How to thaw frozen meat
Frozen meat is better
The meat and seafood we sell on Crowd Cow has been frozen at peak freshness and quality and shipped to you using dry ice to lock in that quality, freshness and food safety.
Contrast this with grocery store meat and seafood, which has been degrading for days (if not weeks) while transporting to the store, and while waiting in the meat case, and later in your fridge at home before you cook it. Ironically, there is nothing "fresh" about fresh meat.
Frozen meat is also supremely convenient. Just reach in the freezer and select whatever you're in the mood for. In this post, we'll explain how to safely, thaw and prepare your meat for cooking.
The Quickest Way to Thaw Meat: A Bowl of Cold Water
By far the quickest safe way to thaw meat is a cold-water bath. Leave the frozen meat in its sealed package (or a leak-proof bag), set it in a large bowl or a clean sink, and cover it with cold tap water.
A thin steak thaws in 15 to 30 minutes and a 1-pound package in about an hour. Change the water every 30 minutes so it stays cold, never use warm or hot water, and cook the meat right away. See our guide to thawing beef in cold water for times by size.
Tip: use a very large pot if you're thawing more than a couple of pieces.
An Even Quicker Way: Cook Directly from Frozen
Would you like to go from freezer to perfect steakhouse quality steak in 15 minutes or less? Well, for a limited set of cuts, like a New York Steak, a Ribeye or a Denver steak or even hamburgers, my favorite method -- by far -- is cooking directly from frozen. It's easy!
Here is my recipe for cooking steaks from frozen and grilling burger patties from frozen.
The Most Common Method for Thawing
By far the most common way to thaw is by placing the meat in your fridge overnight. Be sure to place the meats in a bowl or on a plate just in case the packaging has leaks and to capture any condensation.
And remember, according to USDA food safety experts, it is not recommended to keep ground meats in your fridge more than 1 or 2 days, and other meats should not be keep for more than 3 to 5 days. This is because at refridgerator temperature, bad things happen to meat, whereas at freezer temperatures, meats do no break down.
Tip: would you like your meat to be juicy, tender and incredible? Then before you cook it, take it out of your fridge and let it come to room temperature before your cook it. This step is absolutely essential for cooking A5 Wagyu, as the key to "melts in your mouth" is searing the exterior meat while warming up and melting the interior fats. Yum!
Also, the USDA has things to say about how to safely thaw, so check that out too: USDA Guidelines on Thawing Meat.
