Important Tips On How To Freeze Steak To Retain Their Freshness For Longer
The freezer is a very useful household appliance, especially for those who enjoy cooking. You can store a wide variety of things in it, but in this article, we'll be looking at steaks and how you can properly freeze them so they can come out frost free and tasty.
Taking extra time to learn how to freeze steak regardless of the state it's in, i.e., raw, cooked, or pre-seasoned, will help you preserve them for longer rather than when you throw them in a random plastic bowl before freezing.
While it is common knowledge that the easiest way to maintain the quality of steaks is by keeping them in a freezer, practicing the following tips will help retain their overall quality.
1. Use the right materials
Don't just leave your steak in a plastic bowl uncovered in the freezer. This will not help maintain the steak's quality as it will be exposed to harsh freezer air.
To effectively prevent the harsh air from tormenting the steak's quality, it is important that you cover it with multiple layers — preferably two. This can be any combination of plastic wrap, foil, zip-top bags, silicone bags, or freezer paper.
The first layer of protection can be plastic wrap and aluminum foil. If you're someone who makes a lot of steaks, consider investing in a vacuum seal machine.
The first layer will protect the steak from frost, but to really keep the freezer air at bay, a second barrier is needed, and it has to be airtight.
The best one is a zip lock bag; you can invest in a single-use plastic bag or a reusable one. Another option is freezer paper; however, it may not effectively seal the air out.
If you're using this, you'll still need to tape it all around to keep it airtight.
2. How to wrap steak
It all begins with laying out the foil on a flat surface with the steak placed at the center. Next, fold the foil securely around the steak, then slip it into the next layer of protection.
To be sure everything is airtight, nestle the steak into the bottom of the bag. After that, zip the bag until you have a finger's width open at the corner.
Then fold the bag while pushing air out of that open corner. Once most have been pushed out, seal the bag completely and place the steak in the freezer. Keep it in a flat position if possible, so it won't be misshapen upon thawing.
3. You can pre-season the steak before freezing
A common question people ask is whether steak can be pre-seasoned before freezing, and the answer is yes. Marinating the steak before freezing it can help later as the ingredients will help tenderize the steak when it starts thawing.
If you choose to marinade, use two zip lock bags for protection rather than aluminum foil and one zip lock bag.
Good luck!
