A question about corned beef

[richinlbrg]

Scored some corned beef this afternoon, $3.99/#, both flats and points(first time my grocery has ever had points!).

3/14 pack date, 5/17 sell by date. I am going to need to freeze some of them until things slow down at work.

Can I freeze them in the cryovac, or should I break them open and drain them. If I open them, should I desalinate them before freezing?

ALSO, should I reserve the points for pastrami and use the flats for ye ole New England Boiled Dinner and corned beef hash? Recommendations?

TIA!

[HorseDoctor]

I just put them in the freezer as is. They have enough salt solution in them they might never get solid in a normal freezer but between the salt & temp, they are preserved just fine.

I like the extra fat (flavor) of the points so I prefer that cut for all the above. The flats may end up better "boiled".

[Huskee]

Word of advice, last year I too bought one that had a 2month sell-by date. At just over the 1-month mark the whole package had swelled up and looked ready to burst. Don't trust those dates! I'm glad you're freezing them!

[fzxdoc]

I just bought a 5 lb corned beef flat today on sale for $3.99 a pound as well. I tossed it in the freezer, since it's cryovaced with the solution. I'm not planning on turning it into delectable pastrami until June, though, so we'll see how well it holds up. (My daughter wants me to bring her a pastrami when we go North to visit her then).

As much as my husband and friends love my pastrami, we may not be able to wait until June, though. The next couple of weeks are crazy busy so it would be well into April at the earliest before I get a chance to smoke it.

I've done both flats and points (all storebought corned beef), and for us they both eat really good. Can't say I have a preference. As I recall, Meathead says flats are preferred at Katz Deli because they make prettier slices for sammies.

Kathryn

[richinlbrg]

Thank you, HorseDoctor , Huskee and fzxdoc ! I think I'll throw most of them directly in the freezer, but since #1 wants to cook some today, I'll leave one of each out and do a side by side comparison. Also think I'd best go re-read MH's article. I'd forgotten about MH's preference for flats for pastrami. Thank you all again.

[fzxdoc]

I checked mine in the freezer this morning, richinlbrg . Seems to be frozen solid.

Kathryn

[richinlbrg]

Thank you, fzxdoc ! Just put 2 or three of each in my freezer this morning.

Rinsed and cut a 5# pre-trimmed flat into 2 pieces, and trimmed a point for cooking today. #1 wants to try a crock pot recipe with 1/2 of the flat. We'll simmer the point and other flat for a side by side. The point took a TON of trimming. YIKES!

I'm going to post re: crock pot in a separate thread (after I try to figure out if there is any specific location it should go).

Hope all have a GREAT day!