Frozen Beef Plate Ribs

[chrisacutler]

I've got two sets of ribs that are frozen. What's the best way to thaw them? Can I smoke them from frozen given it will take more time?

 

[MadMax281]

Put them in the fridge 2-3 days before your smoke. Should be GTG.

 

[chrisacutler]

Put them in the fridge 2-3 days before your smoke. Should be GTG.

That was my original thought. Bought them from Costco and one the way home one of the cryos got a puncture and I had to freeze immediately.

 

[jcam222]

I often thaw in cold water in a cooler for awhile to speed thawing.

 

[chrisacutler]

I often thaw in cold water in a cooler for awhile to speed thawing.

I considered that but with the hole in the cryovac I'll probs just thaw in fridge.

 

[kilo charlie]

Please don't put frozen things in your smoker

 

[SmokinAl]

If You have a vacuum sealer just reseal the ribs in the original packaging & freeze them. They will be fine. I don’t completely agree with kilo Charlie, I have put many pieces of meat that were not fully thawed in the smoker, but if they are frozen solid then I agree with him.
Al

 

[Gonna Smoke]

I often thaw in cold water in a cooler for awhile to speed thawing.

Yep, if I need to cook them today and the cryovac is good, I'll put them in cold water.

 

[kilo charlie]

There's a huge difference between putting say.. meatballs stuffed with cheese and partially frozen in the smoker vs putting a rack of frozen ribs in the smoker.

Food Safety should ALWAYS trump convenience.

 

[Stapler1234]

Just wondering if there is any quality loss when smoking frozen beef plate ribs (thawed of course).

I love beef plate ribs and if there is no discernible quality loss I might as well buy some and keep them in my freezer.

 

[edmonds]

Just wondering if there is any quality loss when smoking frozen beef plate ribs (thawed of course).
I love beef plate ribs and if there is no discernible quality loss I might as well buy some and keep them in my freezer.

Ideally the meat should freeze rapidly. Otherwise you get large ice crystals in the meat, which can disrupt cell membranes and allow juices to escape. So you're better off if you can find meat that was flash frozen at the processing plant.
But most all of us have frozen meat in our home freezers without much loss of quality. Just don't try to freeze too much at one time. And a chest freezer is better than the frost-free refrigerator freezers.