Grilling a succulent steak is a time-honored culinary tradition, but what if you forget to thaw your steak in advance? Don’t worry! This guide will show you how to cook frozen steak on the grill to juicy, flavorful perfection.
How To Cook Frozen Steak On The Grill?
Preheat the grill to 450-500°F and sear the frozen steak for 5-7 minutes on each side. After that, season generously with kosher salt and pepper. Use a meat thermometer to achieve your desired level of doneness, then rest the steak for a few minutes before serving.
Why should you grill a frozen steak?
Grilling a frozen steak might seem unusual, but it has its perks. Imagine when you crave a juicy steak but forget to defrost it. Grilling a frozen steak comes to the rescue, saving time and satisfying your steak cravings in a pinch.
Here is the fascinating part: cooking a frozen steak on the grill can result in something extraordinary. When you put a frozen steak on the hot grill, only its outer layer touches the heat.
Since the inside of the steak is super cold, it takes a while to start cooking. This extra time on the grill allows the outer layer to get that perfect sear while keeping the inside tender and delicious.
Grilling a frozen steak gives you a steak with a fantastic seared crust on the outside and a juicy, tender inside. It’s a cooking secret that many grill experts swear by, and once you try it, you will see why it’s such a game-changer for making mouthwatering steaks.
How to grill a frozen steak without thawing?
Grilling a frozen steak without thawing is a convenient and time-saving method. Follow these simple steps for a delicious grilled frozen steak:
Step 1: Select the right steak
- Choose relatively thick steaks, around 1 to 1.5 inches in thickness. Thinner steaks might need to be thawed before grilling.
- You should choose cuts with good marbling, like ribeye or New York strip, as they handle grilling from frozen better.
Step 2: Preheat your grill
- Preheat your grill to a high temperature, approximately 450-500°F (230-260°C).
Step 3: Sear the steak
- Grill one side of the steak for roughly 5-7 minutes without flipping. This initial searing locks in the juices.
- After searing one side, flip the steak and grill the other for 5-7 minutes.
Step 4: Season the steak
- After achieving a seared surface on the steak, it’s time to season both sides with a generous amount of salt and pepper.
- Opt for kosher salt when seasoning your steak; it’s an excellent choice because it adheres well to the meat and dissolves more quickly than table salt, ensuring even flavor distribution.
Step 5: Use a meat thermometer:
- To achieve your desired level of doneness, employ a meat thermometer. Insert it into the thickest part of the steak.
- Here are approximate temperature ranges for different levels of doneness:
| Level of doneness | Recommended temperature |
|---|---|
| Rare | 120-125°F (49-52°C) |
| Medium-rare | 130-135°F (54-57°C) |
| Medium | 140-145°F (60-63°C) |
| Medium-well | 150-155°F (66-68°C) |
| Well-done | 160°F (71°C) and above |
Step 6: Rest and serve
- Once your steak reaches the desired temperature, remove it from the grill and rest for a few minutes. This resting period helps retain juiciness.
- After resting, slice the grilled frozen steak and serve it alongside your preferred side dishes.
How to grill a frozen steak on a gas grill?
Grilling a frozen steak on a gas grill is a convenient way to enjoy a delicious meal without thawing. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you grill a frozen steak to perfection:
Step 1: Preheat the grill by using the two-zone cooking method
- To create two temperature zones on your grill, you’ll want to establish a hot and cooler side. This is easily done for gas grills by turning one burner to high heat while keeping the other set to low.
- Leave about 5 minutes for the gas grill to hit the proper temperature.
Step 2: Prepare the steak
- While the grill is preheating, remove the frozen steak from the freezer and unwrap it.
- Brush both sides of the steak with a thin layer of cooking oil to prevent sticking.
Step 3: Place the steak on the grill
- Place your frozen steaks on the grill and allow them to sear for approximately 5 to 7 minutes on each side.
- While grilling, monitor the internal temperature, ensuring it does not exceed 90°F. This careful temperature control will help you achieve the desired level of doneness for your steaks.
Step 4: Season your steak
- Season your seared steak generously with salt and pepper or your preferred seasonings.
Step 5: Grilling the interior using indirect heat
- After seasoning your steak, transfer it to the cooler side of your two-zone fire, allowing the indirect heat to gradually raise the interior temperature.
- A reliable instant-read thermometer is crucial for precise temperature control, ensuring you achieve your desired level of doneness.
- Refer to our doneness temperature guide below, and remember to remove your steaks from the heat when they are approximately 5°F below your target temperature.
| Level of doneness | Recommended temperature |
|---|---|
| Rare | 120-125°F (49-52°C) |
| Medium-rare | 130-135°F (54-57°C) |
| Medium | 140-145°F (60-63°C) |
| Medium-well | 150-155°F (66-68°C) |
| Well-done | 160°F (71°C) and above |
Step 6: Rest and serve
- Once your steak reaches the desired temperature, remove it from the grill and let the steak rest for a few minutes. This resting period helps retain juiciness.
- After resting, slice the grilled frozen steak and serve it alongside your preferred side dishes.
How Long To Grill Frozen Steak?
When grilling a frozen steak, the process involves more time and attention than cooking a thawed one.
The exact time can vary depending on several factors, including the thickness of the steak, the grill’s temperature, and even the steak’s starting temperature. As a general rule of thumb, grilling a frozen steak typically takes about 50% longer than grilling a thawed steak of the same thickness.
Let’s break it down further with an example: If you usually grill a thawed steak for about 12 minutes to achieve that delectable medium–rare doneness, you can expect a frozen steak of the same thickness to take roughly 18 minutes.
Tips And Tricks For Grilling Frozen Steak
Grilling a frozen steak might seem unconventional, but you can achieve a delicious and perfectly cooked meal with the right tips and tricks. Here are some expert pointers for grilling frozen steak:
Choosing the right steak
Begin with a premium frozen steak. Opt for steaks that have undergone flash-freezing and have been vacuum-sealed, as this process preserves freshness and protects against freezer burn. You should also choose a cut of meat with a proper thickness. 1.5 inches and thicker steaks are recommended.
Thick-cut steaks have a great surface area-to-volume ratio. This means they have a thicker interior, which can help retain moisture during cooking. When grilling frozen steak, moisture retention is the key to preventing the meat from drying out.
Moreover, thick steaks are more conducive to achieving a perfect sear. The extra thickness allows for a longer searing time without overcooking the interior of the steak.
Using indirect heat
After searing, move the steak to the indirect heat side of the grill (indirect cooking). This allows the interior to cook without burning the exterior. This crucial step involves establishing a two-zone fire on your grill.
On a gas grill, this entails cranking up the heat to high on one side while maintaining lower heat on the other. If you are working with a charcoal grill, the process involves shifting your ignited coals to one side, creating a hot zone. This dual-zone setup is essential for achieving the perfect grilled frozen steak.
The high, direct heat is necessary for the initial sear, creating mouthwatering caramelization and crust. Meanwhile, the lower, indirect heat ensures the interior cooks to your preferred level of doneness, resulting in a perfect steak.
Tracking temp with a meat thermometer
An instant-read thermometer is your best friend, especially when grilling a frozen steak. It ensures your steak is cooked to perfection, neither undercooked nor overdone. Avoid the guesswork and the temptation to cut into the steak prematurely by relying on this tool.
When determining when to remove your steaks from the grill, aim for their “pull temperature,” typically about five degrees lower than your desired temperature.
This accounts for the fact that the steaks will continue to cook slightly as they rest, helping you achieve the ideal level of doneness.
Searing before seasoning
Seasoning a frozen steak right away can be challenging when dealing with it. Seasonings like salt, pepper, or garlic powder won’t stick. Instead, after you’ve seared one side of the steak, flip it, and then generously season the other side. Repeat this process to ensure your frozen steak is nicely seasoned on both sides.
FAQs
Can you grill a frozen steak?
Yes, you can put a frozen steak directly on the grill. While it’s not traditional, grilling frozen steak can yield excellent results. The advantage lies in the ability of frozen steaks to achieve a high-temperature sear without overcooking the interior. They can then slowly cook to a perfect medium-rare state using the grill’s indirect heat.
What happens when you grill frozen meat?
When you place a frozen steak on the grill, it undergoes a unique cooking process. Initially, only the outer layer sears due to the extremely low temperature of the meat. This low temperature demands a significant amount of thermal energy to initiate the cooking process, preventing overcooking the inner layers of the protein.
Can you cook frozen steak without thawing?
Yes, you can cook frozen steak without thawing it first. Cooking frozen steak directly from the freezer is a convenient option. When cooking frozen steak, it’s best to use a method that allows for longer, slower cooking, such as oven roasting or sous-vide cooking. These methods ensure the steak’s interior has enough time to thaw and cook evenly without overcooking the outer layer.
References:
- Wikipedia – Indirect grilling – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indirect_grilling
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