Freezing steak is a bit of a paradox, because while it’s a great way to save money and prevent food waste for an expensive item, it’s also one of the easiest ways to forget you have something. Most people aren’t in the habit of just rooting around the freezer looking for something to cook, unlike the fridge or pantry, so it’s usually more of a set-it-and-forget-it storage option. While you might have plans built around frozen meat, its also easy to let an old item get covered up in the back, and then it just sits there, month after month, until you pull out this freezer-burned brick of meat that you don’t even remember putting there. So if you have some frozen steak that time forgot, what do you do?
Well in telling us about signs you should throw out your frozen steak, our expert chef says not knowing how long it has been back there is actually one of the first warning signs. This isn’t about getting sick, because freezing also stops the growth of microbes in meat. So technically speaking you aren’t much more at risk of illness from a two-year-old frozen steak than you are with one frozen two months ago. But during a time period that long the quality is going to drop off a cliff, and your steak will likely be so dry and chewy that it won’t be worth defrosting and cooking anymore. Sadly sometimes things are just a loss.
Steak that’s frozen for too long isn’t worth cooking
While properly wrapped frozen steak is going to be best within a few months, it will maintain decent quality for up to a year. If you suspect your steak of unknown origin is older it might be in the toss it category. If you are on the fence, look for visual signs of spoilage or lower quality. Freezer burn is the biggest one, because this destroys the moisture and texture. If there is lots of discoloration, and especially if ice crystals have grown on the meat inside the packaging, it’s probably lost. If you defrost your steak and it has an off smell, or it’s slimy, there is a good chance that it wasn’t stored properly to survive how long its been in the freezer, and should also be discarded.
If you are someone who just can’t let food go to waste, which is understandable, you can try and make some use of your old steak. First, only defrost it in the fridge, because while it shouldn’t get you sick, steak that has been stored longer will be more susceptible to contamination if poorly defrosted. The damage that comes with freezer burn will be worse on the outside, so trim away the more clearly discolored and leathery areas. Finally, use the meat in a braise or in beef stew recipes where you are adding extra moisture to counteract the dryness. It probably won’t be the best, but it won’t be wasted.
