About Storing & Handling

Expiration

Each product comes with its own label and expiration date. The expiration in Japanese is 賞味期限 (shou-mi-ki-gen) and the format is yyyy/mm/dd. Please check each individual product at hand. 


Before Defrosting

When defrosting meat always place the packs in the lowest compartment in the fridge. This is a precautionary common practice to prevent a possible liquid leakage on all the items below.

Always double-bag the items or place in a bowl to prevent leakage of blood in case the pack's vacuum seal breaks during the defrosting process.



Defrosting Methods

Fridge Defrosting Plan ahead. Calculate about 24h per 1kg or 2lbs. Note: Once completely defrosted the sealed pack is safe and of good quality for 3 days if stored in the fridge. Can be refrozen without cooking, there is no safety concern but a slight noticeable decline in taste and quality.
Water Defrosting

Use a big bowl and fully submerge in cold tap water, change the water every hour so it continues to defrost. Note: Double bag to prevent water entering the pack in case the vacuum seal breaks. We recommend cooking the meat after defrosting as soon as possible. Do not refreeze again for quality and safety reasons.
Microwave Defrosting We do not recommend defrosting high quality meat in the microwave.

    Defrosting Times


    Size Example Refrigerator Cold Water
    200g (7oz.) Small Steak 7h <1h
    350g (12oz.) Big Steak 9h 1h
    500g (1 lbs.) Ground beef 12h 1h
    1kg (2 lbs.) Roast 24h 2h
    2kg (4 lbs.) Whole blocks 48h+ 5h+

    What is the best before date after defrosting?

    For the best quality and taste you can keep the unopened and vacuum sealed pack in the fridge for up to 3 days. Once opened or when the vacuum seal is broken please consume as soon as possible for quality and safety reasons.

     

    Can I refreeze meat after defrosting?

    Once the food is defrosted in the refrigerator, it is completely safe to refreeze the product in its original packaging without cooking. However, there will be a slight drop in quality due to the moisture lost through defrosting. 

     

    Best Cooking Method for Steaks

    Before cooking open the vacuum packs and let the steaks breathe and reach room temperature. Season with sea salt and black pepper if preferred.

    For cooking recommend reverse searing. Slowly cook steaks to 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) and finish off with a very hot sear for a about 20 seconds on each side, turn often. Take the steak off the heat and let the steak rest for 5 minutes.

    Ideal internal temperature is around 55 degrees Celsius (130 degrees Fahrenheit) for medium rare. Sprinkle with sea salt. Enjoy!