The ins and outs of food safety and storage is knowledge essential for any meat-lover. All meats pose significant risks when not handled properly. Most people have had or know someone who has had a serious case of food poisoning. It’s not fun, and it can lead to terrible things.
To avoid spoiled meats, its best to abide by the following practices and guidelines. Using the tips below, your meats will last longer, taste better, and spoil less often.
Beef tenderloin is prized for its tender texture and delicious flavor. However like all raw meats proper storage is crucial to keep it fresh and safe to eat. Follow these guidelines on how long you can keep beef tenderloin in the refrigerator.
Overview
- Raw whole beef tenderloin lasts 3-5 days in the fridge when stored properly.
- Ground tenderloin only keeps 1-2 days.
- Marinated tenderloin keeps 1-2 days in the fridge.
- Freeze for longer storage – 6-12 months in a home freezer.
- Chill tenderloin quickly and keep it 40°F or colder.
- Monitor for spoilage signs like odor, slime, or color changes.
Why Refrigeration Is Important
Raw meats require refrigeration to slow bacterial growth. Beef tenderloin is no exception. At room temperature, bacteria multiply rapidly. In the fridge, cold temperatures keep bacteria in check for maximum shelf life.
Refrigerating within 2 hours of purchasing is especially critical. Leaving tenderloin out too long gives bacteria a head start before chilling. Once refrigerated maintaining optimal temperature control is key.
How Long Does Raw Tenderloin Last Refrigerated?
- Whole cuts: 3-5 days
- Ground: 1-2 days
- Marinated: 1-2 days
These timeframes assume proper 40°F or below fridge temperatures. The colder the better for extending freshness.
Ground tenderloin and marinated tenderloin have shorter shelf lives. Grinding exposes more surface area to air and bacteria. Acidic marinades degrade meat over time.
While 3-5 days may seem brief, careful storage practices help tenderloin last its full potential in the fridge.
Storing Tenderloin for Maximum Freshness
Follow these handy tips for keeping tenderloin fresher longer
- Chill tenderloin immediately after purchasing.
- Wrap tightly in original butcher paper, plastic wrap, or foil. Eliminate air exposure.
- Place tenderloin on a shelf or meat drawer towards the back of the fridge. Keep far from the door where temps fluctuate.
- Separate raw meats from other foods to prevent cross-contamination.
- Check fridge temp regularly to ensure it’s 40°F or below.
- Avoid overcrowding the fridge. Empty space allows for airflow to maintain consistent chilling.
- Once opened, rewrap tenderloin pieces tightly before returning to the fridge.
Adhering to ideal storage conditions gives tenderloin the best shot at lasting 3-5 days refrigerated.
Identifying Spoiled Tenderloin
Check for these signs that signal spoiled, unsafe tenderloin:
- Slimy or sticky texture
- Off odors – sour, rancid, ammonia-like
- Dull or grey coloring
- Soft, mushy spots
- Mold growth – discard immediately if seen
Trust your senses. If tenderloin smells bad, discards it. Don’t risk eating spoiled raw meat.
Answers to Common Questions
Get answers to some frequently asked questions on refrigerating beef tenderloin:
How should I wrap tenderloin for the fridge?
Tightly wrap in plastic wrap or butcher paper. For extra protection, place wrapped tenderloin in a sealed bag or container. Eliminate as much air exposure as possible.
How long does tenderloin last in the freezer?
Frozen tenderloin stays fresh 6-12 months at 0°F. Double wrap prior to freezing for best quality.
Can I eat tenderloin after the sell-by date?
It’s not recommended. Sell-by dates indicate peak freshness. Eating past them risks foodborne illness.
What temperature should thawed tenderloin be?
Check with a food thermometer. If above 40°F, bacteria may have multiplied and tenderloin should be discarded.
Can I marinate tenderloin in advance?
Only marinate immediately before cooking. Marinating in the fridge can break down texture over time.
Follow these beef tenderloin refrigerator storage guidelines. Chilling tenderloin promptly, monitoring temps, and practicing food safety will reward you with the most delicious, tender results.
What You Need to Know About Bacteria and Food Storage
Different types of bacteria are what cause food to spoil and lead to food poisoning. Here are a few helpful facts about meat-based bacteria from the USDA:
- Most bacteria thrive in temperatures between 40°and 140°F.
- Most bacteria require oxygen to grow.
- Most meat has two kinds of bacteria: bacteria that make food go bad and bacteria that make people sick.
- Most of the time, spoilage bacteria don’t make your food unsafe, but they do change the smell, color, and taste of meat.
- Pathogenic bacteria make food unsafe to eat, but they don’t change the way something smells, looks, or tastes. Your meat still smells, looks, and tastes fine even though toxic bacteria are present.
Bovine and equine pathogens can multiply quickly between 40° and 140°F, making meat poisonous in just two hours. Because of this, you should throw away any meat that has been out of the fridge for two hours or more right away.
Refrigerating meat is an excellent way to make sure it stays fresh for 24 hours or more. When refrigerated, poultry, seafood, variety meats, and ground beef usually stay fresh for 1-2 days, while steaks and chops of pork, veal, lamb, and venison will keep for 3-5 days. (You can use a reference chart like this one from Colorado State University for a full list of best-by refrigerator and freezer dates).
Make sure to practice smart food safety when refrigerating meats:
- Make sure your refrigerator is between 34° and 40°F.
- Put raw meat on the bottom shelf or in its own drawer.
- Put a plate under the meat when you store it, especially when it’s thawing, to catch the juices that run off.
- Clean your fridge regularly.
Storing Meat in The Freezer
If you want to keep meat for more than two or three days, freezing it is the best way to make sure it stays good. Mold and bacteria can’t grow as quickly on meat that has been frozen below 0°F. Depending on the source, this can keep the meat fresh for up to 12 months.
Here are some helpful tips when freezing meat:
- Make sure to remove meats from grocery store packaging. Trays and plastic wraps don’t keep out moisture vapor, so your meat will dry out and get freezer burn faster. Use butcher’s paper, a freezer bag, or a vacuum sealer to re-wrap them.
- Before you freeze your meats without a vacuum sealer (more on these in a moment), make sure to get rid of as much air as you can. Put butcher’s paper around your meat tightly and then tape the paper shut.
- It’s less likely that ice crystals will form on meat that is frozen quickly. When you thaw meat, ice crystals break down membranes, letting the juice escape. If you have a quick-freezing shelf, use it. If not, put ice packs or other frozen foods right on top of the meat to freeze it faster.
- You should only thaw meat in the fridge or cold water. It is very dangerous to let food thaw at room temperature, as it allows bacteria to grow.
A good vacuum sealer is by far your best tool for preserving quality longer when it comes to meat. Vacuum sealers work by removing all of the oxygen from the packaging you use to store your meats, meaning most bacteria have almost no chance at further growth. This can mean freezer storage times 3 to 5 times as long with comparable freshness. Here are a couple important points about vacuum sealers:
- Since there is no air to absorb the meat’s moisture, vacuum packing extends its shelf life by stopping freezer burn.
- When vacuum sealing meat, it’s important to follow safe ways to handle meat. Most bacteria are aerobic, which means they need oxygen to live. However, some dangerous bacteria are anaerobic, which means they don’t need oxygen and can grow in a vacuum. You should be careful not to get harmful bacteria on your meat and vacuum seal it with your food.
- Vacuum sealing can also make meat last longer in the fridge, but because anaerobic bacteria can grow at temperatures above 3°F, all vacuum-packed meats in the fridge should be opened and cooked within 10 days.
- For your safety, it’s important to know that vacuum sealing doesn’t change the USDA’s suggested storage times for chilled and frozen meats.
Some of the best cuts of meat to chill and freeze are steaks. They stay fresh longer when chilled and frozen than most other cuts of meat. This makes them particularly suited to vacuum-packing for long distance transportation. The steaks at Chicago Steak Company are all flash frozen and vacuum sealed in their own juices to keep the flavor. Watch this episode of Steak U TV with Chef Phillipe from Chicago Steak Company to see how well vacuum-packing keeps dry-aged steak fresh.
To keep meat as fresh as possible for as long as possible, you should know how to store it in the fridge. Raw meat should be stored below other items to avoid cross-contamination from accidental drippings. Keep raw meat on a plate covered with plastic wrap or an airtight covering. Raw meat typically stays fresh in the fridge for 1-2 days.
For long-term meat storage, the freezer is the best option. Follow these steps to store steak in the freezer: Put the meat in a vacuum-sealed bag and lay it flat in the freezer so air can flow around it and freeze it quickly.
If you want to eat the raw steak soon, put it in the fridge for one to two days to keep it fresh. Don’t think you’ll be able to eat it that quickly? Put the steak in vacuum-sealed bags and freeze it for up to 4 to 12 months.
Raw meat can stay in the refrigerator safely for up to five days, depending on the meat. Pork and deer meat can be kept in the fridge for three to five days without any problems, but steak and chicken should only be kept there for one to two days. Alternatively, freeze raw meat for longer storage.