Fresh, Not Freezer Burned, Makes The Best Steaks

By Catering Staff | February 8, 2018

Tough, leathery, and dry. These are the signs that your steak was thawed after a freezer burn and cooked in a regular manner. These are things that you also don’t want in your expensive steak ordered from a neighborhood steakhouse.

Edible But Unpalatable

What’s a freezer burn exactly? Freezer burn happens when food becomes too dry from being in the freezer for a prolonged period. The ice crystals on the meat, such as chicken, pork and beef, are moisture that has escaped from it before its inner part turned into ice on its surface.  

When cooked, a piece of freezer burned meat is actually edible and, more importantly, safe to eat. You may not like its tough, leathery and dry feel in your mouth but you will not die from eating it when it’s properly cooked.  

The bottom line: Freezer burned steaks definitely don’t make the best steaks! You must then ensure that you’re ordering steaks made from fresh meat, and the first step to do so is to eat at a reputable steakhouse, such as Texas Roadhouse.

Reasons for Its Unpalatable Quality

If you have ever taken out freezer burned meat from your freezer, then you know the first sign – the discoloration. Instead of the reddish color of the meat, it has a gray to brown color, usually in spots across the surface. When you slice through it, you will also notice these spots on the interior of the meat.  

These spots are the result of the chemical changes occurring in the meat, particularly in its pigment, from overexposure to air. Even if these spots are cut out of the meat, it will not improve the meat’s overall quality.  

The distinct smell that comes from a meat with freezer burn cannot be denied, too, especially when it’s recently taken from the freezer. Said smell comes from the sublimation of the water molecules inside the meat – the molecules go from solid to gas directly instead of passing through the liquid phase first.  Since the gas molecules contain the meat’s odor, these release the latter into the air that your nose then detects.  

The too-dry texture of the food comes from the dehydration – or the loss of water – and oxidation of the meat. No moisture, no juiciness, and no tenderness when it’s cooked, no matter the way it has been cooked.  

And then there’s the absence of savory flavor in the steak. The water molecules, which contain the raw meat’s potential flavors, evaporated – no water molecules, no flavor.  

The next time you order from a steakhouse for your party and you get bland, leathery and dry steaks, you can blame freezer burn and the staff who should know how to store meat properly.