I sealed lean ground beef in a ziplock bag over night to discover that most of it had turned brown. Is it still safe to cook?

Sam1148 added over 1 year ago

Sniff it smell it. The coloration isn't the problem. Beef will go brown when it's exposed to oxygen.
The color doesn't matter for safety (well except green)...the slime and 'off sniff' is the only way to tell.
Ground beef does go brown easily. It's just a couple of days out from purchase, you should be fine despite a brown color. A sniff test and slime toss it.

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Great thanks Sam. Passed the sniff and smell test so we're already on the grill.

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Sam1148 added over 1 year ago

I think I may my information backwards. Oxygen is what makes it red. While lack of O makes it brown. So, sometimes you'll get a brown interior on a package and a pink outside.

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bigpan added over 1 year ago

Ask your butcher ... The best red meats are just when they start to turn brown as the collagen has broken down and the meat more tender. Butchers octet charge more for such aging while supermarkets put in the discount bin.

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