Is It Possible To Cook Steak While Still Frozen?

There's nothing quite like biting into a perfectly seared and seasoned steak. It's a versatile protein that can be eaten simply on its own or added to many incredible-tasting dishes. GypsyPlate recommends using it in recipes like garlic butter steak bites, adding it to tacos, or even a Philly cheesesteak version of stuffed peppers. But to get the best outcome for these dishes, you first have to cook your steak properly.

To do this, you will want to avoid common mistakes, like assuming all pieces of beef are the same. Different cuts like flank, skirt, or ribeye need to be cooked in slightly different ways. Additionally, it's crucial to get the seasoning just right since adding too much can drown out the natural flavor, while skimping on the  salt can give you a lackluster outcome. It's also important to consider whether you should thaw your steak or cook it while it's still frozen.

While it might seem that thawing your steak will give you the juiciest outcome, that's not necessarily the case. Cook's Illustrated did an experiment to see what the differences were between cooking thawed steak versus a frozen one. They found that a frozen steak took a bit longer to achieve the doneness they were looking for in the oven, but didn't observe any such difference between the ones cooked in a pan. 

In their experiment, the frozen and thawed piece of beef cooked for the same amount of time in a pan, but the outlet noticed that the frozen version had fewer bands of gray and found that it retained 9% more moisture than the thawed steak. In fact, they had participants try both types and they unanimously preferred the taste of the steaks that were frozen. Chicago Steak Company explains that it tastes better because there's less opportunity for it to overcook and develop that thick gray band that it calls a "taste and texture killer." Since the frozen steak has a colder exterior it allows the surface to heat gradually, which creates a crispy exterior without losing moisture. So, the next time you're thinking of cooking a steak, you might want to throw a frozen one in a skillet. It could end up being the best cut of beef you've had!