Sure, you could take frozen meat out of the freezer and leave it in the fridge to thaw for 24 hours, but that requires almost a superhuman-level of foresight.
For faster results, some people prefer to defrost with cold water in a bowl. Others say that hot water is the way to go. Still others argue that the microwave can work as long as you don't overcook the meat.
Luckily, there's another way to quickly thaw meat, and all you need are two large aluminum pots, room temperature water, and a bag for your meat.
Spotted on CTi News, a Taiwanese cable TV network (via Women's Health Mag), the idea is pretty simple. Turn one of the pots upside down and place the meat in a bag on top. Next, fill the other pot with room temperature water and put it on top of the steak.
That's it. In roughly 10 minutes (depending on the thickness of the steak), your meat will be thawed.
The reason this works is because the weight of the water presses down on the steak - increasing its surface area - while the temperature of the water is conducted by the aluminum, thus speeding up the thawing process.
Watch the video to see it in action.