In a recent teaser from Cook's Illustrated ​ they say to cook a steak right out of the freezer. They claim it helps keep the inside from cooking too much while getting more sear on the outside.
Any opinions or experience with this? Meathead? Prof Blonder?
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Nothing wrong with it, I guess. Other than freezing effects the overall quality of the meat. That would be my only critique. Also, you can get a great sear and perfect center using the reverse sear or the continuous flip method.
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It may help to tenderize it, but it really effects the quality for the texture of the meat. Also, tend to push out moisture when it defrosts. smokyYank
If not cooking outdoors, I am cooking on the stovetop with my 14" carbon steel wok, 12" CI skillet, or in the oven with my two Lodge CI pizza pans, or two dutch ovens. I've also got a nifty Lodge carbon steel grill pan that rocks for veggies outdoors.
Hmmmm. I've smoked a lot of butts from frozen, and my experience was that it took a couple hours before the center even approaches 32F. With a steak, I would fear that outside being super seared and gray banding for the outer layers of the steak before the center even gets to 100F, much less 125F or so.
Another down side is you really cannot dry brine or salt frozen meat and expect salt to penetrate. It will be a surface treatment, unless you dry brine before freezing I suppose.
If you try it, I'll be curious to hear the results. Almost all my steaks come from the freezer, as I try to buy primal or sub-primal cuts and cut my own steaks, which I vacuum seal and freeze. With the deep freeze being about -25F, I sure can't see cooking from that temp unless I do it low and slow indirect.
I would say... if you try this, I think a FRONT SEAR would be best - then move the meat indirect and monitor the temp with a probe until it reaches desired doneness.
We also buy primal and cut our own steaks. The old line of thought was you needed to thaw a steak well or it would be tough. With the price of really good steaks I don’t mind taking the time to thaw and dry brine them.My home freezer is at -20 F and holds that temp with no problem.
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I heard about this (don't remember when or where) ... and immediately filed it alongside the concept of frying eggs in the summer on the sidewalk in Phoenix ... in the ever-growing Just Because You Can Doesn't Mean You Should category.
If you decide to try it, though ... don't forget the pics ...
I wouldn't freeze a steak just to cook it frozen, but I might take a whack at it if I forgot to take any out of the freezer.
jfmorris - I try to dry brine before freezing. I brine and leave in the fridge overnight and then freeze. If ya try this, don't forget to mark the package "brined".
I am a huge fan of Cooks Illustrated, so of course I had to try this. First try was in a cast iron pan, but had trouble getting the entire surface of the steak on at the same time, it needs to be perfectly flat for this method. Did another one over charcoal, it worked out OK and might do it again in a pinch. If time permits, the indirect/reverse sear or sous vide/reverse sear is my go-to.
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I’ve cooked steak from frozen a number of times using the indirect method. I grill chicken breasts this way as well. It’s not my preferred method, but the end round the turns out great. It takes longer of course, but there are times when I didn’t plan well and that was in the freezer to eat.
I will say, thick steaks, meh. Don’t do it. Takes too long. Thinner is ok. But for the thick, frozen steaks, that’s where the sous vide is handy and you get a great steak at 2 hours bath time then a ripped hot CI or grill.
smokyYank no I don’t think it is. I actually love using bath tub to cook. During the week, especially in the winter, I’ll throw frozen meat in the bath tub, turn it on and go ride my bike for 1.5-2 hours and get home and have dinner on the table in 30 minutes. SV puts out great thick cut pork chops, excellent boneless chicken breast and even salmon. The steaks are great as well, which i mentioned above.
smokyYank - continued - many on here use the SV. You can do so many different cooks. Eggs, carrots (which are my preferred method), custards, you name it. Just another tool to have in the kitchen in my view.
There was a thread on here a year or two back where people had great success with this method. I’ve never tried it myself, but I wouldn’t be too nervous about trying it if the situation called for it. I wouldn’t go out of my way to try it though. Honestly the lack of dry brine on a steak is a pretty small disadvantage. Even if you only salt the surface you still get salt in every bite.
I’m just wondering why no one is thawing them out in the microwave first….at "defrost" mode. [if necessary] I can thaw a steak in less than 5 minutes this way. I never cook a steak while frozen, it has never appealed to me. Normally though, I thaw my steaks on the kitchen counter hours ahead of time.
Hi @panhead - have a Harley? Anyway, I hear thawing at room temp is dangerous - bacteria grow in the 40 to 140F range (or thereabouts); I've heard it's safer to defrost overnight or longer in the fridge...
In a pinch, I have done this with chicken. I don’t care to do it this way, but I do. Red meat, I won’t though. Iâ€ll drop that in cold water and let it go that way.
Used to ride for many years, sold it back in 03’. While I do sometimes thaw steaks on the counter, I’ll put them in the fridge while they’re still a little frozen. Luckily I have a cast iron stomach.
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