Frozen Steak? Just Grill or Pan Sauté It. Really! No Need to Defrost

Lilac Hedge Farm is our farmer for locally pasture-raised meats and poultry.

Not only can you grill (or pan saute) steak when frozen, many recommend it.  And, this is good news for us steak eaters who buy our meats directly from Lilac Hedge Farm or other local farmers.

Due to regulations, farms that raise animals other than poultry for food have to have their animals processed at a USDA-approved slaughter house and then frozen for direct sale to consumers. The good news is that, if you buy a frozen steak, you can just pop it right on the grill or sauté pan or keep it frozen until you are ready to cook.

Here are the instructions for grilling frozen steak:

Heat the grill to high. Put the totally frozen steak over direct heat and grill for 5 minutes.

Flip, baste*, and grill for another five minutes. Lower heat and flip steak one more time, this time moving it up away from direct heat.

Baste one more time, and let the steak “roast” with the grill lid down, keeping the temperature at 350-375.

Use an instant read thermometer to monitor the internal temperature, checking every 5 minutes or so. Remove when at the desired temperature and let rest at least 5 minutes per inch thickness. The picture shows steak done this way to 135 and then rested 5-7 minutes before slicing.

*For basting, we melt about a tablespoon of butter per steak. Once hot, we stir in 3/4 tablespoon  or so to a tablespoon of butter of Bondat Food’s Chocolate Chipotle Grilling Rub.

IMPORTANT: Keep a close eye to make sure the attached or dripping fat doesn’t catch fire and cause charring.

If grilling in cold weather, keep the lid down during the initial grilling to maintain high heat.

NOTE: This technique can be used inside using a heavy frying pan for the high heat part and the oven for the finishing roast period.