Can You Freeze Steak After Cooking?
Freshly cooked steak is what you are planning for your Sunday brunch, isn’t it? Well, you have time on weekends to devote to cooking, but what if you want to have steak in the middle of the week after a tiring day?
It is not always possible to cook fresh steak all the time. You might get busy somewhere else/ But who can counter food cravings? In that case, what can you do to store your cooked steak for longer? Can you freeze steak after cooking?
Yes, you can freeze your cooked steak. Freezing not only increases its shelf life, but it also stores your meat for later use, especially those sudden cravings! However, freezing the meat comes with a lot of questions. Do not worry, I will guide you through freezing steak.
Read this article till the end, and you will know all about freezing steak at home!
How To Freeze Cooked Steak?
You already know by now that freezing is a great option to store the cooked steak for later use. However, you need to ensure you freeze it correctly otherwise, the meat might contaminate or develop bacterial growth.
You can freeze cooked steak, including fillet, sirloin, and T-bone in the same way. Check out the following steps to freeze your cooked steak effectively:
- Whatever method you are using to cook your steak, you must let it cool completely before freezing. Sufficient cooling will undermine the risk of freezer burns and keep the meat for longer.
- Once the meat has cooled down, wrap the meat in cling film or tin foil. It is suggested that you use several layers of wrapping paper, instead of one to preserve your cooked steak. Also, remember to wrap each piece of meat separately.
- Transfer the wrapped steak into freezer-safe ziplock bags, remove as much air as possible, and seal the bags tightly. Avoid using containers here as ziplock bags would be the perfect choice to freeze meat.
- Label and date the steak packaging. If you have larger quantities of meat, pack them in smaller portions, but label them all. Stack the freezer bags in the freezer and your cooked steak is ready to be frozen.
Does Cooked Steak Freeze Well?
Yes, cooked steak stores well in the freezer. However, if you compare the freezer-friendliness of cooked and raw steak, raw meat will freeze better. But, if you slightly undercooked the steak before freezing, it will freeze well.
Additionally, if you want your cooked steak to retain its freshness and juiciness after thawing, seal it tightly before freezing, and do not keep it in the freezer for more than three months. Yes, consume your frozen meat as soon as possible for the best flavors.
How Long Can You Freeze The Steak After Cooking?
Steak after cooking can be kept in the refrigerator for about 3 days. However, freezing increases its shelf life by up to 3-4 months. Yes, you can store cooked steak for that long in the freezer under adequate freezing conditions.
If you keep it for longer, the meat will start losing its flavor. The juiciness dries out and hence the meat might be inedible. Therefore, it is best if you consume your frozen cooked meat as early as possible to retain the delectable taste.
How To Defrost Steak?
The most suitable place to defrost your frozen steak is the refrigerator. And you must know that meat cannot be defrosted on the counter at normal room temperature. It is always best to let the meat thaw slowly.
For defrosting steak, all you have to do is take it out of the freezer and keep it in the refrigerator overnight, or at least for 8 hours, before you reheat it. You can also defrost the steak in the microwave if you have less time.
Can You Refreeze Cooked Steak?
Technically it is possible to refreeze cooked steak, but you should not freeze the cooked meat again. You should only freeze steak after cooking once, and consume it within 2-3 days after defrosting.
This is because repeated freezing will cause the meat to lose part of its consistency. The steak might also lose its texture and dry out. And neither of us would want that to happen, right? Therefore, it is best to freeze cooked steak only once.
Which Freezes Better: Cooked Or Uncooked Steak?
When talking about freezing cooked steak and raw steak, the difference in their freezer shelf life is quite distinguishable. While raw meat stores for about 6 months in the freezer, cooked steak can only be kept for 3 months.
Not only this, raw meat tends to retain its juiciness better than cooked meat. Also, if you are freezing it raw, you have the option to cook it in any recipe later. Therefore, if you want to store the meat longer, go for freezing steak raw.
However, the debate about which freezes better remains unanswered. This is because both have great freezer-friendly properties. But this depends on you, how you would like your steak to be frozen.
