How and where should you defrost meat?

[Letseatgrandma]

We don’t currently have a microwave!

Should it be defrosted in the fridge? In a container? Bottom or the fridge? Salad drawer (empty!)? On the counter?

How is it most sensible to defrost?

I get out of the freezer in the morning and leave on the side... its defrosted when I get home from work.

In the switched off oven so the cats don't get it

Thank you for the replies! Do you just put the defrosting meat on a plate/in a bowl?

Having worked in commercial kitchens for years,I'll say in the fridge on a plate/tray at the bottom of the fridge. Don't leave it in the microwave/oven - it's too warm,same as on the work surface

Ideally get it out the day before and defrost in the fridge (on a plate/bowl to catch the blood, especially if the packaging isn't 100%).

Keeps it nicely at fridge temp till you're ready to use it. Two thick chops frozen on top of each other would just about defrost between 10pm and 7pm the next day in my fridge. I'd probably prod and separate them during the day to speed it up.

But same day = defrost out of fridge on a plate or bowl. Also separate when you can, and put in the fridge if you think it's defrosted.

You'll get a feel after a while for how long each size chunk of meat takes.

I put mine on a heavyweight baking tray on the metal draining board and I can defrost a whole chicken in a day that way. The metal helps draw the cold away and speed up the defrosting process.

I have also used a defrost function on my oven but it takes a long time and ai am not sure how much electricity it uses.

I sometimes perch my defrosting items on a roasting/cooling rack over a plate, to allow air to circulate.

The old trick from pre-microwave days was to submerge the whole pack in a sink full of water,. It works really well, as even cold water is warmer than 0 degrees C, has a high heat capacity and circulates well. Warm water, even better...

It's a bit icky, as the water inevitably seeps into the packaging and is messy to deal with. But it doesn't really affect the quality of the meat.