Here’s How to Freeze and Defrost Steaks Without Ruining Them

Defrosting steak
Photo by Edson SaldaƱa on Unsplash

Most people don’t want to run to the butcher shop each time they’re in a mood for steak. Therefore, the next best thing is to buy few steaks and store them in a freezer for later use. Frozen steaks often get a bad rep, but they can be just as great as the fresh ones. You only need to know how to properly freeze them and defrost them.Ā If you want to learn, continue reading below.

How to Properly Freeze a Steak

Taking a steak and just popping it into the freezer will do you no good. Yes, the steak will be safe to eat once you take it out. But it will also be covered with ice burns and will lose most of the flavor by then.

In order to avoid running your steak, you need to protect it from ice and extremely low temperatures before putting it into a freezer. The best way to do it is to wrap it in aluminum or plastic foil and then place it in a Ziploc bag. Before sealing the Ziploc bag, make sure you push out all of the air from it. This way, your steak will be frozen but won’t turn to ice and lose its quality.

How to Properly Defrost a Steak

Defrosting a steak is also something you should pay attention to. For example, defrosting it in a microwave will most likely ruin the meat and cause it to start cooking prematurely.

The best way to defrost a steak is to take it out of a freezer, put it into a bowl, and let it defrost in the fridge. You’ll avoid the risk of bacteria growth while ending up with a piece of meat in a perfect condition for cooking.

If fridge defrosting is too slow for you, then you might try to defrost it in a bowl of cold water. This will speed up the process while also removing the risk of spoilage. You will only have to change the water every few hours and flip the steak from time to time.