How to Keep Meat Fresh

It probably goes without saying, but always store meat, poultry, beef, pork, lamb, and game in the refrigerator.
Get meat into the fridge as soon as you get home from the store and be aware of how much time it spent out of refrigeration. A good rule of thumb is any

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piece of meat has about four hours total, it can be out before being cooked (assuming moderate room temperature in summertime, cut it to two hours). this includes time in the cart at the store, the drive home, and any prep time for a dish.

• Meat should be well wrapped and kept on the bottom of the fridge (not necessarily the "meat drawer") to avoid having it touch or drip on other foods.
• Plan to use meat within two to three days (one to two days for ground meats). If you know it's going to be longer than that, or you don't get around the making a meal you had planned, freeze the meat to avoid having it spoil.
• To freeze meat: Double-wrap it in plastic wrap, label it with what it is  and what day you're freezing it and put it in the freezer. Plan on using frozen meat within three months if you have a combination refrigerator-freezer or six months if you're lucky enough to have a stand-alone freezer. Consider keeping a simple log of what's in your freezer and when you put it in there so meat doesn't languish until its past its prime.
• To thaw meat: Place wrapped meat on a plate or rimmed dish (again, to avoid drips), and put it on the bottom shelf of the fridge. Do not thaw meat on the counter top at room temperature, which can increase your risk for food poisoning. Never re-freeze meat (unless it's cooked into a dish, then you can freeze the dish if you like)

NOTE: Home refrigerators should be between 35 degree F, around 37 degree F is ideal. You can check the actual temperature of your fridge by leaving a simple glass thermometer inside it overnight. Once you have a reading, you can adjust the dials and check again, repeating until you get the desired temperature.