Can you cold smoke pork ribs and freeze for later use?

[rick-in-ajijic]

I have a couple questions!

1. Has anyone ever cold smoked pork ribs then freeze for later cooking?

2. has anyone ever cured pork ribs and then cold smoked for later cooking?

I'm thinking it would work for sure if there are cured (like bacon). I would see no reason why they could not be cold smoked.

I have cured pork ribs and then smoke cooked them and they were good. This got me thinking about curing and then cold smoking.

Does anyone have any input?

 

[gr0uch0]

I would think so, Rick, but one question: what are you gaining in the process?

 

[chef jimmyj]

Uncured ribs can be cold smoked at temps between 36 and 40 for as long as you wish. At 40 to 60 degrees, no more than One Hour. With Cured ribs, you can smoke at any temp as long as you want. Search Ham on a Stick for a good recipe for cured smoked ribs...JJ

 

[rick-in-ajijic]

gr0uch0   (profit)

Here's the thing.... Because of my new smoker and my wife's restaurant that serves smoked foods, others in this area are now asking about us to provide smoked goods for their restaurants.  

These restaurants are in Guadalajara about 35 miles away from us. One was asking about smoked ribs and they might be asking for 25, 50 kilos or more at a time. We have the only smoker in a several hundred mile radius let alone one that can smoke 150+ kilo at a time. :-)

It is a big responsibility to try to smoke and cook (properly) that many ribs at one time. My smoker can hold about 150 to 200 Kilo of ribs at once easily if they are cold smoked. I could then freeze them, package them for pick-up and they could pull them as needed to cook for their customers.

In short, it would remove me from the cooking part and delivering them still warm. 

If I can do this it could be profitable for us and them.

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• rick-in-ajijic
• Feb 24, 2017

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• rick-in-ajijic
• Feb 24, 2017

 

[rick-in-ajijic]

Chef JimmyJ,

Thanks! :-) I just found how a guy does it in Houston http://www.msn.com/en-ca/autos/rese...lly-are-like-eating-ham-on-a-stick/vp-BBoGFaJ 

I do think I could either follow his lead and cook them about 3/4 in the smoker. But I think in this instance it might be better to just cold smoke them so they can cook later.

 

[chef jimmyj]

If uncured, the best bet is to fully cook but not finished, to 165, then freeze. The end user could just cook/grill them off to the finished tender temp of 195 and serve. Your butt is covered eliminating any bacteria and your restaurant customer serves as close as they can get to fresh out of the smoker. If cured, then there are lots of IT options to choose from....JJ

 

[rick-in-ajijic]

Thanks Chef JimmyJ  !

I'm thinking the way I'll offer them will be cured (#1) salt/sugar cold smoked then flash frozen. It's common down here that many use saltpeter for their meats so they won't think 2 times about it being cured.  P.F. Change (down here) cures their ribs and uses saltpeter. I think I can offer a good and safe product.  :-)

 

[chef jimmyj]

You're welcome. Cure #1 is much easier to use than SP and Ham on a Stick is really good...JJ

 

[ab canuck]

Good to know, Great info and threads here. Thx. All.

 

[geezer]

If uncured, the best bet is to fully cook but not finished, to 165, then freeze. The end user could just cook/grill them off to the finished tender temp of 195 and serve. Your butt is covered eliminating any bacteria and your restaurant customer serves as close as they can get to fresh out of the smoker. If cured, then there are lots of IT options to choose from....JJ

I've done something very similar. When we do the RV thing I don't bring a smoker along, just a Weber kettle. But ribs taste just as good if not better at a State Park as they do at home. So I'd cook baby backs on my smoker for 2 hours of smoke and 30 minutes in foil. I let them cool, spritz with apple juice, vacuum pack and freeze. While on the road let them thaw and finish off on the Weber with some sauce. It works really well, all things considered.