How To Quickly Thaw Frozen Meat Using Just Two Pans

The recommended method for thawing meat in the refrigerator on the bottom shelf might be ideal, but you don't always have the time to wait hours for something to defrost. Gordon Ramsay thinks microwave-thawed steak tastes chewy, but letting it thaw in cold water can be a lengthy process. You can thaw ground meat with a rolling pin, but frankly that is much more effort than we're usually willing to put in. While there are an embarrassing amount of mistakes people make when defrosting meat, you don't have to commit any of those with the pan method. 

Start by selecting two room temperature metal pots or pans, and turn one upside down. Place the meat — still wrapped in plastic or packaging — directly onto the bottom of the upside-down pan. Place the second pan bottom-side down onto the meat, ensuring it can balance safely. After about 15 to 20 minutes, flip the meat over so it thaws evenly. Depending on the thickness of the meat, this may take anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes. Aluminum pans work best for this method, as the material is lightweight and conducts heat well, but stainless steel and copper pans can do the job, too.

Pots and pans made from cast iron or enamel are less useful for defrosting meat quickly as they are not great conductors of heat, and their considerable weight may wind up crushing the meat. But the two-pan defrosting method also works with metal baking sheets, baking tins, or even bowls with a wide, flat bottom — as long as the meat is able to sit flush against the metal surface. This method works so well because metal pans gently transfer the warm temperature of the air in your kitchen to the meat, especially since the bottom pan being upside down allows for warm air flow underneath the meat, as opposed to it sitting directly on a cool kitchen counter.

You can even take this defrosting technique a step further by adding some warm water to the top metal pan — but be careful as this can be precarious and could lead to spills. Once the meat is thawed, either use it immediately or return it to the refrigerator to store it at a food-safe temperature. Keep in mind that meat should not be left out at room temperature for prolonged periods of time. While you should avoid cooking meat from frozen since it affects texture, among other things, this faster defrosting method is a great trick for when you're short on time.