Meat in the freezer: The freeze-thaw game

Meat is an extremely high-quality commodity and consumers are finally adopting this attitude more and more. It's all about quality instead of quantity and this is slowly becoming apparent in the changing buying behaviour.

First-class meat quality and freshness are, of course, indispensable. Accordingly, at Fitmeat we only use fresh meat. In short: our meat is never deep-frozen. But that doesn't mean it can't be done without any problems.

Freezing meat properly without loss of quality

When it comes to freezing meat products, there are a lot of myths and most of them are nothing more than that.
Because you can freeze first-class meat without any problems and thus preserve it longer. You just have to follow a few tricks.

Freezing meat: our tricks

The right temperature for freezing In general, meat should be frozen as fresh as possible and at the lowest possible temperature. This preserves the quality and does not destroy the cells. This means that the temperature of the freezer should be between -18 °C and - 30 °C.

These low temperatures ensure that the meat freezes as quickly as possible without so-called "plasmolysis" occurring. This would lead to the liquid escaping from the meat during defrosting and the steak itself becoming dry.

If handled correctly, however, the meat remains wonderfully tender and retains all the important nutrients for months. Because frozen, high-quality beef can be kept for up to 12 months and pork for up to 8 months.

Deep-freeze meat in a vacuum bag

At Fitmeat you get all products vacuum-packed. The advantage of this is that the decomposition process of the meat is significantly slowed down. This means that the meat quality remains perfect despite the freezing process and the meat tastes great when defrosted.

Freeze meat without marinade

When meat products go into the freezer, they should do so without spices or marinades if possible. Why? With some spices, freezing can lead to a change in taste. In other words, the whole thing no longer tastes really good, usually it becomes bitter or gets unsightly stains from the salt.

If you still have marinated meat left over from grilling, there is a trick here too. Cook the steak or marinated meat thoroughly and then pack it as airtight as possible in a freezer bag (or ideally vacuum pack it - if you have the possibility). This way, your marinated steak from the freezer will still taste good.

Defrosting meat - but the right way

When defrosting meat products, there are a few things to keep in mind to maintain the quality.

Once the meat is frozen, it can be kept for a long time and, above all, it remains really tasty. Provided that the thawing process is also carried out correctly. We will tell you two methods that you can use without any problems.

Defrosting steaks slowly: the gentle way

The slow method defrosts the meat as gently as possible, avoiding damage to the meat structure.

However, some planning and patience is required here. If you need to do it quickly, then our second defrosting method is probably more for you.

To slowly defrost the frozen meat, it should first be removed from the vacuum bag or freezer bag. Then place the meat on a draining rack and store it in the refrigerator. Small tip: Place a bowl under the grid to catch the liquid - we don't want that in the fridge.
As soon as the meat is defrosted, you can take it out of the refrigerator and dry it. Then cover it and let it rest for about 1 - 2 hours until it comes to room temperature. Now the meat is ready for the pan or the grill and tastes fresh again!

Defrosting meat in a water bath - the quick method

Admittedly, planning is nice, but not always possible. It doesn't matter if you're in the mood for a steak or a spontaneous barbecue party is coming up: Defrosting meat can also be quick.

All you need is a bowl of cold water. Place the frozen meat directly in the sealed freezer or vacuum bag in the water bath and let the magic happen.
Thin meat cuts will be defrosted after about 30 minutes, thicker pieces need a little longer.
However, it is important that the meat is well packed. The frozen meat should not come into contact with the water. This variant is our favourite. Simply fill the sink with plenty of cold water and let the steaks float in the vacuum bag!