Panic!!!

[flash]

Was that YOU Flash!?!...Cool video! I could see going through all that trimming for a Competition...JJ

  LOL, no. Not me. But I keep the video for when I trim the next one.

 

[flash]

Chief Jimmy, I am all for just cutting it in two with minor trimming, but doesn't the grain switching like it does cause issues when carving or would you just take it higher so you can pull it instead?

 

[scooper]

Good point, Eric.  I hadn't thought about that.

I treat my cutting boards and knives for 10 minutes before and after use with this:

http://www.dienviro.com/index1.aspx?BD=19282

It kills a lot of viruses and pathogens.  Pretty much everything.  And it is very safe. 

I use it in my dogs bowls because they eat raw food.  Not just grocery store raw meat.  Slaughterhouse scraps that come from a non-human grade raw dog food supplier.

None of them, nor us for that matter, have gotten sick.

Do you think i am lessening my chances by taking those measures?

 

[chef jimmyj]

Chief Jimmy, I am all for just cutting it in two with minor trimming, but doesn't the grain switching like it does cause issues when carving or would you just take it higher so you can pull it instead?

I break them down after it's cooked, the nicest parts get Sliced, some Chopped and Burnt ends...Everybody here has their fav, I like mine Fatty so I do 1/4" trim...JJ

 

[forluvofsmoke]

scooper, anything you can do to reduce/prevent pathogens from remaining alive on food contact surfaces will help. What you do not have any control over, however, is how the meat was handled before packaging, and with a bit of rough handling, what can happen to packages which become damaged during shipping or stocking in the meat coolers. I've even seen some consumers tossing things about in the coolers while digging for the pack they want to buy. These are situations where some contamination could take place, which is why we try to get the surface of our meats heated up fairly quickly when cooking...to kill off the nasty lil' bugs before they can cause any harm. You just can't tell if the surface of the meat has any nasties or not.

The idea of keeping your work surfaces and utensils sterile is great...sometimes the food your working with is the actual culprit, and observing good food handling and cooking practices helps to avoid additional problems from the food itself.

Eric

 

[scooper]

Great.  Thank you for all of your input.  I really appreciate it.

 

[missed-em]

Lots of great discussion here - thanks.  But back to one of my questions, if done in advance is it best to fridg (this time of year lots of room in the beer fridg) in the foil or go ahead and slice and bag?

Thanks for the help.

Steve

 

[forluvofsmoke]

If I cook it a couple days early, do I refrig while still foiled or slice & bag or?????

For the sake of food safety, you'll want to chill it as quickly as possible if not promptly eaten. The density and thickness of the cuts of meat, if left whole, will take longer to chill. Slicing and laying out in just one or two layers (after resting, of course) will chill very quickly. A minimum of 135* is considered a safe holding temp, so once it drops below that point, you want it back below 41* as soon as possible if it will be stored for later use. Ziploc bags will work fine, just remove as much air as possible. Add any foil juices to the bags as well to aid in keeping it moist while it's stored.

Reheating will bring it back through the 41-135* temp range again, so you don't want to be too slow with reheats. I like to use a temp probe in the meats while reheating larger batches, just to be sure. Crock pots, foil steam table pans or dutch ovens all work well for reheats...large contact area of the food with moderately low heat of 250* or so in a covered, moist cooking environment does a nice job.

Eric

 

[shooterrick]

Just me.  I slice and vac PAC.  Chill promptly as possible.  When ready you can place in the oven with some of the reserved drippings and reheat at 275F till 165F.  I now have a better Vac machine than the one I started with.  You can also place these bags with the 2 sealed ends clipped together and place in hot water on the stove top.  I personally don't like this last method but have done it.  If you do in an oven pan and feel it is dry just add some broth.    

 

[missed-em]

Well, Christmas has come and the mob is gone--After action report:

Wife said the rub was too salty, so she dide a wine reduction w/ applejuice & stuff as a finishing sauce.

Sliced, didn't pull, could have trimmed the fat a bunch

My opinion, tasted great, mobs opinion - not even a scrap left!!

Guess that means it was a success!