Steak straight from the freezer into the pan: these were the test cooks’ findings
Many people will want to thaw meat from the freezer first before frying it in a pan. But several research-minded chefs tested frying steak straight from the freezer, and the results were surprising.
Their test method was one that many chefs use: first brown the meat all over in a hot frying pan (in this case, 90 seconds per side), then transfer it to an oven until the internal temperature reached medium-rare according to a thermometer. The test cooks from Cook’s Illustrated did this with both frozen steaks and steaks that had been thawed after freezing. And guess what?
Slower, but beautifully browned
After browning in the frying pan, the frozen steaks obviously took longer to reach the desired temperature in the oven: between 18 and 22 minutes, compared with the 10 to 15 minutes needed for the thawed steaks. But what was genuinely surprising was that they browned just as quickly and just as well during those first 90 seconds in the frying pan.
Gray band
There is also generally a grayish band between the pink center and the seared outer layer, so just beneath the ‘crust’. If you are a true connoisseur, this part can taste overcooked. What the test cooks found positive was that this grayish band was narrower in the steaks that were cooked straight from the freezer. When they tasted the steaks side by side—the straight-from-the-freezer version next to the steak that had first been thawed—the former was unanimously preferred.
When it has to be done, it has to be done
The explanation is that a frozen steak is naturally ice-cold, which reduces the risk of overcooking the inside during the time needed to create a beautiful brown seared layer on the outside in the hot pan. The test cooks did honestly admit, however, that they would still rather eat a steak that had never been frozen at all. But if there is no other option, putting it straight from the freezer into the pan is still better than thawing it first.
Also read:
- This new grocery delivery service is local and delicious
- Recipe for a Burgundian steak tartare
- Insane: who cooks a steak like that?
Source: Cook’s Illustrated
