America loves its chicken wings, never more than on Super Bowl Sunday: 1.2 billion chicken wings will be consumed this weekend alone, enough to circle the globe twice!

Truth to tell, we’re not a fan of such messy finger food (we don’t do messy well). That’s why we took an immediate liking to this recipe from HungryGirl.com: Buffalo Chicken Parfaits. We’ll be eating ours neatly, with a spoon.

Using pre-cooked chicken breasts (Hungry Girl uses Tyson Grilled & Ready), the prep time is 10 minutes, and there’s no cook time.

For those who don’t want to give up their fried chicken, here’s an elegant, “gourmet” recipe for deconstructed buffalo wings.

On the other end of the spectrum, there’s buffalo chicken pizza.

BUFFALO CHICKEN PARFAIT RECIPE

Ingredients Per Serving

A low calorie, neater to eat version of buffalo wings. Photo courtesy HungryGirl.com.

Preparation

1, MIX yogurt with ranch seasoning in a medium bowl. Stir in lettuce and blue cheese.

2. COAT the diced chicken breast with hot sauce in a medium bowl.

3. LAYER half of each ingredient in a tall glass, sundae or parfait dish: lettuce mixture, carrots, celery and sauced chicken. Repeat layering with remaining ingredients. Serve with a spoon.

NUTRITION: Calories 185, Total Fat 4.5 g, Protein 27 g, Carbohydrate 9 g, Sodium 924 mg, Sugars 5 g, Fiber 1.5 g.

BUFFALO WINGS HISTORY

Buffalo wings were invented in 1964 at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo. Co-owner Teressa Bellissimo fried the wings, covered them in her own hot sauce and served them with a side of blue cheese and celery—because that’s what she had available. Here’s the full history of buffalo wings.

Many popular dishes, including Caesar salad and Cobb salad, were created because “that’s what was in the fridge.”

Many families enjoy prime rib for the holidays. At our house, it was always on the holiday table.

Jan Birnbaum, Executive Chef at Epic Roasthouse, a steakhouse on the San Francisco waterfront (great view of the Bay Bridge!), shares this advice so that you, too can cook the perfect prime rib.

START WITH THE BUTCHER

FRENCHED
Ask for an 8-bone (approximately 14-18 pounds), bone-in beef rib export,† bones frenched 2 inches. This will serve about 15-20 people. (If you’re having fewer guests, discuss your needs with the butcher.)

FAT CAP
Ask the butcher to cut the fat cap so that it has a half fat layer that has been cut and lifted, and only the bottom is attached to the rib. This attached fat cap will provide a perfect pocket in which to pack the aromatics.

Our favorite cut of beef: prime rib. Photo courtesy Allen Brothers.

 
SEASONING
Season the prime rib: Lift the fat cap that has been cut from the export with the bottom attached and lay the onion mixture against the flesh. With butchers twine, tie the cap back on, going around the circumference of the rib, in between the bones or in 4 to 5 places.

Waiting to be roasted to perfection. Photo courtesy DeBragga.com.

PREPARATION

 
COOKING THE PRIME RIB

1. Place the meat ino the oven with the bones facing front and the meaty part of the rib facing the back of the oven. Cook for 35 minutes.

2. LOWER HEAT. Turn the oven down to 350°F and cook for 40 more minutes.

3. TEMPERATURE. Make the temperature of the meat. For accuracy, use a quick read thermometer or digital thermometer and stick the thermometer into the thickest part of the rib.

4. REMOVE PAN. When the thermometer reads 80°F, remove the rib from the oven and allow it to sit out on the counter and rest for at least 35 minutes.

5. SLICE. Move the meat to a cutting board and cut the rack of bones as close to the meat as possible to remove them from the rib.

6. SEPARATE. Separate the rack into 8 individual rib bones, leaving the meat on the end of the bone. Discard the aromatics and cut the fat cap off.

7. Place the rib onto a roasting pan with a rack with the side of the ribs that had the bones.

8. VEGGIES. Add washed vegetables to the pan: blanched creamer potatoes, carrots, baby turnips or other favorite.

9. OVEN. Return the rib to the 350°F oven and cook until a thermometer reads 115°-125° degrees for medium rare, 130°-135° degrees for medium, and 145° for medium well.

SERVING THE PRIME RIB

1. REST. Allow the cooked meat to rest for about 20 minutes.

2. SLICE. lice the rib into slices of desired thickness. Chef Jan recommends cuts of 1-1.5 inches thick (this will yield a 14-ounce slice and will provide 12-14 cuts.)

3. SERVE. Plate with some of the vegetables. You can deglaze the pan juices for gravy (“au jus”).

Do you know your cuts of beef? See them all in our Beef Glossary.

†The export is butcher lingo for a bone-in prime rib with the cap removed (exported) that is used for a standing rib roast.

Certified Angus Beef and the CAB Logo. Photo courtesy Certfied Angus Beef, LLC.

Chef Johnny Gnall went “back to the farm” recently, to observe the production of Certified Angus Beef. His report follows. If you have questions or ideas for other articles, email Chef Johnny.

I was recently invited with other journalists to spend a few days in Wooster, Ohio, home to the headquarters of Certified Angus Beef, LLC (CAB), to get an in-depth look at Angus production.

From birth to butcher block, CAB takes great care to ensure that their Certified Angus cattle, and the beef they produce, meet rigorous standards and are handled properly, humanely and safely.

Angus is a breed of cattle;* there is much Angus meat to be had in grocery stores and restaurants. But 51% of Angus genes is all that’s required to call beef Angus or Black Angus There are no other standards that ensure flavorful meat, humanely produced.

Hence the formation of the nonprofit CAB, which aims to educate consumers and chefs about the Certified Angus Beef™ trademarked brand and how its ranchers strive to keep the bar high on the Angus production.

While there is plenty of less responsible beef production in America and elsewhere, there are also plenty of dedicated people, ranches and organizations with a mission to provide the alternative: cattle that are humanely raised, healthful and ultimately sustainable for man and beast.
 
WHAT IS CERTIFIED ANGUS BEEF?

Only 12% of all Angus cattle make the cut to become Certified Angus Beef, after passing through a set of stringent criteria. From feed, to age, to marbling, the beef that gets the CAB stamp gives consumers the assurance that what they are eating is of high quality in both tenderness and flavor.

Visiting one of the CAB ranches outside Wooster, we observed firsthand the time, cost, and human care that goes into the ranching of Certified Angus Beef cattle. The feed, health and overall comfort of the animals are carefully monitored.

After all, happy cattle make tasty steaks. If you’d like to see the operations for yourself, there are CAB ranches in all 50 states. Head to the organization’s website to find a ranch in your area.

While at CAB headquarters, we had time to play around in the food lab. The first step was getting our hands dirty breaking down sides of beef (taking a hacksaw to a cow carcass was a new experience for me).

Once we butchered some specific cuts, we traded butcher coats for chef coats and took the beef to the kitchen. In particular, we were working with the subscapularis muscle, commonly called Vegas steak, and teres major, commonly called bistro filet or hanger steak.

HOW TO COOK VEGAS STEAK

The Vegas steak is similar in shape to a Flatiron steak, but smaller; very thin and lean, it can easily get tough if not cooked properly. This is why there were a number of high-profile chefs in our group: It was their job to experiment with the cuts and find out which cooking methods worked best to bring out optimal flavor and tenderness.

Angus cattle. Photo by Scott Bauer | US Agricultural Research Service.

With the Vegas Steak, the chefs tried oil and butter basting, stir frying, even wrapping the beef in caul fat.

But in the end, the only successful foil to the toughness was marinating the steak and cooking it sous vide (pronounced soo VEED).

While most home cooks won’t have access to a sous vide water bath (THE NIBBLE has two of them!), marinating the steak overnight with some acid and fat (try olive oil, red wine, garlic and rosemary), then giving it a two-to-three-minute sear on each side, should do the trick.

HOW TO COOK BISTRO STEAK/HANGER STEAK

As for the teres major (which is cheaper than genuine tenderloin and still quite tender), try rubbing it with a paste made of chopped herbs, room temperature butter, kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper, then searing and roasting it. You’ll get a lovely, aromatic crust.

Both of these cuts are currently under-marketed, which means if you can get them, they will be cheaper than other, more popular steaks. Keep an eye out for them, and if you visit a real butcher shop (independent butchers are a disappearing lot of craftsmen), ask about them.

See all the cuts of beef in our Beef Glossary.

ASK & YOU SHALL RECEIVE

Ask your butcher about the recommended methods of cooking for any cut you buy, as well as where your steak came from.

 
Educate yourself; the information is out there. It’s something of importance that we can all sink our teeth into.
 

*Angus cattle are a breed native to the counties of Aberdeenshire and Angus in Scotland. They are known as Aberdeen Angus in most parts of the world. In the U.S., they are frequently crossbred with Hereford cattle, retaining the black color. They can legally be called Angus if 51% or more of the genes are Angus.

Sales of jerky and beef sticks more than quadrupled between 1995 and 2006. We don’t have statistics on homemade jerky, but given how easy it is to make, we’re surprised that more people don’t make their own—especially when there‘s a good sale on beef.

Making jerky is a great way to preserve meat when you have more than you can immediately eat. That’s why our ancestors learned to make jerky thousands of years ago! Today we’re blessed with freezers; but instead of freezing that extra meat, make jerky.

All you need are the meat, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, black pepper, red pepper flakes, onion powder, liquid smoke and honey. The equipment: just two resealable plastic bags, a cooking rack, tin foil and an oven or food dehydrator.

After you’ve made the basic recipe in this video, you can get creative with flavoring. And remember: The more tender the cut of meat you use, the more tender the jerky will be.

If you love your jerky, your friends and family will love it too. It might become your signature gift.

Find more of our favorite beef recipes.

Cut a well with the smaller ring and add your
favorite stuffing(s). Photo courtesy HSN.com.

We’ve seen a number of pieces from Cat Cora for Starfrit, a cookware line endorsed by the celebrity chef.

But the newest, the Cat Cora by Starfrit 2-in-1 Burger Press is the one we’ll definitely use, over and over again.

A burger press creates consistent, perfectly formed and sized burger patties.

But this burger press has something extra: a smaller ring that can be used to form sliders and stackers, as well as to cut a well in a larger burger, to fill with your favorite complementary ingredients.

Stuffed burgers are so much fun that we wonder how, in a country where burgers are the favorite food, they haven’t become the rage. We hope that the Cat Cora/Starfrit mold will be the beginning of a trend.

Whatever your burger preference—beef, bison, chicken, lamb, pork, salmon, turkey (we haven’t tried it with a veggie burger)—you can make an already-delightful burger much more so.

What should you use to stuff your burger? Whatever you like: That’s the fun of this gadget. You can look in the fridge and the pantry and find dozens of choices.

We simply scanned our shelves. Then:

The Cat Cora For Starfrit 2-In-1 Burger Press. Photo courtesy HSN.com.

 
Intensify the flavor by adding fresh herbs—basil, chives, dill, garlic, parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme—or dried oregano and spices, to the filling.

Imagine a pizza burger: tomato sauce and cheese stuffed into your favorite burger. How about a turkey burger filled with cranberry sauce and stuffing?

Let us know what you’d use to stuff your favorite burger(s).
 
The 2-in-1* burger press set includes:

 
You can buy the burger press at HSN.com. At $24.95, it isn’t an inexpensive kitchen gadget. But it’s sturdy and will afford many years of bodacious burgers.

HOW TO MAKE A STUFFED BURGER

 
*It’s actually more than 2 in 1. We count burgers, sliders, stuffed burgers and anything you need a round cutter for: biscuits, cookies, melon, and anything that begs to be molded (rice, veggies, etc.).

A lamb burger, Mediterranean style. Photo
courtesy Hubbard Inn | Chicago.

Whether you prefer classic condiments and traditional toppings or would rather go the adventurous route, the hamburger lends itself to many interpretations (see our long list of burger variations for every day of the month, and then some).

At Chicago’s Hubbard Inn, Executive Chef Bob Zrenner makes it even more adventurous. He substitutes lamb for beef, creating a Greek-style lamb burger.

Chef Zrenner uses ground lamb from locally raised animals, and tops the patty with mint, cucumber, red onion and feta cheese. He topped the burger with tzatziki, a yogurt sauce, instead of ketchup.

There’s juiciness from the lamb, creaminess from the feta and tzatziki, bright notes from the mint, and zesty red onion as a counterpoint to cool cucumber.

GREEK LAMB BURGER RECIPE

Ingredients

 
*We prefer to pickle the cucumbers for an hour or longer. It’s very easy with this recipe.
 
Preparation

1. PREPARE. If you haven’t purchased the tzatziki, make it with this recipe. You can make it up to a week in advance.

2. GRILL. Cook burgers to desired doneness.

3. LAYER. Cover the bottom bread slice (or add to the pita pocket) with tzatziki. Place patty on top. Add cucumbers, onion slices and mint leaves. Top with more tzatziki and serve.
 
We enjoy this burger with a beer; but mint tea is also delicious. You can steep the leftover mint in boiling water and serve the tea hot or iced.

Find more of our favorite burger recipes.

Those who like their meat rare to medium
rare should choose filet mignon. Photo
courtesy MackenzieLtd.com.

Yesterday we discussed the best cuts of steak to choose at a steakhouse. What if you want to grill at home?

Whether at home or at a restaurant, how rare or well done you like your meat can impact your choice of cut. As meat cooks, the fibers break down: That’s why medium-well-done meat is easier to chew than rare meat of the same cut. However, the more done the meat, the less juicy it is.

Some of the tougher cuts, like hanger steak, can’t be cooked rare: You need to go with medium to avoid the chewiness.

Want to know how steakhouse chefs cook steak? Chef Arturo McLeod of Benjamin Steak House suggests grilling times and techniques for the perfect steak:

GRILLING TIMES FOR STEAK

In general, medium rare is considered to deliver the best flavor. However, your preference also depends on the size and thickness of the steak.
 
Filet Mignon

Filet mignon is best served rare or medium rare.

 
Porterhouse

Porterhouse is best served medium rare to medium.

 
Rib Eye

Rib eye is best served medium rare.

 
Sirloin

Sirloin is best served medium rare to medium.

WHERE TO BUY, WHAT TO BUY

For USDA prime beef, opt for the best local butchers rather than chain grocery stores, says Chef McLeod. Some grocery stores don’t even carry choice, the second best grade of beef (see the different USDA grades of beef). You won’t know unless you ask.

Request aged beef; however, not all butchers and stores sell aged beef. Call around to see who has it in your area; or order it online from companies like Allen Brothers.

Most butchers don’t carry the same quality of meat as a top steakhouse. Even thought they might like to, only 3% of the typical steer is USDA prime, and top restaurants compete that small amount of meat.

Chef McLeod advises to buy porterhouse or New York strip steaks: They’re the better offering at your local butcher.

Before you buy, he advises:

Porterhouse: filet mignon and sirloin, separated by a T-shaped bone (hence, its other name, T-bone steak). Photo courtesy AllenBrothers.com.

 
HOW TO COOK YOUR STEAK

 
If you have questions for Chef McLeod, use the Contact Us link on this page.

Check out the many cuts of beef in our Beef Glossary.

Rib eye or ribeye: the best combination of
beefiness and tenderness. Photo courtesy
Allen Brothers, a NIBBLE Top Pick Of The
Week.

Some people have a “signature steak.” At a steakhouse, our brother always chooses filet mignon; his friend Robert always orders the porterhouse; When we recently ordered a hanger steak, our brother taste it an declared it too chewy.

Chewy, juicy, flavorful: What’s your preference? We asked Chef Arturo McLeod of Benjamin Steakhouse in New York City and White Plains New York—someone who has perhaps eaten as much steak as anyone—for an expert point of view.

His immediate preference: “Porterhouse steak, for sure. Comprising both the strip sirloin and the filet mignon, the Porterhouse is the ‘King of the T-Bones‘— the best of both worlds.

Benjamin Steakhouse offers six cuts of dry-aged beef, from 36-ounce porterhouses to top sirloins to juicy and tender rib eyes to succulent filet mignon. This is part one of a two-part article. Tomorrow: how to buy and cook the best steak.

WHICH CUT IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

In alphabetical order, we present the chef’s choices: the four most popular steakhouse cuts:

Filet Mignon

Of all the prime cuts, filet mignon has the least marbling. This means that it is leaner and does not have as much flavor as the other cuts. But is also incredibly tender, with almost a buttery texture. Because this cut is so thick, it also takes the longest to prepare, especially when ordered medium-well to well-done. (Editor’s Note: Well done filet mignon? Say it isn’t so!)

Porterhouse

The most popular cut at Benjamin Steakhouse, the porterhouse includes the filet and the sirloin, with the T-bone in the middle (it’s also called a T-bone steak). The Porterhouse is best served simply, grilled with just a dusting of kosher salt. The largest cut, it can be divided among two, three, or four people—or one extremely hungry carnivore.

Porterhouse is the ideal meat for grilling because the center bone conducts heat in the middle of the meat. This enables the steak to cook more evenly and prevents the meat from drying out and shrinking during cooking. For people who don’t like to struggle with the bone: At Benjamin Steakhouse, the porterhouse is served pre-sliced and presented on a piping hot platter, so that it literally sizzles as it is being served.

Rib Eye

Of all the cuts on the menu, the rib eye steak has the most marbling, which means it is fattier but also has the most flavor. It is this marbling that makes the rib eye the richest and beefiest cut. At Benjamin Steakhouse, it is also served on the bone.

Sirloin

Sirloin has medium marbling, so it still delivers a nice, juicy flavor. The flavor is not as robust as the rib eye, but it is much easier to trim. There are no large pockets of fat, making it an easy-to-cook, easy-to-eat cut.

Benjamin’s serves the sirloin on the bone, which helps it to cook more evenly. Chefs and customers alike agree that any steak cooked on bone—even though it’s on the side, not in the center as with porterhouse—produces a more flavorful piece of meat.

Porterhouse: Combining filet mignon and sirloin, it’s the best of both worlds. Photo courtesy Allen Brothers.

Check out the many other cuts of beef in our Beef Glossary.
 

IS AGED STEAK WORTH THE EXTRA MONEY?

The best steakhouses use only USDA prime beef, carefully dry-aged in specially built aging boxes. The beef is chilled to a precise temperature and humidity level, for a minimum of 28 days.

The dry-aging process enhances the flavor of the steak over time, as moisture evaporates from within the beef. It also tenderizes the beef by allowing the tissues to break down.

This is a time-consuming, and therefore expensive, undertaking, but for a good reason: The key effect of the dry aging process is the concentration of flavor. Dry aged beef needs to be seasoned only with kosher salt, to allow the well developed flavors of the steak to shine.
  
TOMORROW: Grill your own steak with Chef MacLeod’s advice on buying and cooking.

Smoked sea salt ranges from pale, like
Maldon (in photo), to dark brown. Photo
courtesy Realfoods.co.uk.

What can you do if you have a gas grill, but crave the smoky flavor of meat grilled over wood chips?

Michaele Musel, chef of Double R Ranch Co., producers of aged beef, suggests this option for those who grill without an open fire.

“There’s an easy way to replicate the smokiness of coal and wood, using a gas grill and smoked sea salt,” says Chef Musel.

Smoked sea salt is available at specialty food stores or online. Get a box for yourself, and a second box or jar as an inexpensive gift for someone who likes to cook. (Put smoked salt on your “stocking stuffer” list.)

Different artisan salt companies make smoked sea salt. Perhaps the most beautiful is the smoked version of Maldon sea salt, harvested from the Atlantic Ocean off the southeast coast of England in Essex.

Maldon salt has unique pyramid-shaped flakes which are visually arresting when used as a finishing salt. Here’s more about Maldon salt in our Artisan Salt Glossary.

USES FOR SMOKED SALT

Use smoked salt on deviled eggs, fish/seafood (yummy on salmon), grilled and roasted meats, pasta, roast chicken and other foods. We even use a pinch on an egg salad or tuna sandwich. It just might get some people to eat more veggies. You can evoke the flavor of bacon in soups and stews by adding this “vegan” smokiness.

Choose Your Style. In addition to flakes, smoked salt is also available in fine and coarse grain sizes. For the most flexibility, get the flakes or coarse grain, which can be used as decorative salts. If you need a finer grain, crush or grind the salt.

Make Sure It’s Natural. Before you buy a smoked salt, make sure that it is naturally smoked. A natural salt is slow-smoked in cold smokers over a wood fire, which infuses the salt crystals with delicious, smokey flavor. Companies that take a shortcut use liquid smoke flavoring that can create a bitter taste.

Taste Before Using. While any smoked salt can be used when a hint of smoke is desired, taste it first to judge the smokiness. Some brands are smoked much more heavily than others.

GET SMOKY FLAVOR FROM A GAS GRILL

Here are chef’s Musel’s tips for achieving a smoky flavor from a gas grill. The chef likes to grill a tri-tip, part of the sirloin.

1. PREPARE GRILL. Prepare a gas grill for indirect cooking according to manufacturer’s directions for medium heat.

2. SEASON MEAT. Season the tri-tip roast or other cut with smoked sea salt and pepper. Place the roast on a cooking grid over direct heat. Grill, uncovered, for two minutes on each side.

3. INDIRECT HEAT. Move tri-tip to indirect heat. Grill, covered, one hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the internal temperature at center of thickest part of the roast reaches 135°F for medium rare; 150°F for medium doneness.

Photo courtesy Double R Ranch.

4. TENT MEAT. Transfer the roast to a carving board and tent loosely with aluminum foil. Let it stand for 5 to 10 minutes. Temperature will continue to rise about 10°F to reach 145°F for medium rare; 160°F for medium doneness.

5. CARVE & SERVE. Carve the roast across the grain and serve on French bread with salsa or other condiments. Chef Musel likes to serve this dish with slow cooked pinquito beans and a green salad.

Are you using enough microwave heat to kill
all harmful bacteria? Photo © Barry Schwartz
| Flickr.

Whether you heat, nuke, zap or other favorite word, using a microwave oven to cook or reheat foods is fast and convenient.

But it’s not effective at killing harmful bacteria if the food isn’t heated to a safe internal temperature, according to the Partnership for Food Safety Education, a non-profit group. The misconception that the microwaved kill bacteria is one of their four featured food safety myths for 2012.

September is National Food Safety Education Month. The Partnership, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and a network of retailers across the U.S., has launched its annual Home Food Safety Mythbusters. See how many of the four safety myths you believe.

About one in six Americans—48 million people—will get a foodborne illness this year, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates. The Partnership launched Mythbusters in 2009 to address common food safety myths and to give consumers actionable steps they can follow to protect themselves and their families from food poisoning.

The last mythbuster was the that was news for us, and good news at that!

MYTH: “If I microwave food, the microwaves kill the bacteria, so the food is safe.”

FACT: Microwaving itself isn’t what kills bacteria in food: It’s the amount of heat generated by the microwaves. Microwaved foods can cook unevenly because they may be shaped irregularly or vary in thickness. Even microwave ovens with a turntable can cook unevenly and leave cold spots in food, where harmful bacteria can survive.

WHAT TO DO: Be sure to follow package instructions and rotate and stir foods during the cooking process, if the instructions call for it. Observe any standing times specified in the directions: the heat from standing time may be needed to kill the bacteria. For foods that can harbor harmful bacteria, such as meat and poultry, check the temperature of microwaved foods with a food thermometer in several spots.

MYTH: “I wash all bagged lettuce and greens because it might make me sick if I don’t.”

FACT: While it is important to thoroughly wash most fresh fruits and vegetables, if packaged greens are labeled “ready-to-eat,” “washed” or “triple washed,” then the product does NOT need to be washed again at home. Pre-washed greens have been through a cleaning process immediately before going into the bag. Re-washing and handling the greens at home actually creates opportunities for contamination.

WHAT TO DO: Don’t rewash greens that have been washed already, and always handle pre-washed greens with clean hands. Make sure that cutting boards, utensils and counter tops are clean.

MYTH: “I don’t need to use a food thermometer. I can tell when my food is cooked by looking at it or checking the temperature with my finger.”

FACT: The only sure way to know food is safely cooked is to check the temperature with a food thermometer and confirm it has reached a safe internal temperature.

You can refreeze chicken and other proteins if they have been thawed in the fridge. Photo courtesy 21Food.com.

Color, texture and steam are not indicators that a food is safe to eat. The surface of a food might be steaming hot, but there may be cold spots inside.

WHAT TO DO: Keep a food thermometer on top of the microwave; this slender thermometer is unobtrusive. Clean the food thermometer with soap and water after each use.

MYTH: “I can’t re-freeze foods after I have thawed them: I have to cook them or throw them away.”

FACT: If raw proteins such as meat, poultry, egg products and seafood have been thawed in the refrigerator, then they can be safely re-frozen without cooking. Never thaw raw foods by letting them sit on the kitchen counter; the warmth of the room enables harmful bacteria to multiply quickly.

WHAT TO DO: Only re-freeze raw or partially cooked foods that have been thawed in the fridge. If raw foods are thawed outside of the refrigerator—for example, in the microwave or in cool water—they need to be cooked immediately.

Mythbusters educational materials, including a PowerPoint Presentation, a teachers’ kit, games for children and more, are all available as free downloads at Fightbac.org. You’ll also find the four tips from 2009 through 2011.