You know that feeling when you see an expensive cut of meat in the store and feel like it’s a shame to cook it? You’ll be happy to hear that there are ways to preserve your meat so that they last for months! The “storage ladder protocol” is a system designed by the North Dakota State University Extension Service, which categorizes meats based on their fat content.
If the meat is fatty, it should be kept in a refrigerator. If not, you can store it on your counter or below your sink. The bottom-line is that lean meats are safe to keep at room temperature without refrigeration for up to four days! Beyond this time period and into more than one week’s worth of storage, they need to read stored in the fridge if they have any fat content. Beyond storing meat properly based on its level of fat content, there are other ways to preserve them as well: freezing ground beef after 20% has been browned ensures no growth of bacteria; marinating poultry before cooking prevents bacterial contamination while keeping flavor intact; using an airtight container when storing raw fish helps prevent spoil
