1. If you need to slice meat thinly, do it while the meat is partially frozen. It’s much easier.
2. When you marinate meat, put the meat and the marinade in a big zip-style plastic bag. This is convenient, reduces spills and cleanup is easy because you just throw the bag away when you are done.
3. Buy boneless chicken breasts or pork chops in bulk to save money. Freeze them on a baking sheet individually and then in freezer bags. That way, they won’t freeze in one big chunk and you’ll be able to thaw just what you need. Or, place a piece of freezer paper between each piece before freezing so you can separate them easily.
4. It’s best not to salt meat before you cook it. Salting raw meat before cooking can cause the meat to turn out dry and the meat won’t brown as nicely. Try salting the meat halfway through cooking or even after the meat is cooked.
5. If you’d rather not mix meat loaf with your hands or with a spoon, put everything inside a large, zip-style plastic bag. Seal the bag and mush everything together.
6. When making gravy or sauces from meat juices, you can separate out the fat by pouring the cooled broth into a container with a good seal. Turn the container upside down in the refrigerator. The fat will rise and then harden. When you turn the container right side up, it will stay at the bottom of the jar and you can pour out the juices.
7. Properly wrapped beef can last in the freezer for up to a year. Ground beef and pork will keep for about six months. Chicken, about six months. Lunch meats should be used in one to two months.
8. When choosing beef, look for pieces that are dark red. If the beef is brown or gray, that means it might have been sitting around a while before it was packaged. Choose pink chicken and pork also.
9. Vinegar in a marinade or sauce helps to tenderize meat.
10. If you want to store cooked chicken, it won’t dry out if you cut it into chunks and freeze it in chicken broth.