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You’ve selected the best cut of meat, but your dinner plans change and all of a sudden that delicious cut of meat is banished to the back of the freezer. To keep it as fresh as the day it was bought – and avoid the dreaded freezer burn – remove the meat from all of its original store packaging, dry with cheesecloth or a thick paper towel to remove excess moisture, then tightly wrap in cling film, being sure all sides are secure and covered. Repeat the cling film wrap, this time wrapping from the open side first and then store in a plastic zipper bag (with all air removed). While this might seem a little extreme, we promise you that following this process will ensure that you will never again throw out a cut of meat!

So you bought a hunk of meat, you stored it appropriately, but you need to cut it down before cooking. Before you even pick up the knife, look at the direction of the muscle strands – known in the culinary world as the meat grain. If the meat is cut in the same direction as the grain, it will become tough during the cooking process (regardless of how good of a cut of meat it was to begin with), but if you slice in a diagonal to the meat grain, the meat will remain tender.

We’ve been through enough health scares to know that you shouldn’t let meat sit out. But here we’re going to ask that you relax… just a little! You see, when you take meat straight from the fridge and put it straight into a hot oven or pan, you throw it into a state of shock of sorts. Instead, let the meat sit out – covered of course – for about a half hour. The 30 minute window will allow the meat time to come up in temperature a bit, but is too short a time to promote significant bacteria growth (a process that usually takes a few hours).

Speaking of health scares – let’s address the steps you can take to ensure safety throughout the meat handling process. At the store, save the meat aisle for last. Look for packages that are in good condition (no punctures or suspicious looking leaks), that have no extraneous liquid, and that feel cold to the touch. With all that being said, still make use of those little plastic bags to prevent any spillage on other groceries. Once home, refrigerate or freeze as soon after purchasing as possible and store in the coldest part of the fridge or freezer (generally located at the back). Got leftovers? Chilling them quickly will prevent bacteria growth, so to speed up the process, consider dividing large quantities into smaller portions and avoid packing food too tightly into the fridge and freezer as this could inhibit air flow and prevent adequate cooling. Finally, when handling meat at any stage, be sure to wash hands, surfaces, utensils and anything else the meat comes in contact with with hot soapy water.