When time is short and hunger is high, the question arises whether the meat from the freezer can go straight to the grill. Here comes the test ...
There are already a number of videos with tests on the topic "Frozen meat on the grill" on the Internet, but most of these tests deal with a normal, non-marinated slice of beef steak - so they remain rather in theory. But what about a whole entrecote? What about marinated pork or chicken? And does it make any sense to put frozen meat on the grill? The "woman at the grill" Anja Auer does the test, with surprising results.
What meat was used for the grill test?
Anja Auer used a slice of roast beef (three centimeters thick) and a whole piece of entrecote (1.2 kilograms) for the test. Both pieces of beef are not marinated, since the grill expert believes that the great beef taste can stand on its own without marinade. Also in the test: a chicken breast, a slice of pork belly and a pork neck steak . These three pieces of meat were marinated before freezing.
In order to put frozen meat on the grill immediately without thawing, you need a smooth surface. On the picture there is a 1.2 kilo piece of entrecote in Anja Auer's "smoothing construction".
© Matthias Würfl
What preparations are necessary to put frozen meat directly on the grill?
If you put frozen meat on the rack, you have to pay attention to one crucial detail : the meat slices must be very smooth . Uneven frozen steaks are not suitable, because the meat cannot lie horizontally on the grill. But this is necessary so that the heat of the preheated grate can be evenly released to the meat.
But how do you freeze meat as smoothly as possible ? Anja Auer used the following options:
Frozen steak: straight from the freezer to the grill - this is how it works
Which grill method is used?
Anja Auer is very normal when it comes to beef : she grills the meat with extreme heat at around 350 degrees on both sides for around three minutes each. Then she lets it brew at 130 to 140 degrees in the indirect heat. A core temperature of 55 to 56 degrees (medium) is aimed for. You can check that with a grill thermometer. The frozen pork was grilled in the direct heat at about 220 to 240 degrees. Just like chicken, pork should reach a core temperature of 75 degrees , as it is only eaten when it is cooked through.
Read more: Expert warns of these five grill dangers
Big test: frozen meat on the grill - these are the results
Grilling process: There were no problems here, which was noticeable, but is not particularly surprising: the cooking time in all cases was significantly longer than with non-frozen meat.
Optics: The beef made a rather leathery impression from the outside, but this was not confirmed when trying. Parts of it were even crisp. Chicken and pork could have used a little more color - but were taken off the grill when the core temperature was reached.
Consistency: Very good with beef in both cases: juicy and tender. The same applies to the chicken, but the pork fell into water a little. So if you like it excessively juicy: Please, very much.
Time required: Excessively large! On the one hand, attention must be paid to the smooth surface when freezing, which involves a lot of working time. Secondly, the extended grilling time.
Energy expenditure: Freezing meat and keeping it frozen costs energy. And the longer grilling time as well. In times of much-discussed climate change and the associated environmental protection, it may be less great if everyone freezes two kilos of meat in order to serve himself or his guests when there are food shortages (which are probably not all that common with us).
Alternatives: So if you get hungry on Sundays and maybe also have surprise guests in the house, you should just go out to eat. Sure, that costs a little more, but is associated with less stress and: You protect the environment and support local businesses.
Any questions? The grill test with frozen meat in the video
Anja Auer runs "Die Frau am Grill", the largest YouTube channel on the topic of "grilling", which is produced by a woman in German-speaking countries. Most of her recipes work not only on the grill, but also on the stove and in the oven. You can find further recipes on Anja Auer's blog www.die-frau-am-grill.de and her YouTube channel www.youtube.com/diefrauamgrill
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