You probably don’t grill this way – but you should be

I admit that I pulled up an eyebrow when I heard for the first time Modernist cuisine Co -author and culinary innovator Chris Young suggest that you can Cook the burger directly from frozen. Cooking frozen meat feels like breaking a holy kitchen rule. But deep inside I knew he was on something. Years ago I worked as a line chef in a highly volume casino restaurant in Philadelphia. We would grill hundreds of burgers every evening and do we advise what? We cooked everyone from frozen.

Why? Not because we only cut corners. It was practical, consistent and fast. No risk that the meat in the refrigerator is bad, no sticky pastets, no last-minute spasm to fake the burgers. And the frozen burgers? They cooked almost as quickly as those pulled out of the fridge, and they were probably juicy. At that time I didn’t know science. I only knew it worked.

Now me Do You know science and I understand why cooking from Burgers from Frozen could be the smartest step that you can take at home, be it on a grill or stove.

Why frozen works

When you cook a raw burger out of the fridge, the muscle fibers (mainly from myofibrillary proteins) begin to move in with the heat. This contraction presses out the internal moisture and lets it with a drier pate, especially if you easily pour your inner temperature over.

However, if you start from frozen, the center of the burger takes longer to warm up. This delay moves the phase of moisture squeezing, which gives the burger time to roast and firm outdoor area before the interior catches up. As chef Young explains His video on InstagramThis thermal delay is the key: “Frozen meat gives you a noticeable bump of juiciness” because it is not out for so long in the zone in the liquid.

My side by side tests: frozen against cold

To see myself, I ran side by side with identical pastets in two different setups:

Test 1: Frozen against cold on a blazing cast iron frying knadter

Test 2: Frozen against cold in direct heat on a gas grill

Results of the industry test results: Both pastettes browned well at cast iron, but the frozen had the edge. The longer cooking time gave him a deeper crust and a further developed taste (with the kind permission of the Maillard reaction)while at the same time a medium interior maintains. The cold paste looked similar, but was noticeably drier and a little harder, especially on the edges.

The frozen pastlet caused a little more initial than it met with the hot oil, but nothing dramatic – just enough to notice it. It is the result of Surface Frost that hits the sizzling fat. To minimize this, I recommend pushing the burgers dry before put them on the Bratishug, letting the frying pan easily ingress (without exaggerating it), with a splinter screen when they are inside, or grab the splash in to contain the splash. With a little care, the additional splash can be easily managed and the payment of the taste is worth it.

Grill test results: Here the frozen burger shone. The chilled burger hit the flare-up city within a minute fat fat dripped and flames followed. The frozen pastencies? No flare-ups. It remained more compact, slower and more even and ultimately ended juicy, pink and better structured in the middle. Bonus: It was wonderfully held together what are careful news for those (raise the hand here!) Who are worried that burgers will fall apart on the grill.

How to grill a frozen burger like a professional (or ribs)

Here is the general technique that I recommend, with tips that are given from the method of Chris Young in his video:

1. Start with pastets that are 1/2 to 3/4 inch. Freeze them flat on a tray and stack them with parchment in a zipper bag.

2nd season not before freezing. Salt pulls out moisture over time. Season when the surface is in contact with the pan or the grill.

3. Get your pan or grill hot. Cast iron should shimmer in front of heat. Use direct warmth and grilling Clean oiled grids.

4. Duck the paste dry and put the frozen pate on the grill or a slightly greased fried car and leave it for two to three minutes. Let the crust build before freaking. You may have a first splash in a frying pan, but nothing that you can’t do.

5. After the crust has built on one side, turn the burgers about every 60 seconds and set the heat as required. This even promotes cooking and helps prevent the sink.

6. Use a thermometer to ensure the cooking: 125 to 130 ° F for moderate, 135 ° f for medium.

What if you prefer your burgers?

This method also works well for well -made burgers. Simply expand the cooking time and monitor the interior temperature. You will still get a great crust development and even cook from the edge to the middle without the risk of burning the outside before the interior is finished.

It is also worth noting that the USDA cooks for food safety with an inner temperature of 160 ° F, since harmful bacteria (such as E. coli) may not only be available on the surface. If you prefer your burgers rarely or medium (I always), you know that you will rise outside of these guidelines. This is a personal choice – I am not here to tell you what your burger should look like in the middle to help you cook it better as you like.

Finally to take away: Frozen is not a hollow hack – it is a better method

Cooking Burgers von Frozen is not just an abbreviation-is a technique that is founded on solid thermal physics and supported by practical tests. It solves problems that most domestic chefs do not even recognize that they: unpredictable cooking times, flare-ups, loss of moisture and mushy centers. It is ideal for chefs a week who forgot to thaw, eat food, who are happy to have frozen paste ready to fight garden grillers who are fed up with flaring and dry edges, and crust chasers who long for tendon tan without impairing the juice. It is also perfect if you ever get a desire for a solo burger. Keep only a few pastets in your freezer and pull out one whenever you want one.

This technique is not something that a newcomer-food influencer has invented-es will agree by some of the scientifically experienced chefs, including Chris Young, whose content inspired me for the first time. If you haven’t tried it yet, grab a frozen pastlet, start your pan or grill and convince yourself. Do you need a solid baseline? Start with our Grilled burger recipe And try frozen – you could never return.