This article, and several like it that have been making the rounds these days, are complete and utter nonsense. IF you package the meat properly, and IF you keep it at a nice 0-degree-or-less temperature, it will last for years. I know this because I eat meat that is way older than a year all the time.
To be fair, there are other variables involved…how you cook it, for example. Will a rare steak taste from five years ago taste as good as one purchased yesterday? I don’t know. But I do know with utter certainty that meat used in stews, soups, sauces, and that sort of thing will taste just fine. Tacos, enchilladas, spaghetti sauces, sloppy joes, stews, soups, that sort of thing….not an issue at all.
I have eaten frozen turkey that was at least five or six years old. I just recently has some meat that was about ten years old. No problems whatsoever.
But, as I said, it’s all about the prep and storage. You’ve got to keep air from contacting the meat. I use a vacuum sealer but you might get away with plastic wrap if you make sure to wrap it thoroughly and to leave no voids with air.
After that, you need to get that meat down into the -0 range and keep it there. The freezer in your fridge will not be the optimal choice for this task. A dedicated chest freezer is the ticket.
I’ve noticed that articles like these are abounding lately. I wonder if it’s a concerted effort to get the population used to the idea of eating out of their freezer because of expected shortages and high pricing….or is it just coincidence? Hmm.