Hey y'all...been smoking for about a year and a half...I purchased a 6.5 lb bone in pork butt that was cryo vac packaged (Tyson brand) about one month ago. It went into the freezer right after I got home and has been there until I pulled it out to start thawing today. It had been in one of those "meat bags" also that they give you at the store (thin plastic). When i pulled the outer bad off I noticed a spot of dried meat blood on the inside of the outer bag and when I smelled it, it was quite off putting.I then rinsed the cryo vac outside off and gave it another smell and this time the smell was gone. I let it thaw for a bit and then tried to squeeze the juice out to confirm that there was a hole and was able to squeeze some out...confirming the hole. The juice that came out smelled like the "normal" cryo vac pork smell (a little off, but not rancid). So...two questions...one, how so I determine if this meat is good or not and two, knowing that there is a hole in the cryo vac what is the safest was to thaw for a tomorrow night into Saturday noon smoke? Thanks!
