Transportation, Thawing and Storage

• Once you get your beef home, as long as your meat packages are cool to the touch upon arrival, you may refreeze and cook with confidence.
• Keeping your freezer as cold as possible will yield the best results. For maximum shelf life, please keep items in our original packaging.
• The best way to safely thaw beef is in the refrigerator. Keeping meat cold while it is defrosting is essential to prevent the growth of bacteria. Cook or refreeze within 1 or 2 days.
• To defrost beef more rapidly, you can defrost in the microwave oven or in cold water. We don't recommend defrosting your steaks in the microwave. Frozen meats in vacuum-sealed packaging can be thawed in a large bowl of cold water. Make sure the packaging is not punctured and the meat is not stacked together. Depending on size, meat can be ready to cook anywhere from 15-45 minutes.
• If using the microwave, cook immediately because some areas may begin to cook during the defrosting process.

Cooking and Eating

CLEAN. USDA recommends while preparing beef, you wash your hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling beef to reduce the spread bacteria. It is not safe to reuse any packaging materials.

SEPARATE. Even after you've cleaned your hands and surfaces thoroughly, make sure to keep your raw meat and ready-to-eat foods separate as raw beef can still spread illness-causing bacteria.

COOK. Raw and undercooked meat may contain harmful bacteria. USDA recommends not eating or tasting raw or undercooked beef and cooking beef to a safe minimum internal temperature of 160 degrees F (71.1 degrees C) as measured with a food thermometer.

CHILL. If beef is refrigerated promptly after cooking (within 2 hours; 1 hour if the temperature is above 90 degrees F), it can be safely refrigerated for approximately 3 or 4 days. If frozen, it should keep its quality for about 4 months.