One common misconception is that cooking frozen meat directly results in uneven cooking or inferior flavor. In reality, with the right approach, beef, chicken, and pork can be cooked directly from frozen while retaining their tenderness, juiciness, and ensuring safety.

Chef Yankel, head chef at ButcherBox, a company specializing in delivering fresh meat directly to consumers in the US, offers expert advice on the most effective and safe ways to cook frozen meat.

Beef (steak)

Chef Yankel's technique for cooking frozen steak involves placing the steak (still in its packaging) in a bowl and running it under cold water while preheating the oven to about 205 degrees Celsius and heating a cast-iron skillet with some oil over high heat. Remove the steak from its packaging, season with salt and pepper, and sear each side for 3 minutes. Then, transfer the steak to the oven for 15 minutes. Upon removal, ensure the steak has reached the desired internal temperature. Let it rest for 5-8 minutes before slicing against the grain.

Unthawed meat is safe to cook as long as the cooking time and method are appropriate. Photo: Cookist

Unthawed meat is safe to cook as long as the cooking time and method are appropriate. Photo: Cookist

Chicken

Cooking chicken breasts or whole chickens from frozen is slightly more complex. Grilling is not recommended as it may lead to the outside being cooked while the inside remains cold, potentially allowing harmful bacteria to thrive. Better results are achieved by oven-roasting or cooking frozen chicken in a sauce. The key for boneless cuts like breasts, thighs, and wings is to cook them for twice as long (or more) as usual, at a slightly lower temperature than when cooking thawed meat. However, never cook below 175 degrees Celsius to ensure safety.

Pork

Pork can be cooked from frozen by pan-frying, grilling, or oven-roasting, but the same time rule applies as with chicken and beef: cook for twice as long as usual and ensure a safe temperature above 175 degrees Celsius.

Frozen bacon

Frozen bacon should be fried over low heat until the slices begin to separate, then gradually increase the heat. The bacon can continue to fry until fully cooked.

Sausages

Check the sausage packaging to see if thawing is required before cooking, as most sausages nowadays can be cooked directly from frozen, usually taking about 10-15 minutes to cook through.

Ribs

Ribs can be frozen whether raw or cooked and will retain their quality for about three to four months. However, due to their size, it's recommended to thaw ribs before cooking rather than cooking them directly from frozen. Thawing in the refrigerator can take up to a day, after which they are safe to cook and consume.

When cooking frozen meat directly, never use a slow cooker. Whether it's beef, chicken, or pork, cooking frozen meat in a slow cooker or crockpot can cause the meat to remain too long in the "danger zone" temperature range, allowing bacteria like salmonella to grow, regardless of how high the temperature eventually reaches.

Besides meat, some types of fish, such as salmon, can be cooked directly without affecting the dish. Frozen vegetables should be cooked directly without thawing, as thawing can affect their flavor.

Frozen shrimp (cooked or raw) can be cooked directly, but thawing yields better results, as cooking from frozen can make them tough due to the longer cooking time.

Bao Nhien (Realsimple)