Wondering whether to let those frozen steaks thaw or cook them straight from frozen? You're not the only one! We get this question a lot.

You should cook your steak directly from frozen, every time.

It's just better. That's our personal take after preparing countless steaks ourselves -- but don't take our word for it. Cook's Illustrated senior editor Dan Souza did an experiment with 8 frozen New York Strip steaks, cooking half straight from frozen, and the other half after thawing.

What he discovered was that the frozen steak 1) cooked more evenly, 2) lost less moisture, and 3) -- most importantly -- tasted better.

It also doesn't hurt that cooking from frozen means no wait time. :)

Here's How

1. Pre-heat your oven to 275F
2. Get your steaks out, leave them in their vacuum-sealed bags and place in a bowl of lukewarm water to 2-3 minutes to allow the surface to thaw. This will make it easier for salt + pepper to stick. No serious thawing needed.
3. Get a cast iron or stainless steel pan to a HIGH heat. Hotter than you probably think it should be! Add a small quantity (a tablespoon or so) of grapeseed oil or other high smoke point oil and then throw that frozen steak on.
4. Sear both sides for around 90 seconds to create a fabulous crust. Using tongs, hold the steak to sear the edges for a few seconds too.
5. Finally, to bring the middle of the steak up to a perfect medium-rare, pop the pan with the steak directly into the oven at 275F for 10 to 12 minutes.
6. Pull it out and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy!

I've also had success with 6 to 8 minutes at 325F. Results may vary based on the thickness of your steaks and the temperature of your freezer.

TIP: remove the steak and (without cutting into it) gently press on it to feel how squishy it is. This will tell you how raw the steak is inside. A tough sponge means it's overcooked.

You can watch our step-by-step video for grilling hamburger patties from frozen.