We’ve all been there before you get home from work and realize you forgot to thaw something to cook for dinner. It happens to the best of us but if your in the mood for steaks then your in luck. Grilling stakes that are still frozen for dinner isn’t a problem.
Not only can you put the stake right on the grill still frozen but if you do it the right way you can still get the perfect cook on it. I didn’t believe this the first time I read it so I just had to give it a try.
Normally if I forgot to thaw something I would just thaw it in a microwave or under some hot water for a few minutes. But when your working with stake using a microwave can start cooking the inside of the stake.
If your like me and want a rare or medium rare steak then your not going to be happy with the out come using a microwave to thaw a steak.
Thawing and cooking a frozen steak with this method you can still have a medium rare or rare steak even if you don’t have time to thaw it.
How To Grill a Still Frozen Steak
Now sins your steak is frozen your going to have to do things a bit different then you normally would.
Getting the Grill Ready
The first thing your going to need to do is make indirect and direct cooking zones in your grill. If you need a better understanding of cooking zones you can find more information about them by Clicking Here
After you’ve made your zones let your grill heat up to around 400F. Once your grill is up to temperature it’s time to sear the steak.
Searing The Steak
Your going to want to brush a little cooking oil on the side of the steak that your going to put against the cooking grates. This will help to keep it from sticking to the grill.
Now that the steak is ready put it on the direct heat cooking zone for about five minutes. After the five minutes has passed brush the side that’s up with cooking oil and flip the steak over.
After you flip the steak over you can add any seasonings you want to the hot side of the steak. If you would have tried to season it before hand it would have all fallen off and into the grill.
But now that this side is thawed your seasoning will stick to the steak. Let the steak cook for another 5 minutes on the other side then move the steak to the indirect heat zone.
Finishing The Steak
When you move the steak to the indirect heat zone you can flip it again and season the other side. Your only moving the steak to the indirect cooking zone to let it finish cooking with out burning the outside of the steak.
How long you let the steak cook over the indirect heat is going to depend on how you like your steak. The best thing to do is to check the internal temperature with a instant read thermometer.
This way you don’t wind up with a over done steak. Here’s a list of temperatures to help you to know when to take your steak off the grill.
| How Done it is Inside | Fahrenheit | Celsius |
|---|---|---|
| Rare | 115 F | 46 C |
| Medium rare | 120 F | 48 C |
| Medium | 130 F | 54 C |
| Medium well | 140 F | 60 C |
| Well done | 150 F | 65 C |
Keep in mind the steak is going to keep cooking for a few minutes after you take it off the grill. So don’t be afraid to take it off a few degrees under where you want it to be.
Benefits of Thawing / Cooking a Steak This Way
Cooking a steak in this manner is probley the only way you can cook with out waiting for it to fully thaw. It’s still best to let the steak thaw if you have the time to. But in the case of forgetting to thaw it a head of time then this might be your best option.
Like I said above a microwave will start to cook it from the inside out. But thaw / cooking it in this manner you getting a good sear on the out side and then giving the inside time to cook to your liking.
If you where to try to thaw it using indirect heat only then it would be hard to get the right internal temperature.
How To Freeze a Steak
One other thing that might affect how your steak turns out is the way it was frozen. If your buying steaks that are already frozen then you dont need to do anything.
But if your buying steaks because there on sale and your going to freeze them so they don’t go bad. Then there’s a few thing’s you should do before putting them in the freezer
Step 1 Cleaning
I like to start by rinsing the steak off under cold water. This is going to remove contaminants that may have gotten on it while it was being processed and packaged.
Step 2 Drying
After I’ve rinsed it off I like to use some paper towel’s to dry it. Rap it in the paper towel’s and press down on the steak. This will help remove any extra moisture from the steak.
If there’s to much moisture on or in the steak it won’t keep as long in the freezer.
Step 3 Packaging
Next put the steak in a bag that can be sealed. Vacuum sealing is best but if you don’t have a vacuum sealer then you can use a resealable freezer bag.
If your using a resealable freezer bag make sure you get as much air out of the bag as you can. If there’s a lot of air your steak will get freezer burned and wont be any good after that.
Step 4 Freezing
The best way to freeze steak is to blast freeze it. But most of us don’t have a blast freezer laying around the house. So your going to have to use a normal freezer.
The most importin thing here is to make sure your steak is sitting flat. Your steak is going to freeze the way that it’s sitting in the freezer. If it isn’t flat then when you go to put it on the grill it won’t cook evenly.
Best Instant Read Thermometer
Inkbird Waterproof Instant Read Thermometer IHT-1P
This ultra fast thermometer responds in 3-5 Seconds. It also locks the readout when probe is removed from the meat. This thermometer is highly calibrated and is accurate to ± 1℃/±2℉. It’s temperature range is -58℉ to 572℉ (-50℃ to 300℃). It will keep it’s high precision even after a long period of using.
The 250mAH rechargeable lithium battery of this digital thermometer last up to 11 hours with backlight once fully charged. Another amazing design is magnets that make the cooking thermometer easily stuck to the oven or refrigerator securely when not being used.
This food thermometer can be washed by running water directly on it without fear. The 180 degree foldaway probe design and the internal magnets make storage easy and convenient.
Deiss PRO Digital Meat Thermometer
This digital meat thermometer is manufactured with sturdy ABS plastic. It will not weaken with time, even if you accidentally drop it. It also features a LCD backlight display, auto switch-off which increases battery life and a button to switch between ºC and ºF.
This digital thermometer features a long 4.5 inch probe which’s is 180 degrees foldable. It lets you measure the temperatures safely from a distance.
It’s IP67 certification allows you to fearlessly wash it under tap water. It comes with a built in magnet and a hook for convenient storage.
This device determines the temperature in 2 to 3 seconds. It can precisely measure the temperature from -58°F to 572°F range. It’s memory functionality will come in handy to observe the past minimum and maximum temperatures.
Fenvella Meat Thermometer
This instant read thermometer comes already calibrated but gives you the option to recalibrate it yourself. It will give you a reading in 3-4 seconds. The 1.7mm diameter needle tip is easy to insert into food and is accurate to ±1 degree.
The range of this thermometer is 58℉(14℃) to 573℉(300℃). This cooking thermometer probe tapers up to 3.5mm in diameter and it can rotate 180° to support accurate and safe temperature measurements.
This grill thermometer comes with a bright LED screen that makes it easy to read at night. The IP67 rated waterproof design means it can be washed under running water. It’s 3 minutes auto-off design is perfect for saving battery life and its handle was even designed with a bottle opener in it.
This thermometer is made of heat-resistant and sturdy ABS plastic. The probe is made from 304 stainless steel. The thermometer can withstand accidental drops or other impacts.
With it’s big hanging hole and internal magnet you can hang it on a hook or attach it to the refrigerator.
Alpha Grillers Instant Read Meat Thermometer
Hold this food thermometer in any orientation and the screen will flip around so you can read it easily. As soon as you flip out the probe, readings are quickly displayed in 2 to 3 seconds on the large display. Battery and instructions included in the box.
Accurate to +/-1 degrees with a total range of -58℉-572℉. Comes pre-calibrated for your convenience, but you can recalibrate it easily if needed with the simple calibration feature.
It’s large display is brightly backlit with blue number so you can always read the temperature, whether you are grilling in the dark or baking in your brightly lit kitchen. IP67 rating lets you wash it under running water.
Vacuum Sealing Machine
KOIOS Vacuum Sealer Machine
KOIOS vacuum sealing system keeps food fresh up to 7 times Longer. It can also save you up to 2,700$ per year. Left overs will last longer after they been vacuum sealed so you can customize your pizza using whatever you didn’t finish The night before.
GERYON Vacuum Sealer
Geryon sealer machine designed with fully automatic vacuum sealing operation, soft touch digital buttons, LED indicator lights, electric plug in and the control center placed on the top panel provides a user-friendly experience for its operator
Slaouwo Automatic Vacuum Packing Machine
Slaouwo packing machine can retain nutritional value, flavor and overall quality of your food. It does this by removing most of the air from the sealed package and reducing oxidation. Which will extremely prolong the storage life of your food, up to 8 times longer then normal.
Joerid Food Savers
This vacuum sealer machine can keep food fresh up to 7 times longer than non vacuum sealed food. It will prevent freezer burn, reduce spillage and food waste.
Helps keep food Damp-proof, maintain it’s color, taste and freshness of all your perishable foods. Not only will it reduce spoilage and food waste, cooking or meal preparation will become easier and more economical as well.