Change the water often. The cold water temperature slows bacterial growth in the outer, thawed portions of the meat while the inner areas are still thawing. You can safely thaw meat and poultry in a microwave oven. Follow the manufacturer's directions. It's not a good idea to thaw meat and poultry on the kitchen counter.
Bacteria can multiply rapidly at room temperature.
You can cook frozen meat, poultry, or fish without thawing, but you must allow more cooking time to be sure the center of the meat is properly cooked. Allow at least one and a half times as long to cook as required for unfrozen or thawed products of the same weight and shape. Undercooked foods may not be safe to eat. Store fresh or thawed raw meat, poultry, and seafood in the refrigerator. Be very careful that drippings do not contaminate other foods.