1st Smoke

[Smokster]

Hey Steve, go for the vacuum sealer, well worth the investment for those leftovers. Sometimes I will make extra to seal and freeze for those quick meals.

[DivotMaker]

Agree about the vacuum sealer!  Anybody still on the fence about one of these, here's my advice:  GET ONE!  They're not only fantastic for leftovers, but you can pack fresh meat and keep it for a long time in the freezer.  When you thaw it, it's just like the day you bought it.  I couldn't live without one!  It's as essential as a thermometer, in my toolkit!

[bigbassnutt]

I haven't invested in a vacuum sealer yet but have found the Ziploc vacuum bags that use a hand pump work great. I can't find them in local stores but just bought more on Amazon. I sealed some pulled pork and pork loin slices and when I thawed them out they were as good as the day I made them. Actually the pork loin seemed to have better flavor than the day I smoked it, maybe had time for the flavor to penetrate the meat a little more.

[swthorpe]

Convinced!  I will be getting one this weekend!  Cheers

[DivotMaker]

Which one did you decide on, Steve?

[swthorpe]

On stand by for now...I was going to get the foodsaver 4400 from target, but they were out of stock. 

[Smokster]

Steve, that one has some great reviews. I also have a similar Foodsaver and I am happy with it.  There was a recent post about chamber sealers which got my attention, but the price point is substantially higher.

[swthorpe]

Thanks, Tony.    I think this is the one that we will get for the first attempt...I think it was around $170, and should meet my needs for occasional sealing.

[Walt]

With the vac sealer you will now be able to dry age.

[DivotMaker]

With the vac sealer you will now be able to dry age.

Excellent point, Walt!!  UMAi dry steak bags!

[Smokster]

I learn something new everyday on this forum.  I have never heard of this method until I read it on this post and googled it.

[Walt]

I have an 18lb rib eye in now that has lost about 2.5lbs so far.  Day 50 will be on the 24th. Can't wait.

[Pork Belly]

Those bags do look handy. These were dry cured near the sump pump in my basement consistent 54 degrees and 60 % humidity nearly perfect conditions. Left to right it is Pork Lanza (loin), Venison Loin, hanging in the back is Panchetta Tessa (flat not rolled). I typically keep my personal limit to less than a four pound piece of meat. If i were doing a whole loin of beef I would try the bags just because of the overall mass and investment. I did age a whole rear leg quarter off a smaller buck for three weeks. I took it down and cut it when it started to smell like good cheese. That was some fantastic deer meat.

[Walt]

I get about 13 to 15 nice steaks out of each roast, then vac seal individual steaks.

[DivotMaker]

Brian - the bags are great for those of us without the blessing of a "perfect" dry age setup, like you have.  The one thing I really like about the bags is there is no way bacteria can be introduced onto the surface of the meat.  The bags are like "Gore-Tex" for meat!  I was always nervous trying to dry age large cuts of beef in the open.