# Why do we cook meats like this? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 16, 2002, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-cook-meats-like-this/143190 "2002-12-16T23:01:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/2bfe46/32.png) [@Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xavier)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-cook-meats-like-this/143190/1 "2002-12-16T23:01:30Z")
Why must we defrost (or leave to thaw) frozen meat (when fresh) before cooking it? Yeah, there’s bacteriological specimins to kill, however let’s say I put the slice of chicken in the oven and nuke the beast. They all die, right? What the heck does the de-frosting actually do? **Note: In this case I am not in the slightest bit concerned about taste or “even cooking” of the meat. I simply want to know why there is a health hazard when fresh meats are cooked straight from frozen. In this case assume the meat is cooked thoroughly by magical means. Why do we do it?** ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-cook-meats-like-this/143190/2 "2002-12-16T23:04:05Z")
I don’t believe there is a health hazard cooking frozen meat. I have cooked many frozen hamburger patties. And I’m still here. ACKKK!!! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-cook-meats-like-this/143190/3 "2002-12-16T23:05:05Z")
Beacause frozen meat will burn on the outside and be raw on the inside. Not that there’s anything _wrong_ with that, but some people don’t like it that way. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-cook-meats-like-this/143190/4 "2002-12-16T23:06:04Z")
Defrosting it allows the meat to cook through evenly. If the meat is frozen when you put it in, the outside will be burnt before the inside is even thawed, never ind cooked. ---
**Author:** ![Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/2bfe46/32.png) [@Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xavier)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-cook-meats-like-this/143190/5 "2002-12-16T23:07:14Z")
> [@](#): > > I don’t believe there is a health hazard cooking frozen meat. I have cooked many frozen hamburger patties. And I’m still here. No, No **Reeder**. You cooked meats that had been previously cooked (and hence were simply being re-cooked by you). That’s the deal with all these burgers and sausages that come in packets and say “cook straight from frozen”. I’m talking about fresh meat… the type you buy from a butcher. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-cook-meats-like-this/143190/6 "2002-12-16T23:11:13Z")
No…I’m talking about hamburger patties I made myself from fresh hamburger and froze for cooking later. ---
**Author:** ![Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/2bfe46/32.png) [@Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xavier)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-cook-meats-like-this/143190/7 "2002-12-16T23:14:34Z")
> [@](#): > > **cmkeller:** Defrosting it allows the meat to cook through evenly. If the meat is frozen when you put it in, the outside will be burnt before the inside is even thawed, never ind cooked. But will it be harmful if it burns through on the outside but is _still_ cooked on the inside? I had always thought (people constantly warned me in such excess) that if you cook straight from frozen the bacteria _stay_ alive even after the meat has been thoroughly cooked. Hence the meat is unsafe. > [@](#): > > **Fear Itself:** Beacause frozen meat will burn on the outside and be raw on the inside. **Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but some people don’t like it that way.** (Emphasis mine) So you’re saying it is safe to eat? ---
**Author:** ![Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/2bfe46/32.png) [@Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xavier)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-cook-meats-like-this/143190/8 "2002-12-16T23:16:00Z")
> [@](#): > > **cmkeller:** Defrosting it allows the meat to cook through evenly. If the meat is frozen when you put it in, the outside will be burnt before the inside is even thawed, never ind cooked. But will it be harmful if it burns through on the outside but is _still_ cooked on the inside? I had always thought (people constantly warned me in such excess) that if you cook straight from frozen the bacteria _stay_ alive even after the meat has been thoroughly cooked. Hence the meat is unsafe. > [@](#): > > **Fear Itself:** Beacause frozen meat will burn on the outside and be raw on the inside. **Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but some people don’t like it that way.** (Emphasis mine) So you’re saying it is safe to eat? > [@](#): > > No…I’m talking about hamburger patties I made myself from fresh hamburger and froze for cooking later. Were the hamburgers frozen _before_ you cooked them the first time **Reeder**? And for how long? ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-cook-meats-like-this/143190/9 "2002-12-16T23:22:50Z")
Sigh. Freezing meat does not kill bacteria. Cooking meat kills bacteria. If you actually do get the interior cooked, then it’s safe, but that means at least 160ºF (NOT brown - meat can brown at much lower temperatures). So I’d say “Yes, you need to thaw hamburger before cooking it, because the interior WILL be raw unless you really torch the outside.” And don’t cook hamburger in the microwave. ---
**Author:** ![unclviny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e274bd/32.png) [@unclviny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unclviny)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-cook-meats-like-this/143190/10 "2002-12-16T23:23:02Z")
I used to buy frozen hamburger patties from my local butcher and one day he told me to put them on the pit frozen, they kicked ass! but I had to cook them slowly so that they would get fully cooked. unclviny ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-cook-meats-like-this/143190/11 "2002-12-17T00:08:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Xavier \* > \*\*No, No **Reeder**. You cooked meats that had been previously cooked (and hence were simply being re-cooked by you). That’s the deal with all these burgers and sausages that come in packets and say “cook straight from frozen”. > \*\* I don’t know what sort of frozen burgers and sausages are available in your area, but I’ve NEVER seen any that were pre-cooked - burgers are generally red raw. Small or thin pieces of meat can be cooked directly from frozen because they will defrost quickly in the pan and cook all the way through, larger cuts of meat will not; that’s all there is to it. Frozen in the middle, cooked on the outside is nice if the dish is Baked Alaska or deep fried ice cream, but not so nice if it’s a joint of pork. In theory there shouldn’t be much risk of bacterial contamination right inside a solid cut of meat - most of it is on or near the surface (which is why it’s OK to eat rare steak, but less OK to eat rare burger, although some people do so), but if it has been filleted or rolled or something, then the inside may have been exposed to contamination. ---
**Author:** ![Turbo\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@Turbo\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turbo_Dog)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-cook-meats-like-this/143190/12 "2002-12-17T02:05:23Z")
Where did you guys learn to cook? In all my days of grabbing a frozen hamburger patty out of the freezer and tossing it into the pan or on the grill, I’ve never burned the outside or had the inside raw while the outside was overcooked. I’ve put many a frozen roast into the oven and had it come out just as good as if I’d have thawed it first. If you have half an idea of working with an oven, cooking frozen meat is not a challenge. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-cook-meats-like-this/143190/13 "2002-12-17T02:08:42Z")
I’ve put many slabs of frozen meat into my slow cooker. The instructions DO say to put a bit of liquid into the cooker, so I do that. I defrost roasts that I plan to put in the oven because I generally want to marinate them, and marinating doesn’t work well on frozen meat. ---
**Author:** ![Dandylion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Dandylion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dandylion)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-cook-meats-like-this/143190/14 "2002-12-17T02:26:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mangetout \* > \*\* > In theory there shouldn’t be much risk of bacterial contamination right inside a solid cut of meat - most of it is on or near the surface (which is why it’s OK to eat rare steak, but less OK to eat rare burger, although some people do so), but if it has been filleted or rolled or something, then the inside may have been exposed to contamination. \*\* I agree with this, but there is more than bacteria you have to worry about when eating meat. Bacteria can be killed by cooking well at high temperatures, but some parasites can survive cooking, especially “rare” meat cooking. The parasite that causes trichinosis encapsulates itself in muscle tissue (meat) so it can be eaten and complete its lifecycle in the digestive track of whatever ate the meat. The only way to be sure that the parasites are dead is that then meat should be frozen for at least 20 hours and then cooked all the way through. ---
**Author:** ![Monopoly\_Money](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Monopoly\_Money](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monopoly_Money)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-cook-meats-like-this/143190/15 "2002-12-17T07:21:58Z")
They say “Keep hot foods hot, and cold foods cold”. It’s the warm temperatures in which the bacteria thrive. I think if you cook meat straight from the freezer, the inner part lingers in the dangerous ‘warm’ zone before becoming hot long enough for a harmful amount of bacteria to multiply. I cook thin fish fillets straight from the freezer, but everything else, I thaw out first.