How Does Freezing Affect Flavor of Beef
Every bit we have previously mentioned, buying frozen steaks can be much less expensive than buying fresh steaks, and the quality was virtually indistinguishable, based on our previous experiment. Still neither steak in that experiment was as expert as a decent rib-eye should exist. There was as well a serious lack of control in that experiment with regards to the starting quality of each steak. In this study we examine the effects of freezing a steak starting from two steaks that are nearly identical. The goal is to see if information technology makes sense to stock upward on steaks when they are on sale and freeze them, or is it better to simply wait until they are on auction to enjoy them.
Initial observation:
Periodically, otherwise very expensive cuts of meat such as rib-middle steaks are available for profoundly reduced prices. Recently, rib-eyes which are usually $11.99/lb. were available for $6.99/lb. (41.7% off).
Rib-center steaks that are normally $eleven.99/lb. were on sale for only $6.99/lb.
Question:
Does it brand sense to stock up on rib-heart steaks when they are on sale, then freeze them to be consumed later, or does freezing impairment the steaks also much?
Expectation:
Based on a previous experiment, there was niggling to no deviation betwixt fresh and frozen steaks, withal in that experiment both steaks were less than spectacular, calling into question the original quality of both steaks. In this experiment we're starting with ii fresh steaks from a source we expect will exist of higher quality. Since we'll be starting with higher quality meat, we expect to see a greater departure. In particular, nosotros await the frozen steak to suffer more cellular damage and therefore lose more than mass during cooking, possibly leading to tougher meat.
Equipment & Materials:
Procedure:
- Buy ii nearly identical rib-eye steaks (fresh, not frozen)
- Remove both from their packaging.
- Mass each steak.
- Place each steak into its own nil-top bag, getting every bit much air out equally possible (a straw can exist useful for this).
- Place i steak into the freezer, the other into the meat drawer of the fridge.
- Expect until steak in the freezer is completely frozen.
- Thaw frozen steak in a water bath.
- Mass both steaks.
- Prep steaks for cooking according to Alton Brown's recipe.
- Mass both steaks again.
- Melt both steaks according to the recipe.
- Mass both steaks.
- Taste examination both steaks.
Data:
Each steak was massed then placed into a zero-elevation bag for storage. The masses and storage method were written on the bags. Below are pictures of the steaks at each stage of the freezing/thawing process. The upper left image is before i of the steaks was frozen. The upper correct is the next prototype which shows the steaks after 1 had been thoroughly frozen. The lower left, shows both steaks after the frozen one had thawed in a h2o bath. To ensure that both steaks started at the same temperature for cooking, the non-frozen steak was too placed into the water bath during the thawing process. This turned out to exist a non-issue withal as the cooking was delayed until the next day and both steaks were placed in the refrigerator over night. The terminal picture in the lower right is the steaks after they both spent some other night in the refrigerator, and was taken soon before they were cooked.
Meat in diverse stages of storage. The fresh steak is always on the left, the frozen steak is always on the correct. A) earlier being stored, B) before thawing frozen steak, C) immediately after steak thawed, D) subsequently another night in the refrigerator.
For comparing, photos of the steaks before and after they went into storage for a couple days were taken. The steak that was not frozen is noticeably browner than the steak that was frozen. This differs from previous observations in which frozen steaks were thought to be browner than fresh. So, we surmise that the steaks that can be purchased frozen were turning brown before they were frozen. This is further bolstered by the vacuum sealed beef we've had in our freezer for months that is still very red.
Rib-eye steaks before and afterward storage. The left moving-picture show shows both steaks before. The right pic shows both steaks later. Within each picture, the steak on the left was stored in the refrigerator, the steak on the right was frozen and thawed.
Once the steaks were cooked, they were both sliced in half to examine their cross sections as show beneath. In that location was little different between the steaks in terms of colour or doneness.
Rib-eye cross sections. Peak: fresh rib-eye. Lesser: frozen rib-eye.
At several stages during the storage and cooking process the mass of each steak was recorded. The table beneath gives both the raw values and per centum of mass lost. In the prepped stage, both steaks gained a slight corporeality of mass due to the add-on of canola oil and common salt.
| Fresh | Frozen | |||
| Per centum | Mass (grand) | Percent Lost | Mass (chiliad) | Percent Lost |
| Initial | 385.2 | 0.00% | 389.0 | 0.00% |
| After Thaw | 384.2 | 0.26% | 388.1 | 0.23% |
| Prepped | 389.6 | -1.fourteen% | 392.8 | -0.98% |
| Later Resting | 351.8 | 8.67% | 358.0 | vii.97% |
When graphed the masses of the steaks follow very similar trends. A slight loss in mass during storage, followed by an increase during preparation due to the addition of oil, and so a significant loss during cooking.
Steak masses over the grade of the experiment.
When the loss is taken every bit a per centum of the original mass of each steak, the results are somewhat surprising. The mass lost during storage is nigh identical, equally is the gain during preparation. However the fresh steak loses more mass during cooking than the frozen one. This is the opposite of what was expected.
Percentage of mass lost over the course of the experiment.
When the steaks were tasted, both had near identical texture and juiciness. The only major divergence was the season. The fresh steak had a much stronger beefy flavor than the frozen one. More than science will need to be washed to determine the cause of this difference. Both steaks were very enjoyable, and far superior to the steaks in the previous fresh versus frozen study.
Surprise Results:
Despite asking Brownie-Master P and Taste-Tester K over to assistance taste test, both declined, leading to left overs. Besides the improved season of the fresh steak was much greater than expected. The fact that the fresh steak losing a larger percentage mass was also surprising.
Conclusion:
The difference in mass loss was very small between the two steaks was very small, in fact the frozen steak, which was expected to lose more mass actually lost less mass during cooking. Both steaks had virtually identical textures, however the fresh steak did accept a more pronounced beefy season. Both steaks were very good, and only had a slight deviation in flavor. So at least for brusque periods of time, at that place is niggling departure between freezing steaks and keeping them in the refrigerator, indicating that the process of freezing and thawing lone does not significantly change the steaks.
Future Questions:
If the frozen steak is going to exist stored for a long menses time, is a zip-top pocketbook sufficient protection, or is boosted protection such equally aluminium foil needed? Does moving the steaks from their original packaging to zero-top bags affect on final results? How would either of these techniques fare against proper dry aging? In this instance we rested the steaks on a cooling rack above a plate, does this significantly affect the mass loss during resting?
Source: https://blog.doingsciencetostuff.com/2013/06/08/fresh-vs-frozen-steak-revisited/