Frozen meat

[smokebuzz]

I had a guy tell me he never cooks meat that has been frozen,butts ,ribs briskets and so on, says they won't turn out as good.
I always figured that packen house always froze the meat prior to shipping, and it was thawed out in the meat coolers at the stores when you buy it.

What do you folks think?

 

[richoso1]

I think that the quality of the meat and how it is frozen may make a difference. I have smoked plenty of spare ribs that have been frozen, and I smoke salmon that I froze when it was fresh. I could never taste the difference. I think that you do have to watch for any meat that has freezer burn, but those are my experiences.

 

[smokebuzz]

Ya , i can't say i could tell the diff, but how do you know that the not fozen now meat was'nt shipped in frozen. i spose i guy could go to the local locker and buy meat that you know has'nt been froze.

 

[richoso1]

Quite often they will get the meat frozen, then thaw it out to put it on the counter/tray. I've tried spare ribs like that, and same results.

 

[deejaydebi]

Sometimes if the meat isn't sold on time they freeze it and sell it cheaper here. Just mark it down a bit. If I'm not cooking it today what the heck I'll save a few bucks!

 

[smokebuzz]

Debi, i will also jump on bulk sales and put in the freezer,or catch a sale on close to sell by date, thats the way i useally get meat, so most of what i cook has been frozen,

do you think there is a diff. in end result in the meat you have cooked?

 

[gypsyseagod]

most people don't know this but most things that ya buy frozen are what we call iqf(instantly quick freeze)- think mr. freeze in batman.it runs on a conveyor belt & flash frozen,then packed. i can't speak for red meats but for y'all buying shrimp(from lots of years experience), by the time you thaw it after ya got it from the store- it's been frozen thawed 3-4 times.frozen on the boat,thawed, weighed & frozen again once unloaded, rethawed & weighed again @ the packing house,frozen again & thawed @ your house or the market.just fyi.

 

[crewdawg52]

Costco had their rib roasts for $5.99 lb recently, but you had to buy the whole thing. Well, there is no way I can eat 15 lbs of rib roast in a couple of days. Had them cut me 3/4 inch steaks with half of the roast and that left me with about a 7.5 lb roast. Took them home and vaccum sealed 'em, then straight into the freezer.

 

[deejaydebi]

Love my little chest freezers but I wish they were bigger - I had to fuss for 20 minutes to get a salmon fillet to squeeze in there last week to make my lox!

 

[smoke freak]

My freezer is full of meat that I bought on sale and vegetables to enjoy later. Our food always turns out fine. I reckon thats what freezers are for.

 

[deejaydebi]

I can taste the difference in meat that's frozen if it's used right away. If it's like in the bottom and a year old or more I can cause it's freezer burned!

 

[deejaydebi]

Yeah it thicker - unfortunately not everything is cryopacked in my freezer!

 

[smokebuzz]

CRYOpacked, just struck me, could it have been deep froze first. i have barrels on guns that have been cryogenically treated, basically put in liquid nitrogen for a period of time. not that they dunk meat in nitrogin, possibly another way of turning into a rock.