Hello everyone! I absolutely love serious eats and their more scientific approach to things so I am hoping for an answer here. Quite a few recipes (i.e. https://www.seriouseats.com/the-best-buffalo-wings-oven-fried-wings-recipe) ask for leaving cuts of meat uncovered in the fridge overnight etc. I was always doing this, but my wife stops me, because she is afraid that bacteria could spread around the fridge (she was pregnant then, we have small kids now). So my question is – how much of a real concern is this, or how to avoid this while still letting meats marinate/cure/sit in the fridge overnight. Or maybe if I turn this question around – how much worse it would be if I left it covered, would it not let enough moisture out? Thanks!
by Agent_Topinski
4 Comments
I would normally cover a marinate , but some meats do work better with drying out. Think about dry aged beef.
Bacteria on food don’t have any way to move, so they can’t contaminate other foods. It’s good practice, though, to place meats lower in the fridge so that, in case of accidental spillage, meat liquids don’t get on anything below. It’s also colder in the lower shelves.
I have always assumed that bacteria cannot become airborne of their own accord. Molds and fungi might be different but you’d have to judge what would be the likeliest/earliest risk…
Thanks everyone!