I am looking at pulling out a couple of pork butts from my freezer for Memorial day. I dry-brined, rubbed, and froze these a few weeks back. They are approx. 5lb and 3lb pieces. I am curious if anyone knows how much additional time I should budget to my cook time-frame given that these are frozen.
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Just my 2 cents here but I would take them out of the freezer and into the fridge now and let them defrost there. It will take a couple of days but they need to loosen up gradually. Throwing a frozen mass like a pork butt onto the fire will "shock" the meat from a thermo-dynamic perspective. Right now, think of the meat as having large spears of ice that are distributed throughout. Putting them on the BBQ frozen will melt those spears and leave holes in the meat. Those holes will let massive amounts of moisture out and surely give you a dried out lump of protein. A gradual thaw will allow the meat fibers to slowly tighten up the holes left behind by the freezing as the ice melts. Then you should have no problem. In addition, all the moisture leaking out will surely have an impact on the fire and possibly keep choking it out. Hope it works out. Cheers, Andy.Last edited by Ailkiw; May 22, 2015, 12:39 PM. -
I would also defrost them first. (in the fridge of course)Comment
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Thanks for weighing in guys, that's what I thought as well until I recently read and asked questions on this site regarding freezer to pit. A few weeks back I read some dialog on the main site dry brining page comment area where Jerod stated he would recommend this method. I also found the thread listed below where Jerod Broussard and Doc Blonder discuss going straight from freezer to pit.
http://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/for...a-frozen-roast
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You are probably looking at an extra hour to hour and a half. Whatever time it takes the pit to get that sucker up to about 36 degrees, then your regular cooking time.Comment
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Can't speak for the time, I'm still trying to perfect the Butt, but I can say from freezer to Grill worked fine. I started about an hour earlier than usual.Comment
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As Jerod says you are looking at 60-90 minutes extra, it will cool down the pit a bit more than usual for the first hour, so know that you might have to make that adjustment. Mine from frozen was great, wouldn't hesitate at all.
You'll also get more smoke on there, so if you are sensitive to that then be careful.Comment
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Great. Thanks for the timing info!
_John_ or anyone else that has done this on the PBC: I just thought of something...
How did you hang this from the hooks when it was (frozen) rock hard? Possibly heat up the hooks super hot and slide it in? I guess I could just rack it up for the entire hook. I was hoping to do an overnight cook on this and racking it maybe the best way to make sure I am able to sleep.... Any ideas?Comment
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Just put it on the rack, on the opposite side of the intake vent. Meaning, facing the vent outside the barrel, I go to the side (left or right) that the flap is pushed over to. Mine is pushed to the left, leaving the opening to the right, so I go to the left.
Hooks would have to be inserted pre-freeze. Doc blonder will lube up a small steel rod and insert pre-freeze, then remove it and insert his food thermometer for the cook.Last edited by Jerod Broussard; May 22, 2015, 04:23 PM.Comment
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Honestly I have done my last couple butts on the rack anyway, to really be sure they don't fall you need 4 hooks, and at that point they are hanging in the same position they would be if on the grate. I don't really see a point in hanging butts anymore.Comment
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I'd love to see some pictures of a butt or a whole brisket hung on hooks in a PBC if anyone has some to share.Comment
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Few pics of butts, briskets....
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Old pic of them hanging on 2 a piece, haven't got many recent hanging pics.
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Those pics are impressive. Wow, liking the 5 hunks of meat. That's a full PBC!Comment
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I was a chicken and slid the grate underneath obviously by the time this picture was taken.Attached FilesComment
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