Cooking frozen steak...

[deestafford]

Recently, I've read a number of articles, particularly in Cook's Illustrated, about not thawing steaks before cooking them. Just put them on the grill and let 'em go and they cook more evenly.  Any of y'all know anything about this or have tried it?

Also, yesterday I read an indepth article by Meathead at AmazinRibs.com as to not resting steaks and some other meats. There was a lot of scientific information and experiments to back up this idea. Of course, in the comments section there were those who disagreed.  Any comments on  resting versus not resting?

Dee

[tailfeathers]

I've never tried cooking steaks right out of the freezer, but my dad was a salesman for 20th century welders back in the 70's and he still says the best steaks he ever ate were made by one of his customers on a ranch in western SD. The guy did exactly that. Pulled T-bone steaks out of the freezer and put them on a hot charcoal grill while still frozen solid.


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[smokeasaurus]

Most mail order meat places (ex. Omaha Steaks) recommend cooking from frozen.......I just can't seem to do it..............

[Pappymn]

Haven't done it myself. But resting steaks and chops doesn't make much sense to me as they are so thin. Whole poultry is another matter

[muebe]

I have done this before. Very thick steaks can be an issue due to being frozen in the middle. Takes a lot of energy to thaw and cook the middle part so the rest of the steak can be overdone by then.

Thin steaks it seems to work fine to me.

It does allow you to get a great sear on steaks without over cooking it to do so.

I prefer direct contact with the frozen steak to like a cast iron skillet for example instead of a grill.

Even dropping directly on the coals sounds like a great idea to me.

[Smokin Don]

Dee my Dad used to eat a lot of T-bones cut thick from my Uncle's Grocery Meat Market. He always said he liked them better after frozen for a period. Said they were more tender. I have never tried it from frozen solid.
I usually let my steaks rest some but not to room temp. I always want the food on my plate HOT! Don

[drholly]

I have not tried steaks from frozen, but the concept seems to make sense.

I also read Meathead's article on resting vs. not resting. I have not rested steaks or most meats in some time. Meat that should be hot goes from the grill or oven to the table in my house. I've eaten at Murrays in Minneapolis, Ruth's Chris in various places, Lawry's and Peter Lugers. All serve their steaks hot, and they are delicious. If I worry about losing some juices... well there is usually some nice bread waiting to sop them up.

I'm with Pappy on poultry.

[Ka Honu]

Thin steaks it seems to work fine to me.

It does allow you to get a great sear on steaks without over cooking it to do so.

What muebe said. If you've got a fairly thin steak, cooking it while still partially frozen can prevent it from being overcooked.

[LostArrow]

My standard cook.
Season steak & freeze about an hour or if frozen just season.
Indirect smoke for 20 minutes then on the heat for a sear.

[africanmeat]

Thin steaks it seems to work fine to me.

It does allow you to get a great sear on steaks without over cooking it to do so.

What muebe said. If you've got a fairly thin steak, cooking it while still partially frozen can prevent it from being overcooked.

I do 1/2 inch steaks from frozen state it will have a nice sear on top and medium in the middle . that why i pack my steaks each one in a separate pack .

[Big Dawg]

Most mail order meat places (ex. Omaha Steaks) recommend cooking from frozen.......I just can't seem to do it..............

Way back in the day (30+ years ago) I lived out in the sticks.  Nearest grocery was over 45 minutes away.  I had an account with Southern Foods. That was their recommendation, too.  As I recall, their steaks were probably 1/2" thick.

I don't cook from frozen now, but I cook thicker steaks now.  Plus (I think) I'm a little bit better cook than I was 30 years ago.





BD

[Hub]

Yes, you CAN cook a steak from frozen and sometimes you might even have to.  However, let's take a moment to think about the time/temperature relationship 

A frozen steak tossed on a hot grill is going to take longer to cook to any "medium" degree and the exterior surface will be subjected to high heat longer and may possibly char as a result.  Further, although a frozen steak might come out well in the rare portion of the spectrum without external charring, it'll take a probe to know when it's ready for service.  Using lower heat makes some sense because it will allow more upward progress in the center of the frozen steak before something disgusting happens to the outside.  Why fight the problem?

Becoming a skilled steak griller is a worthy challenge.  Here's my two cents:  http://www.letstalkbbq.com/index.php?topic=707.0

Hub