Defrost steak how long

Get your ribeye grill ready without sacrificing flavor, texture, or your health. Normally, an extra serving of casserole or two extra tacos would be no big deal. You make plenty for leftovers night as it is. Thankfully, you can still get the beef on the grill with time to spare as long as you use this no-fail steak-thawing method. In all situations, the best way to thaw a steak is in a refrigerator. The meat will stay at a constant, cold temp while it defrosts. Grab a steak from your stash, and place it in a zip-top bag.

Squeeze out as much air as possible, and seal the bag. Place the steak in a large bowl. Fill the bowl or bowls with cool water, not hot or even warm water. Cool water is safest. The higher the temp climbs, the closer you get to the danger zone, or when bacteria growth accelerates.

When you put your steak in the fridge, make sure you place it on a plate to catch any juices that flow from it. While defrosting steak in the fridge is the most effective and the most hands-off method, it obviously requires some planning on your part. Once your steak has been in the fridge for at least 12 hours, take it out and give it a touch test — when you poke it, it should be firm, but with some give, and with no visible icing.

Simply fill a large bowl with cold water, place your steak in a resealable and leak-proof plastic bag, and submerge it in the water. Check the water every 30 minutes, and if it starts to become tepid, switch it out for more cold water. Using this method, your steak should be thawed in an hour or two, although a bigger, thicker cut will take closer to three or four hours. Never leave your steak on the kitchen counter to defrost at room temperature. Five to ten minutes should do the job, depending on the size of your steak.

Read next: Why you should never cook a steak that has come straight out of the fridge. You just remembered that your steak you wanted to cook for dinner is still in the freezer, as hard as a rock. Remember that, when you buy steaks from the Chicago Steak Company , your steaks are shipped in vacuum-sealed packaging, so no air gets in.

That means that you can keep them frozen without ruining their quality. But, how can you defrost steak that you purchase without harming its texture or flavor? Most meats require similar thawing methods to thaw safely. The best way to defrost meat, including steaks, is by leaving them in their vacuum-sealed packaging, placing them flat on a plate to catch drippings and then putting them in the refrigerator.

You should give at least 24 hours for your steaks to thaw completely, but some thicker cuts may require more time.