Grill expert takes the test: Can you grill frozen meat directly?
Created: 06/27/2022, 09:52
Can you grill frozen meat directly?
Yes, but with restrictions.
© Matthias Wuerfl
When time is short and hunger is high, at some point the question arises as to whether the meat can go straight from the freezer to the grill.
Here comes the test...
There are already a number of videos on the Internet with tests on the subject of "frozen meat on the grill", but most of these tests deal with a normal, unmarinated slice of beef steak - so it's more in theory.
But what about a whole entrecote?
How about marinated pork or chicken?
And does it even make sense to put frozen meat on the grill?
The "woman at the grill" Anja Auer does the test, with surprising results.
Which meat was used for the grill test?
For the test, Anja Auer used a
slice of roast beef (three centimeters thick)
and a whole
piece of entrecote (1.2 kilograms)
.
Both cuts of beef are not marinated, as the grill expert believes that the great beef flavor can stand on its own without a marinade.
Also in the test: A
chicken breast, a slice of pork belly and a pork neck steak
.
These three cuts of meat were marinated before freezing.
In order to put frozen meat on the grill immediately without defrosting, you need a smooth surface.
The picture shows a 1.2 kilo piece of entrecote in Anja Auer's "smoothing construction".
© Matthias Wuerfl
What preparations are necessary to be able to put frozen meat directly on the grill?
If you put frozen meat on the grid, you have to pay attention to one
crucial detail
: the slices of
meat must be very smooth
.
Unevenly frozen steaks do not work well, as the meat cannot lie horizontally on the grid.
This is necessary, however, so that the heat from the preheated grid can be distributed evenly to the meat.
But
how do you freeze meat as smooth as possible
?
Anja Auer used the following options:
For the roast beef slices: Freeze the whole piece of roast beef for three to four hours.
Then you can use a large and sharp knife to cut very smooth slices.
They then need to be properly frozen.
For chicken and pork: Marinate first, then place on a flat surface and place another flat "top sheet" on top and weigh from above.
In the present test, this was mastered with the help of screw clamps (see picture).
What grilling method is used?
When it comes to
beef
, Anja Auer proceeds normally: She grills the meat at a high temperature of around 350 degrees on both sides for around three minutes each.
Then she lets it simmer at 130 to 140 degrees in indirect heat.
A
core temperature of 55 to 56 degrees (medium)
is aimed for.
You can check this with a grill thermometer.
The frozen
pork
was grilled at about 220 to 240 degrees in direct heat.
Just like chicken, pork should reach a
core temperature of 75 degrees
, as it is only eaten well-done.
Big test: Frozen meat on the grill - these are the results
Grilling process:
There were no problems here, which was noticeable, but not particularly surprising: the cooking time took much longer in all cases than with non-frozen meat.
Appearance:
The beef made a rather leathery impression from the outside, but this was not confirmed when trying it.
Parts of it were even crispy.
The chicken and pork could have used a little more color - but were removed from the grill once they reached core temperature.
Consistency:
Very good with beef in both cases: juicy and tender.
The same with the chicken, but the pork was sometimes a little watery.
So if you like it overly juicy: Here you go.
Time investment:
Excessive!
On the one hand, you have to pay attention to the smooth surface when freezing, which involves a lot of working time.
On the other hand, 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 is perhaps not so great if everyone freezes two kilos of meat to serve this to themselves or their guests in the event of food shortages (which don't happen too often here).
Alternatives:
So if you get hungry on Sundays and maybe even have surprise guests in the house, you should just go out to eat.
Sure, it costs a little more, but it's less stressful and: You're protecting the environment and supporting local businesses.
To ask?
The grill test with frozen meat in the video
With "Die Frau am Grill", Anja Auer runs the largest YouTube channel on the topic of "barbecuing" produced by a woman in German-speaking countries. Most of her recipes are not only successful on the grill but also on the stove and in the oven. You can find more recipes on Anja Auer's blog www.die-frau-am-grill.de and her YouTube channel www.youtube.com/diefrauamgrill
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