Freeze Your Steak Before You Grill It?

[Bob H.]

OK, this goes against everything that I think I know about grilling a good steak, like letting it warm to room temperature.
But this guy says that he knows better. It came from AOL. I might try it to see, but I still like the room temperature way.

Freeze Your Steak Before You Grill It
by Thor Jensen

One of the big differences between commercial kitchens and your home setup is the amount of heat that they can pump out. Steakhouses get that crispy, brown caramelized layer on their steaks from their super-hot grills. How do you get that at home? Rub your cuts with a mixture of salt and cornstarch and then freeze them for 30 minutes. The starch draws out moisture from the outside of the meat, which lets them brown better, and freezing them speeds evaporation on the surface. It’s a pretty brilliant and simple trick that you’ll ever grill without once you try it.


What do you guys think of this?

 

[Bill]

apples and oranges. steak house meat is aged before it hits the heat. not sure a dusting of cornstarch can replicate the flavor..etc of a properly aged steak. it would take a very detailed study accounting for all variables to make me believe.

 

[Robert McGee]

Cook's Country pioneered the cooking method referred to here. It works...

FWIW
Dale53

 

[NeilH]

Interesting. Never heard this before.

 

[Pete in PG]

I did see the episode Robert is referring to some time ago and had forgotten about it. Haven't tried this method yet, but I'm open to trying new things. I was just logged into CI's site and wasn't able to find it.

 

[Pete in PG]

Also, this is a really good read on "How to Grill Better than Steakhouse Steaks!" A lot of good information here http://amazingribs.com/recipes/beef/steakhouse_steaks.html

 

[Bob H.]

Pete, and I like the Steve Jobs quote there too.

"When you first start off trying to solve a problem, the first solutions you come up with are very complex, and most people stop there. But if you keep going, and live with the problem and peel more layers of the onion off, you can oftentimes arrive at some very elegant and simple solutions." Steve Jobs, 1955-2011

Also, this is a really good read on "How to Grill Better than Steakhouse Steaks!" A lot of good information here http://amazingribs.com/recipes/beef/steakhouse_steaks.html

 

[russ olin]

I have taken frozen rib eyes out of the freezer late at night and grilled them frozen on my Jenn Aire indoor grill. I start @ low heat turn often get them thawed out turn up the heat and finish them off. And often they come out juicy and fantastic beef flavor. Hope that this helps.

 

[Robert McGee]

Here's the Cook's Country recipe:

http://www.cookscountry.com/recipes/4838-char-grilled-steaks?incode=MKSKZ00L0

Dale53

 

[Steve Whiting]

I have seen this technique on Cooks Country/Americas Test Kitchen also and understand the logic behind it. With 30 minutes in the freezer you are not freezing the meat so much as allowing the cold air to evaporate some surface moisture.

 

[Danny B (Albany GA)]

Here is a similar recipe.

http://grillgrrrl.com/2012/06/how-to-achieve-the-perfect-crust-when-grilling-steaks/

 

[Welton F.]

I didn't notice a real difference when Ive tried this. If you can get your grill 600+ degs, you should be able to get a good crust while maintaining a med rare interior, on all but the thinnest of cuts. One thing Ive definatley learned is, there is no substitute for a great quality cut of meat.