Thawing Big Cuts: How Much Time to Pull from the Freezer

You know how when you plan a big meal, maybe a holiday roast, Sunday dinner, or that special bundle from our farm, you want everything to line up just right? One of the most common hiccups: "Oops, I forgot to pull the meat out in time." 

Let’s talk through how long thawing really takes for large muscle cuts like a ham or prime rib (bone-in vs. boneless), how to make the plan ahead, and why we freeze everything at Creamery Creek instead of shipping it “fresh.”

Why We Ship Frozen (not “fresh”)

Here’s a little behind-the-scenes: At Creamery Creek we freeze products before shipping, not because it’s less work, but because it’s safer and higher quality for you. When meat is shipped frozen:

It stays solid from our farm to your door, so the cold chain is maintained and there’s no time in the “danger zone” (40 °F to 140 °F) where bacteria love to grow. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”), foods should be kept at or below 40 °F during thawing when done in the fridge.   Ask USDA

It gives you flexibility. You get your package, you decide when you’ll cook it, without having to race to get it before it spoils.

For big roasts, thick cuts, bone-in items, freezing preserves the quality so that when you thaw and cook it, it's just about as good as the day we packed it.

I mention this so you KNOW YOU CAN DO IT about when to plan your pull-from-freezer moment.

Refrigerator Thawing: The Safest Way

If you’ve got time, thawing in the fridge is the gold standard. Here's what the experts and I recommend:

The meat stays cold (at or below 40 °F) so you avoid bacterial growth. 
Ag & Natural Resources College

You can safely refreeze if you change your mind, but only if it was thawed in the fridge in the first place. 

After thawing, red meat or pork roasts can stay in the fridge for 3 to 5 days before cooking. 

Here’s a rule-of-thumb: Plan about 24 hours of thaw time for every ~5 pounds of large muscle cut when doing in the fridge. 

Large Muscle Cut Estimates

Let’s get specific: ham, prime rib, bone-in vs boneless. Below are approximate times and when you might want to pull the item from the freezer so it’s thawed just in time for cooking.

Bone-in large roast (for example, bone-in fresh ham, or prime rib with the rib-bone)

• Suppose you have a 10-pound bone-in roast.
• Using the 24 h per ~5 pounds, you’d estimate about 48 hours (2 full days) in the fridge to thaw fully.
• If your fridge is a little warmer (say 38-40 °F) or if the packaging is heavy or vacuum sealed, add a little buffer. So maybe plan 2½ days.
• Pull from the freezer: If you plan to cook Sunday evening, you’d place it in the fridge Friday morning or afternoon.
• If it’s larger, say 15-20 pounds, plan 3-4 days in the fridge.

Boneless roast (same cut but without bone)

• Without the bone, there’s a bit less mass and less cold-core inertia, so thawing goes a bit faster, but not dramatically faster for very large cuts.
• For a 10-pound boneless roast, you might be fine with about 36-42 hours.
• So if you’re cooking Sunday evening, you could pull from freezer early Saturday.
• Still, if you have the space and prefer peace of mind, placing it Friday gives you a full buffer.

Medium sized roasts (5-8 pounds)

• A 6-pound bone-in roast: ~ 24-30 hours.
• A 6-pound boneless: maybe ~ 20-24 hours.
• Pull from freezer accordingly: if cooking Sunday midday, move to fridge Saturday afternoon (boneless) or Friday evening (bone-in) if you want plenty of margin.

Thawing Tips (so you don’t wake up steak-less)

Clear a lower shelf in your fridge for the thawing item so any juice stays contained (use a tray or pan).

Keep packaging sealed as long as possible, this preserves moisture and protects from cross-contamination.

Keep your fridge at 40 °F or lower. If you’re not sure, use an appliance thermometer (the USDA says this matters). 

After thawing, you have 3-5 days (for beef/pork roasts) to cook if you thawed in the fridge. Don’t wait weeks.

If you suddenly change plans and can’t cook when you intended: it is safe to refreeze (if thawed in fridge) but understand some quality may be lost (texture, moisture).

Avoid shortcuts for big cuts: thawing on the counter or in warm water is risky and can cause parts of the meat to enter the “danger zone” (40-140 °F) where bacteria can multiply rapidly. 

Planning Calendar

Big, bone-in roast? Pull from freezer 2-4 days ahead depending on size.

Boneless but large? Pull 1½-3 days ahead.

Mid-size roasts (5-8 lb)? Pull 1-2 days ahead.

Remember: we ship everything frozen so your clock starts when you move it into the fridge.

Once thawed, you’ve got a good window of 3-5 days for beef/pork roasts, so plan your cooking, not just your thawing.

A Quick Story From the Farm

Here’s one for you: Last winter I was prepping a bone-in ham for our family Christmas dinner. I pulled it from the freezer Wednesday afternoon and put it in the fridge on the bottom shelf. By Friday morning it was completely thawed, super cold, ready to go. Had I pulled it Friday night? It might’ve worked, but I like the peace of mind of knowing Monday or Tuesday morning I’m good. 

Tell me how it goes for you!

XOXO, 

Louisa