Trying to thaw a beef roast

[Badjak]

I would cook a stew with frozen meat, but I'm not sure about a roast.
Maybe a small one. I would definitely use a meat thermometer to check internal temperature and be prepared to just eat the outside pieces while the inside gets to temperature

 

[dragnlaw]

.... and be prepared to just eat the outside pieces while the inside gets to temperature

been there... done that!

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

Have you considered moving to a shelter for the rest of the winter?

 

[blissful]

Have you considered moving to a shelter for the rest of the winter?

Do you have an extra room in your home or apartment?

When we used to make jerky (and I still do sometimes for a couple of my sons), we'd put it in the freezer to get it partially frozen. From there, with a saw tooth type knife I'd cut it in thin strips. It's easier to cut thinly when it is partially frozen. Maybe that (thin pieces) will appeal to you @rodentraiser ?

 

[rodentraiser]

Have you considered moving to a shelter for the rest of the winter?

Unfortunately, I already live in a shelter. LOL Besides, I was adopted by a cat.

Well, today was a day of no cooking, but the roast is in the fridge thawing as I type. Hopefully, if not for tomorrow, then for the day after.

It got to 60 in my trailer today! But my neighbors' heater in their little house failed (battery was low in the thermostat) and most of the day was spent running back and forth between their place and mine trying to figure out what was wrong and then trying to fix it (they're in California). Battery recharged and all is well at their house and by 5:30, I was in no mood to cook anything except supper.

Blissful, I think the roast will thaw now that the trailer is over 30° during the day so I don't think I'm going to worry about it that much. But I don't mind thin strips of meat - that's how I make oyster sauce beef. I used to use flank steak for that, but it got so expensive I wait now till there's a sale on petite sirloin and slice that fairly thin to use. It seems to work.

Edit to add: my woes with the cold are still not over. I tried to make a tuna melt last night and found a can packed with tuna and solidified oil. That will be lunch tomorrow when I get that thawed. Then I tried to make pancakes this morning. Did you guys know olive oil solidifies as well? Well, it does and so I had to fall back to spray Pam.

You know, when a heat wave is going to hit us, I know how to prepare for that. Now I've learned there's a way to prepare for a cold wave, too, when it comes to food. Who'da thunk?

 

[Kathleen]

@rodentraiser It is time for your inner MacGyver to arrive. You seem like someone who is sincerely capable in fixing things (such as your neighbor's heater!) My parents were mountain kids that were constantly prepping for the zombie apocalypse. I would be slapping together a candle heater in a heartbeat. Especially since the cat adopted you! Situation is critical! Here is another site to peek at. (It seems they are very much the same though.)

You can also use tea lights and even rubbing alcohol to make a simple "stove" which could heat water to thaw roasts if you put the roast in a plastic bag (or cans of tuna) and keep an eye on the heat. Heck, if you get sunshine, there are instructions how to make an oven out of a mylar wine bag and container with a black-painted pot.

You are creative and you have a cat depending on you!

 

[jennyema]

please thaw it in your fridge so you dont make yourself sick and crap everywhere and end up in kidney failure.

never thaw meat at room temp except on an aluminum pan

 

[Kathleen]

@jennyema Good advice. But tuna oils could be thawed!

 

[taxlady]

please thaw it in your fridge so you dont make yourself sick and crap everywhere and end up in kidney failure.

never thaw meat at room temp except on an aluminum pan

That depends on what room temperature is. For RR, it seems to be almost up to freezing - that's colder than your fridge.

 

[rodentraiser]

please thaw it in your fridge so you dont make yourself sick and crap everywhere and end up in kidney failure.

never thaw meat at room temp except on an aluminum pan

Room temp has been below freezing for about four days now except for last night. My fridge is a smidge below 40°. LOL

I figure if the food is still so cold my hands get frostbite from mixing up meatloaf, for example, it's probably safe to cook and eat.

Anyhoo, this morning it was 45° when I woke up, the hummingbird feeder was thawed when I went to feed the birds, and I had actual inside running water. Well, I connected the hose at 9am and it was running water by noon. Then it rained and all the snow disappeared. I am giddy with happiness.

 

[rodentraiser]

Kathleen, that cat is the most entitled cat I've ever seen. Demands to come in, then goes straight for the bed to curl up and sleep until morning.

Thank you for the links on the heaters. To be honest, I'm not short of heaters, at least, electric heaters. I have three space heaters and one small foot heater. The problems I run into is if I put more than two heaters on at a time, I blow the fuses in the trailer. The other problem is that this is just an old trailer with thin plastic windows - a lot of LARGE thin plastic windows - and cabinet doors that won't stay closed but have floors that are open to the underneath of the trailer. And it doesn't help when the cat gets bored and starts opening all these doors to explore.

I just simply don't have the heat to counteract all the cold that comes in.

I do have a propane stove though. So if the power goes out, I can always cook something. I keep a 2 1/2 gallon supply of water on the fridge and I can always heat up water, too.

This trailer will do for now. I should have enough money saved up by the end of summer that will allow me to buy a much newer, better trailer, one with slideouts, a working shower and hot water heater, working oven, and working heater.

 

[GotGarlic]

I just thawed a 1.5-lb chuck roast overnight in the fridge. I'm going to make beef and vegetable soup tomorrow.

 

[gerardj]

Kathleen, that cat is the most entitled cat I've ever seen. Demands to come in, then goes straight for the bed to curl up and sleep until morning.

Thank you for the links on the heaters. To be honest, I'm not short of heaters, at least, electric heaters. I have three space heaters and one small foot heater. The problems I run into is if I put more than two heaters on at a time, I blow the fuses in the trailer. The other problem is that this is just an old trailer with thin plastic windows - a lot of LARGE thin plastic windows - and cabinet doors that won't stay closed but have floors that are open to the underneath of the trailer. And it doesn't help when the cat gets bored and starts opening all these doors to explore.

I just simply don't have the heat to counteract all the cold that comes in.

I do have a propane stove though. So if the power goes out, I can always cook something. I keep a 2 1/2 gallon supply of water on the fridge and I can always heat up water, too.

This trailer will do for now. I should have enough money saved up by the end of summer that will allow me to buy a much newer, better trailer, one with slideouts, a working shower and hot water heater, working oven, and working heater.

We live in northern main, it gets polar cold here. Theres no reason to be cold.
The best options for heat are pellet stove, wood burning stove or kerosine.
All 3 are cheaper than an oil burning furnace, we spend $300 month on heating.
Neighbor only uses his oil burning furnace forced hot air and it costs him $1000 month,
elec heaters are probably the most expensive way.

We use a 10K kerosine heater ($130) for the house, buy the kero at the gas station.
Its great if you lose power as it doesn't use electricity. Heats the house to 65F when its zero outside.

https://www.amazon.com/Sengoku-KeroHeat-Portable-Kerosene-CTN-110/dp/B004KS9HCA/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=3KIAG7RD4U2KN&keywords=kerosene+heater&qid=1705576288&sprefix=kersoine+heater%2Caps%2C180&sr=8-2-spons&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.f5122f16-c3e8-4386-bf32-63e904010ad0&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

To heat my garage I have a 12v powered kero furnace ($120), burns the same kero.
I use the almost dead 12v battery from the tractor to run it. Approx 8 hrs per gal.

 

[Kathleen]

Kathleen, that cat is the most entitled cat I've ever seen. Demands to come in, then goes straight for the bed to curl up and sleep until morning.

Thank you for the links on the heaters. To be honest, I'm not short of heaters, at least, electric heaters. I have three space heaters and one small foot heater. The problems I run into is if I put more than two heaters on at a time, I blow the fuses in the trailer. The other problem is that this is just an old trailer with thin plastic windows - a lot of LARGE thin plastic windows - and cabinet doors that won't stay closed but have floors that are open to the underneath of the trailer. And it doesn't help when the cat gets bored and starts opening all these doors to explore.

I just simply don't have the heat to counteract all the cold that comes in.

I do have a propane stove though. So if the power goes out, I can always cook something. I keep a 2 1/2 gallon supply of water on the fridge and I can always heat up water, too.

This trailer will do for now. I should have enough money saved up by the end of summer that will allow me to buy a much newer, better trailer, one with slideouts, a working shower and hot water heater, working oven, and working heater.

I like you have a plan. Regardless, those terracotta pot candle-power heaters can toss a lot of warmth a short distance. A good thing to know just in case.

Will the roast thaw in your just below 40 degree F fridge?

An entitled cat? He sounds purrrfect!

 

[rodentraiser]

Actually, the roast did NOT thaw in my fridge. I checked it yesterday morning and it was still frozen solid. I have a spot in the back of my fridge where things freeze. I try to keep ice water there in summer and milk and other dairy out of that spot at all times. But the roast must have hit the spot just right and never thawed, so it came out on my counter (sorry, jennyema) and thawed yesterday. I just cut it up and it's in the crock pot as I type.

Edited to add: For once it's not raining and the sun is out. It's so warm in the trailer right now I turned all the heat off and I was thinking of opening the door. We're supposed to get temps close to 60° next week. Of course, we've got flood warnings, though (not near me - one of the reasons I picked a spot on a hill).