* UPDATE, THAWED AND COOKED. PICS IN OP * Defrosting a solid frozen brisket in refrigerator.

[WhoaNelly]

I have about a 13 pound brisket that is frozen solid. I‘m talking weapons grade solid that would make the dinosaurs extinct if dropped from a plane. I’m on no timeline so I’m not looking for a rush to defrost. I plan on doing it in my refrigerator that I keep on around 34 degrees.

1. About how long am I looking at ?
2. How do you know if the center is thawed before you pop it out of the factory wrap ?
3. Or do you thaw it with the factory plastic off ?

 

[chopsaw]

I'll offer an opinion . I keep my fridge for this stuff at 36 degrees . It's a tall task to thaw a large frozen solid hunk of meat at that temp .

I usually keep it on the counter a few hours , then back in that fridge . For something that size , in my experience I'm looking at 4 days , then I have to let it sit at room temp or in the sink full of water . For me , at 36 degrees something like that never completely thaws out .


BTW , thaw in the vac pack .

 

[Rafter H BBQ]

I'll offer an opinion . I keep my fridge for this stuff at 36 degrees . It's a tall task to thaw a large frozen solid hunk of meat at that temp .

I usually keep it on the counter a few hours , then back in that fridge . For something that size , in my experience I'm looking at 4 days , then I have to let it sit at room temp or in the sink full of water . For me , at 36 degrees something like that never completely thaws out .


BTW , thaw in the vac pack .

^^^

This ! Rich has ya covered! Good luck and post pics!

 

[kelbro]

It'll take close to a week unless you help it along by taking it out a couple of hours each day.

 

[Displaced Texan]

Yep. I was a restaurant manager two careers ago. We would do a "pull thaw" days in advance. 12 oz. NY Strips took 48 hours in the 34° walk-in.

Agree with chopsaw . Likely 4-5 days here to be fully thawed in the center.

 

[WhoaNelly]

I'll offer an opinion . I keep my fridge for this stuff at 36 degrees . It's a tall task to thaw a large frozen solid hunk of meat at that temp .

I usually keep it on the counter a few hours , then back in that fridge . For something that size , in my experience I'm looking at 4 days , then I have to let it sit at room temp or in the sink full of water . For me , at 36 degrees something like that never completely thaws out .


BTW , thaw in the vac pack .

Thanks . I appreciate it. I might bump the temp in my fridge a degree or 2. I had it set that low because it’s perfect for beer. Like I said, I’m in no rush.

This is my second brisket and my first was a complete disaster. That was about 6 years ago, seriously.... it crushed my soul and made me question my manhood.

If you don’t mind, I would like to ask a follow up for you or anyone else to answer.

1. After your brisket is thawed, do you season it and let it sit uncovered in the refrigerator for a day or 2 to dry brine like I would a steak or season just about an hour or so before It goes on ?

thanks

 

[Displaced Texan]

Thanks . I appreciate it. I might bump the temp in my fridge a degree or 2. I had it set that low because it’s perfect for beer. Like I said, I’m in no rush.

This is my second brisket and my first was a complete disaster. That was about 6 years ago, seriously.... it crushed my soul and made me question my manhood.

If you don’t mind, I would like to ask a follow up for you or anyone else to answer.

1. After your brisket is thawed, do you season it and let it sit uncovered in the refrigerator for a day or 2 to dry brine like I would a steak or season just about an hour or so before It goes on ?

thanks

I trim and season mine as the pit is heating up and stabilizing. I believe* a rub is mostly a way for the smoke to cling to and penetrate the meat, not provide flavor.

*Worth what you paid for it lol.

 

[Rafter H BBQ]

Just an old guys opinion… Don’t overthink it! I used to sooo bad! Never helped!

Keep it simple! You can coat with yellow mustard or EVOO… or no binder… apply the rub of choice (I just do salt and pepper these days) and cook!

I usually do 275* til probe tender… Take a probe and when it slides into the meat like butter… it’s done!

Then I pull and wrap in butcher paper for the rest!

DO NOT skip the rest…

Rest bare minimum an hour!

Good luck and post some pics!

 

[DougE]

When defrosting large pieces like butts, briskets, turkeys, etc. I chuck them on the counter for a few hours each day to speed things along. I know the "Experts" say not to do it this way, but we been thawing meat in this way for several generations without issue.

 

[Rafter H BBQ]

When defrosting large pieces like butts, briskets, turkeys, etc. I chuck them on the counter for a few hours each day to speed things along. I know the "Experts" say not to do it this way, but we been thawing meat in this way for several generations without issue.

DougE … we have done that for years as well! Good way to speed up the thaw! The “experts” have never lived the Redneck Way Of Life… I’ll stick with that way… it’s never done me wrong yet!

 

[cptnding]

I have about a 13 pound brisket that is frozen solid. I‘m talking weapons grade solid that would make the dinosaurs extinct if dropped from a plane. I’m on no timeline so I’m not looking for a rush to defrost. I plan on doing it in my refrigerator that I keep on around 34 degrees.

1. About how long am I looking at ?
2. How do you know if the center is thawed before you pop it out of the factory wrap ?
3. Or do you thaw it with the factory plastic off ?

Just my opinion but I don't think it's a big deal if a large hunk of meat isn't completely thawed. It will finish thawing real quick when it hits the cooker. I would say 4 days in your fridge if you have that much time would be sufficient to get it going.
As for your second question I prefer to apply my rub at least the night before and let it sit in the fridge uncovered overnight. If I don't have time then no big deal. It all works.

 

[WhoaNelly]

Thanks for all the reply’s . I will definitely post pics and follow up on this. I did figure out how to override my oven temp to get it to hold lower than what is displayed. I can get it down to around 150 even when the display is reading 170 . The trick is remembering to bump it back up where the displayed temp is the actual cooking temp instead of 20 degrees lower. Most ovens do it these days and if anyone is interested there are YouTube videos that explain it. It takes about 10 seconds to adjust it.

thanks again

 

[chopsaw]

After your brisket is thawed, do you season it and let it sit uncovered in the refrigerator for a day or 2 to dry brine like I would a steak or season just about an hour or so before It goes on ?

Anytime you dry brine with salt , you have to give it time to work . The salt draws the moisture out of the meat , mixes with whatever is on the surface and then gets reabsorbed back into the meat with time . If it pulls the moisture out and you cook at that point , you lose all that moisture .

You can season and go right to the smoker or grill . My opinion is an hour before is not enough time for the reaction to happen .
I season and hold wrapped , overnight . Day of , I let it warm on the counter an hour or 2 before going to the smoker .

 

[WhoaNelly]

DAY ONE

I will keep this thread alive and add my defrost times plus the cook.
FULL DISCLOSURE I have ALS and had to move from a Kamado Joe to a Trager Ironwood 650 for obvious reasons. I have realistic expectations because I have been using this TRAEGER for about 2 years . It‘s definitely not a Kamado but I have found ways to get some extra flavor without a pellet tube . Hopefully it will give some disabled Q’ers some ideas.

I expect to lose a good chunk of this weight after trimming. I plan on rendering any trimmed fat and use it somewhere. Heck, I might throw some fat in a few cast iron pans I haven’t used in a while to knock the dust off them .

 

[gmc2003]

Anytime you dry brine with salt , you have to give it time to work . The salt draws the moisture out of the meat , mixes with whatever is on the surface and then gets reabsorbed back into the meat with time . If it pulls the moisture out and you cook at that point , you lose all that moisture .

You can season and go right to the smoker or grill . My opinion is an hour before is not enough time for the reaction to happen .
I season and hold wrapped , overnight . Day of , I let it warm on the counter an hour or 2 before going to the smoker .

^^^This^^^ except I go from fridge directly to the smoker. No counter time.

Chris

 

[chopsaw]

DAY ONE

Something else that I consider doing this is the sell by date . I try to play that into thaw time .
You do have some room there from the posted date , but if you're close and it takes 5 days to completely thaw , in my mind the middle will just be a day or so past . The thinner outside edge will be 3 to 4 days past .
Original vac pack , and beef not so bad .
Pork is a different story . Again , in my opinion .

Right now I have a whole beef knuckle in the fridge . Posted sell by is 8/23 . I have time , but I want to make sure I get it broke down before freezing , AND allow a few days of thaw time to keep me at the sell by date .
So freezing 4 days before date , gives me time to thaw without going past .