[1] Remove the frozen steak from the freezer (photo courtesy Mart2Go). [2] Place it in a hot pan (photo courtesy Good Eggs). [3] In 20 minutes, plate and enjoy (photo courtesy Eddie Merlot’s). [4] We use a mesh spatter screen, but we just ordered this folding spatter screen from Norpro.

Want a steak but you haven’t defrosted it yet?

No problem. Your steak will be ready in less than 30 minutes with this technique developed by Dan Souza of Cook’s Illustrated (thanks to Good Eggs for sending their adaptation to us).

Dan experimented by cutting strip steaks in half, freezing both halves, then defrosting one half before cooking.

He cooked both the thawed and frozen halves exactly the same way, and found that the frozen steak lost less moisture, cooked more evenly, and tasted better than the thawed half!

The steak needs to be frozen properly, since any extra moisture or ice will cause a flare-up when it hits the hot oil. Here’s Dan’s freezing technique:

HOW TO FREEZE A STEAK

 
RECIPE: COOKING A FROZEN STEAK

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 275°F. Set a wire rack atop a rimmed baking sheet and set aside.

2. DRIZZLE 1/8″ oil into a cast iron pan—just enough to coat the bottom. Place the skillet over high heat. When the pan is smoking hot, gently lay the steak onto the pan and sear both sides until browned, 90-120 seconds per side. NOTE: Frozen steak splatters more.

3. TRANSFER the steak onto the wire rack and place in the oven. Cook until the steak is the desired doneness: 18 to 20 minutes for a 1-inch-thick steak to be medium rare (an internal temperature of 125°F on a meat thermometer).

4. COOK the veggies or prepare the salad while the steak cooks.

5. REST the steak for at least 3 minutes before slicing. This allows the juices to settle in the meat, instead of pouring out when sliced.

Here’s a video of Dan’s preparation.
 
 
THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF STEAK

How many different types of steak have you had?

Check out our meaty Glossary Of Beef Types.