Have you ever craved a steak, only to realize it’s still in the freezer?
It’s a common dilemma, but what if you didn’t need to thaw it out first?
Believe it or not, defrosting a steak isn’t always necessary before cooking.
This revelation comes from a surprising experiment by Dan Souza, the editor-in-chief of Cook’s Illustrated and host of America’s Test Kitchen.
In a YouTube video that’s racked up over 6.2 million views, Souza sets out to challenge the long-standing belief that steaks must be thawed before cooking.
In his experiment, Souza starts with a beautifully marbled strip loin steak, which he cuts into four pieces.
He vacuum seals each piece and freezes them.
The day before cooking, he defrosts two pieces in the refrigerator overnight, while the other two remain frozen.
The steaks are then cooked side by side to see if there’s any difference in the final product.
For cooking, Souza sears both the thawed and frozen steaks in a hot skillet for 90 seconds on each side.
Then, he transfers them to an oven preheated to 275 degrees Fahrenheit.
The steaks cook in the oven until they reach an internal temperature of 125 degrees, which is considered medium-rare.
Souza also weighs each steak before and after cooking to measure moisture loss.
One clear difference was that the frozen steaks took longer to cook in the oven, needing about 18-22 minutes compared to the thawed steaks, which only required 10-15 minutes.
However, this extended cooking time didn’t negatively affect the overall quality of the steak.
Surprisingly, even the frozen steaks developed a nice brown crust during the searing process, which contradicts the assumption that being frozen would prevent proper browning.
Another surprising outcome was that the frozen steaks actually cooked better than the thawed ones in some ways.
When examining the cooked steaks, Souza noticed that the frozen steaks had thinner bands of overcooked meat (the grayish layer beneath the crust) compared to the thawed steaks.
This meant that more of the steak remained juicy and tender.
Additionally, the frozen steaks lost about 9% less moisture during cooking than their thawed counterparts, which can be crucial for maintaining flavor and tenderness.
The taste test results were equally fascinating.
All the steaks looked delicious, and tasters unanimously agreed that the frozen steaks tasted just as good, if not better, than the thawed steaks.
The fact that frozen steaks could still develop a perfect crust and retain more moisture made them the unexpected winner of this experiment.
So, why did this happen?
The science behind it suggests that the outer layer of the frozen steak, being colder, can brown without overcooking the interior as quickly.
This leads to a well-seared exterior with a juicy center.
Additionally, because the cooking process is slower for a frozen steak, there’s less chance of overcooking it, which can often happen with thawed meat if not watched carefully.
While Souza maintains that the ideal steak is one that has never been frozen, not everyone has the luxury of always cooking fresh meat.
Knowing that frozen steaks can perform so well in the kitchen is certainly a game-changer.
If you plan to freeze your steaks more often, Souza recommends a specific method: first, place the steaks uncovered on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper in the freezer overnight.
This helps dry them out, preventing ice crystals from forming.
The next day, wrap the steaks in plastic, place them in an airtight bag, and return them to the freezer.
When you’re ready to cook a frozen steak, Souza advises adding enough oil to the skillet to measure about 1/8 inch deep.
This is more than many might think but helps ensure a proper sear.
Using a large skillet can also minimize splattering, making for a cleaner cooking process.
Watch the video below to learn how to cook frozen steaks!
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