Cheyenne,

>So I've been storing fresh raw meat in the fridge covered in plastic
>wrap.  I'd resisted the idea of uncovering it, probably out of some
>vague fear that germs might fall on it.... Of course if I don't cook
>plastic-covered meat in a couple of days, it goes rotten-smelling.

I also used to believe that meat needed to be wrapped or covered when it
was stored. Like you, I found that it always needed to be used within a few
days, or it would start to go 'off'.

>So - does meat actually keep longer when left uncovered to dry out a bit?

That's been my experience. I decided to try keeping meat uncovered in the
fridge after reading about other people's experiences with it. One of the
suggestions was to lay pieces of meat directly on the refrigerator shelves,
but I didn't want to do that because it would offend other people in the
household. So I tried to ensure as much air circulation as possible by
putting something in the bottom of the container that would keep the meat
raised up a bit.

This worked well, but I don't even bother to do that now. I just turn the
piece of meat over whenever I use some, so that the drier top goes on the
bottom, and the other side gets exposed to the air. I don't have any
problems with it spoiling before I finish it. It doesn't seem to matter if
it sits in a bit of its own juice, either. This will eventually dry up too
into a thin flaky substance, which can be eaten.

>can fish & bird be stored similarly?

Sure. I've already mentioned chicken, and I also have fish occasionally
(mostly salmon and tuna), which I store in the same way. Also organs, such
as liver.

Having said all this, I do get told sometimes that 'the fridge smells like
a butcher shop' (or fish shop), at which point I try to do something about
it by using up what is left, or lightly covering it. I guess that's
probably the reason I don't tend to keep it for any great length of time -
the smell (and taste) does become stronger with time.

Experiment a bit and see what meets your own particular needs and
circumstances.

Barbara