Why does steak take longer to thaw than summer sausage?

**Lone Star** · 06-24-2015, 06:45 PM

Assuming equal mass and thickness, the summer sausage thaws quicker. Or so they say. Why would this be?

**iamTRuTH** · 06-24-2015, 06:49 PM

Steak = solid mass
Sausage = ground meat.

More surface area, more air to circulate around the small pieces. Even though it's in a lump. Like saw dust verse lumber.

Not sure that makes sense, I'm in a sleep deprived state from a 2 day old baby.

**that dude who did that thing** · 06-24-2015, 06:49 PM

Water content. Solids thaw faster. Steak has higher water content, that summer sausage is dry as a bone.

I don't effin' know, but that's my theory.

**crackboy** · 06-24-2015, 07:36 PM

probably all the fat

**Grange** · 06-24-2015, 07:49 PM

Originally Posted by crackboy

probably all the fat

That would be my guess.

**From_the_NEK** · 06-24-2015, 09:27 PM

Also how much salt is in the sausage? Salt lowers the thaw temp.

**stuckathuntermtn** · 06-24-2015, 10:53 PM

Originally Posted by iamTRuTH

Steak = solid mass
Sausage = ground meat.

More surface area, more air to circulate around the small pieces. Even though it's in a lump. Like saw dust verse lumber.

Not sure that makes sense, I'm in a sleep deprived state from a 2 day old baby.

Sounds good to me. Hamburgers thaw quickly, too, compared to solid meat.

**Plainview** · 06-24-2015, 11:33 PM

Salt and fat content. Both raise the freezing point (or conversely, lower the melting point).

**bfree** · 06-24-2015, 11:35 PM

Steak has a 50-60% higher specific heat capacity, according to this:
http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/sp...ood-d_295.html

So it takes more energy to raise the temp by the same amount.

Then there's the difference in thermal conductivity, which drives the temperature difference from the middle to the outside of the food. This is where the ground-up products win, since it's an amorphous mass instead of having various tissue and fat boundaries acting as insulators.

**MagnificentUnicorn** · 06-24-2015, 11:45 PM

A little drift, there was an article in Bon Appetit about deep frying frozen steaks so they would cook more evenly pink all the way through.

**digitaldeath** · 06-24-2015, 11:59 PM

Moar water. Duh

**Tippster** · 06-25-2015, 07:23 AM

Originally Posted by AaronWright

A little drift, there was an article in Bon Appetit about deep frying frozen steaks so they would cook more evenly pink all the way through.

Anyone who would deep fry a Ribeye or Strip steak deserves whatever they get.

**Timberridge** · 06-25-2015, 08:00 AM

Originally Posted by Tippster

Anyone who would deep fry a Ribeye or Strip steak deserves whatever they get.

an explosion and third degree burns.

But back to the topic at hand, how big is your sausage?

**MagnificentUnicorn** · 06-25-2015, 09:53 AM

Originally Posted by Tippster

Anyone who would deep fry a Ribeye or Strip steak deserves whatever they get.

I don't know, read the recipe. It sounds and looks pretty good to me
http://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitch...se-steak-video

**Timberridge** · 06-25-2015, 10:00 AM

I'm sure it tastes good...once the flash fire is extinguished. Putting large frozen objects into hot oil is never without peril.

Read my disclaimer.

**MagnificentUnicorn** · 06-25-2015, 10:12 AM

Originally Posted by Timberridge

I'm sure it tastes good...once the flash fire is extinguished. Putting large frozen objects into hot oil is never without peril.

Read my disclaimer.

You mean like at every fast food restaurant that serves chicken, fish, etc? It's not like pouring water into or dumping ice cubes in hot oil. I was a fry cook once irl.

**riser4** · 06-25-2015, 10:21 AM

Regarding fryer explosions. It matters a lot the mass of the frozen object.

**MagnificentUnicorn** · 06-25-2015, 10:26 AM

Well, a steak isn't a turkey and they aren't technically deep frying it, the oil just comes half way up the sides of the steak. At any rate, it's not going to explode that way and it looks delicious.

**guroo270** · 06-25-2015, 10:34 AM

So I should make steak ice cubes?

**irul&ublo** · 06-25-2015, 10:37 AM

Originally Posted by AaronWright

Well, a steak isn't a turkey and they aren't technically deep frying it, the oil just comes half way up the sides of the steak. At any rate, it's not going to explode that way and it looks delicious.

But a penguin will explode

**riser4** · 06-25-2015, 10:53 AM

Originally Posted by irul&ublo

But a penguin will explode

Only if it is on top of your television set.

**DJSapp** · 06-25-2015, 11:06 AM

Originally Posted by irul&ublo

But a penguin will explode

I'm calling peta

**MagnificentUnicorn** · 06-25-2015, 12:57 PM

Originally Posted by guroo270

So I should make steak ice cubes?

There is an article about that. Freezing 1" cubes of seasoned steak and deep frying. That sounds good too.

**BmillsSkier** · 06-25-2015, 01:35 PM

Originally Posted by Timberridge

I'm sure it tastes good...once the flash fire is extinguished. Putting large frozen objects into hot oil is never without peril.

Read my disclaimer.

That nice black man who was president on "24" and sells Allstate tells me that every year around Thanksgiving. I'm sure once you take the house burning down and personal injury out of it there are some really hilarious stories of deep frying turkeys gone wrong.

**grskier** · 06-25-2015, 02:15 PM

Which takes off from the treadmill first?
A) A deep fried turkey
2) A half fried rib eye
3) A frozen summer sausage
D) A penguin on top of tv... post explosion, pre PETA intervention