, we're absolutely fucked. I'm also worried that we're going to make my elderly in-laws and breastfeeding SIL sick.

We can't refreeze the pigs if they've already been frozen. I don't particularly want to eat a frozen joint, but maybe I should tell him to stick it in his freezer and I'll buy a replacement of everything. Money is not an issue but the waste makes me sick.

AIBU to rebuy all the Christmas meat?

I bought my turkey today with a use by of the 26th if anyone is interested 😂

Beef is often aged for 14/28 days, you have much more than 3-4days in fridge if its been handled properly.

This, I don’t see what the issue is with freezing the beef and taking out Christmas Eve? Why can’t that happen?

No we’re not agreed, and yes you are overreacting :)

I personally think it’ll be fine in the fridge but if you’re really concerned put it all in the freezer and defrost Christmas Eve.

Well it's big. God knows how long it will take to freeze and defrost. I don't really freeze things like meat so I wouldn't feel confident. And I don't want a frozen joint particularly - I don't eat meat very often so it's a treat.

Considering your complete overreaction and lack of knowledge about how to safely store & cook meat I think you’re pushing it to be slagging your dad off for being useless here.

So you're happy with defrosted pork in the fridge for 6 days before eating?

You sound like hard work OP and like you are trying to make this out to be worse than it is. It’s absolutely fine and the meat will also be fine. just relax

To be fair to your dad - I tried to order our Xmas meat today and the butcher said it’s too late so I can buy it today and either freeze or keep in the fridge

Voted yabu just because you called anyone useless but the mners seem to have perfect solutions so hope it all works out op!

Agree with the others. It will be fine if stored in a fridge. And if you are worried cook it now, freeze it cooked and defrost and reheat on the day. If you Google it you will find oodles of advice out there on how to freeze meat, cooked or uncooked. And prepping and freezing food ahead of the big day is a well known way of keeping the stress of Christmas at bay so you can socialise.

’God knows how long it will take to freeze and defrost’ FFS get a grip. ‘I don’t want a frozen joint particularly’ well it won’t be frozen after you’ve cooked it! Jesus wept.

I don’t think problems get any more first world than this.

The beef will 100% be fine. It may turn brown and smell sour this is just oxidisation. It is only gone off if it smells really foul.

The pork will probably be fine (I would risk it) but if you are worried then cook and re freeze. Or cook and use them for a dinner and replace with fresh.

I don’t understand why you don’t want it frozen? It tastes no different if you freeze it and then defrost it. I bought ours from the butcher a couple of weeks ago and have frozen them. Will get them out to defrost the evening of the 23rd and they’ll be fine. It doesn’t make a difference to the quality of it.

Cook the pigs in blankets, reheat and brown on the day.

I'd use the beef, Monday is too long for meat from the butchers.

Yes. I’ve always done it and I’ve known the insider practices of enough butcher shops to know that most of them already have their Christmas stock on site and just bring batches out of their storage fridges to the sales counter as and when needed. And as others have said, it’s perfectly fine to freeze the beef and sausages if you don’t want them in the fridge.

For people talking about 30-day (or whatever) aged steak - that's done in a much dryer atmosphere than something wrapped up in a fridge. It's not the same.

Having said that, if it's a cold fridge then I think you'll be fine. I'd be happy to refreeze the pork. In my experience cured meats and sausages take a long time to go off, even in a fridge.

I personally wouldnt risk keeping it in fridge. Id freeze or buy another.

Especially if its wrapped in plastic bag or similar

Ridiculous, it’s a joint of beef, so a small surface area, not mince or even diced.

So unwrap from plastic, and then loosely wrap in baking paper or parchment. Let the air get to it, so unpack a stuffed fridge, and make sure it’s on the lowest shelf so it can’t drip onto other foods.

Refreeze the pigs in blankets.
As long as frozen food hasn’t warmed up it’s fine to refreeze. We do it in our food factory all the time!

Yes. I hope this is just venting on here, and not being said in real life, because if it is, expect him to drop off a couple of stale Greggs Steak Bakes next year and not stop.

I would ask the butcher he bought it from about the beef.

I certainly wouldn’t leave the pigs in the fridge to cook in the day.

This. Don't take a risk of food poisoning. It's not worth it.