Can You Defrost A Steak In Water?

Can you defrost a steak in water?

In this brief guide, we will address the query, “Can you defrost a steak in water?” We will also discuss the different methods to defrost steak and the ways in which the steak can be cooked.

Can you defrost a steak in water?

Yes, you can defrost a steak using water. However, the best method to defrost steak is by using either cold water or hot water. Even though there is a lot of debate if hot water can be used, new research shows that hot water can be used for smaller meats like steak, chicken, pigs, etc.

The different ways of defrosting a steak are:

Refrigeration

Coldwater

Hot water

Microwave

Cooking

How to defrost a steak using the refrigeration method?

The refrigeration method is the best and the safest method for defrosting steak. It is the safest method as it does not allow bacteria to grow on it hence limiting the food-borne illnesses.

The refrigeration method is the one in which the steak is allowed to sit on a tray inside a refrigerator usually at 5℃ or 41℉ at the maximum.

The time taken for the steak to thaw depends on the size or thickness of the steak. For large quantities of steak, it might take about 24 hours however for smaller quantities it takes a couple of hours depending on the thickness.

The advantage of this method is that the steak can be kept in the refrigerator for 3-5 days after complete defrosting.

How to defrost a steak using the cold water method?

The cold water method is a fairly straightforward method. The steak can be defrosted, wrapped in a ziplock, or vacuum-packed cover/packaging.

For more information on vacuum-packed steak click here. The steak in the packaging is subjected to cold water to defrost. The time required to defrost depends on the thickness of the steak.

For a package of steak, it takes about an hour to defrost using this method. Since the meat is not of large quantity the water need not be changed however the best practice is to change the water every 30 minutes.

How to defrost a steak using the hot water method?

Contrary to popular opinion about not using hot water for defrosting meat, hot water however can be used for smaller meat products like steak. The hot water method is the fastest and does not compromise the taste or texture of the steak.

In this method, the steak is packed in a ziplock or a vacuum-sealed cover and then subjected to water with temperatures between 102℉-140℉.

The steak is thawed between 8-12 minutes depending on the thickness of the steak. Since the steak defrosts in such short times, the bacterial growth is still in the safe category making the hot water method, one of the easiest and quickest methods.

The drawback of this method is that the steak has to be cooked immediately after defrosting and cannot be stored in the refrigerator without cooking the steak.

How to defrost a steak using the microwave method?

The microwave method is the one in which the steak can be defrosted using the microwave, the steak has to be removed from the packaging or put in a microwavable plastic/container, and then using the defrost function the steak can be thawed.

The time taken for the steak to defrost depends on the thickness. Generally, it takes about 8-10 minutes for one pound of meat/steak.

The steak needs to be flipped or rotated several times during the duration of defrosting. The drawback of this method is that the steak needs to be cooked immediately and then can be refrozen if required.

How to defrost a steak by cooking?

The cooking method involves the steak being cooked on the skillet or the cast iron pan and it is a safe method as reported by various food regulatory boards. The drawback of this method is that the cooking time will be 50% more than the actual cooking time of the steak.

The research on this method showed that the steaks were first cooked with oil for 90 seconds on either side and then later subjected to an oven with 275℉.

The steak was cooked until the meat thermometer registered 125℉ on the internal parts of the steak. More information on the research can be found here.

What are the different ways of cooking a steak?

The different ways of cooking the steaks are:

Grill

Broil

Pan sear

Reverse sear

Sous vide

Sear roast

The doneness of the steak depends on the preference of an individual and the doneness can be monitored by using a thermometer. The thermometer can be inserted into the internal part of the steak and based on the temperature it can be classified into different categories.

Other FAQs about Steak that you may be interested in.

Can you cook steak in the oven?

Can you cook steak in an air fryer?

Can dogs eat ribeye bones?

Conclusion

In this brief guide, we have addressed the query, “can you defrost a steak in water?” We have also discussed the different methods used for defrosting a steak and the ways in which a steak can be cooked.