Three ways to safely thaw meat (and no, leaving it on the counter isn’t one of them!):
The safest, most convenient and easy method to defrost meat is to remove it from the freezer and place it in the refrigerator overnight. If you are short on time, the cold water method offers a speedier solution. Submerge your sealed bag in a bowl of cold water and run the tap with a cold drizzle over the bowl to keep the water flowing, this will take anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours depending on size. Although the microwave may be the fastest way, many experts don’t use this method as the microwave cooks the meat as it thaws, and may result in uneven cooking.