Preparing Meat Well in Advance of Smoking

[afratki]

I have a lot of family coming to stay with us over a two week period at the end of July through the beginning of August and I'd like to prepare several smoked meals for them.

I'd like to avoid the added work and anxiety to find good meat and prepping the meat while they are here so I'd like to do as much of this in advance.

I'm thinking I'll purchase all the meat this week, apply the rubs & wrap, then put directly in the freezer. My thought is I'll pull the meat a few days before I plan to smoke and as the meat thaws, the rubs will get a chance to work their magic.

Does anyone think this would cause a lesser quality product?

Here's what I plan to get in advance:
St Louis Cut Ribs
Pork Butt
Brisket (I plan to inject this before putting in freezer)

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[es1025]

Andrew, my $.02 as long as the meat is completely 100% thawed before you start smoking you should be fine.  i have no experience with frozen meats but I know some people that apply the rubs wrap in plastic wrap and freeze, when the meat is needed they thaw and smoke.  I guess you will be our test case.

[UWFSAE]

Most big box stores receive frozen meat, then thaw and resell.  By refreezing completely thawed meat, you do risk some issues.  However, if the meat is only partially thawed (i.e., there are still ice crystals and the exterior temp is no higher than 38 degrees) then it can safely be refrozen.  The FDA guidelines note that meat held in the refrigerated can safely be refrozen.

I've never tried to apply a rub to frozen meat so I'm a bit hesitant that it would have time to help the meat "sweat" sufficiently to help the osmotic process between salt/sugar/spices and the cells of the meat.   Beyond that, if you try to inject even partially frozen meat (like brisket) I don't think you'll see the caliber of absorption you're wanting.

As far as the rub acting during the thaw, I can't find any info saying it will or won't work ... but it might be an interesting (and potentially expensive) experiment.  I'd be inclined to find a good local butcher who can verify that their meat is "fresh, never frozen", rub the meat and let it sit for at least 6-12 hours and then freeze.

An alternative, if you have a good vacuum sealer, is to pre-cook your meats and seal them for freezing.  Having saved portions of pork butt, brisket, and even ribs I can say that they are very good (though not great) using this method with a reheat on the grill after they thaw.

[DivotMaker]

Andrew, I've used this method in the past (those dark, pre-Smokin-It days); get a FoodSaver or comparable vacuum sealer to freeze your meat.  It is SO worth the investment!  When you prepare the meat, and then vacuum-seal it, it will thaw months later just like it looked on day one.  Additionally, the rubs or spices you put on the meat continue to penetrate during the freeze/thaw cycles.  There is absolutely no additional moisture content added to the meat by "ice crystals," because they do not form in a vacuum. 

I've used a FoodSaver Pro for years (pulls a higher vacuum than the big-box models) with great success.  You know how hamburger meat comes out of the freezer when you throw it in using the store wrapping, or just a zip lock bag?  Watery, brownish, won't hardly stick together anymore?  When you vacuum pack it, it thaws out just like it came from the store that day.  Amazing.  Saved me a ton of money over the years!  Also a great way to save extra finished meat in the fridge or freezer!

[afratki]

Thanks for all the advice

Tony, I'm going to look into the FoodSaver Pro, the wife has mentioned wanting one in the past. Maybe I'll play it as getting one for her, scoring some brownie points (and of course find it useful for my new hobby  )

[Spresso]

I`m sure Divotmaker is right.  I have been plannig to get a foodsaver type vacuum sealer for a while. My aunt has one and uses it with great success.
Even your marinades will work better. 

[DivotMaker]

I have a post on it (FoodSaver) under the "Gadgets" section, and Joe posted an alternative brand (Ary).  I've had my Professional II model for several years, but now I see FoodSaver no longer makes it!  Being a model that fit between the basic homeowner model, and commercial models, must not have been profitable enough.

If I was going to buy one today, I'd seriously consider the Ary VacMaster Pro 260.  It has a lot of the features I liked about the FS Pro (manual/auto capability, durability of construction, to name a couple).  Found it on Amazon here:

http://www.amazon.com/VacMaster-Pro-260-Vacuum-Sealer/dp/B008Q7NJEI/ref=sr_1_26?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1373498285&sr=1-26&keywords=vacuum+sealer

Pretty good-looking unit, and has lots of good reviews.  I know $170 sounds like a lot for a vac sealer, but it is so worth it.  It'll pay for itself many time over, and should last for many years.