Christmas Wet Aging Paranoia…

[Sid P]

I bought this rib roast which I’m smoking for Christmas dinner, and the "Sell By" date is 12/20. Based on everything I’ve read here, letting it sit in the fridge until Monday can only improve the flavor. However, my wife is adamant that we should freeze it and then start thawing it on Friday.

Is there any danger (perhaps a poor seal on the vacuum pack?) to just wet aging it in the fridge until Monday?

[Jfrosty27]

Maybe this will help Sid.

[Sid P]

Thanks, Jim. Saved for future reference.

[Alan Brice]

That does not look like a vacume pack to me. That is butcher wrap. Also wrapped on the 16th. I would pop in freeze til a bit closer. Just me esp cooking for others. Hope it is wonderful!

[Sid P]

Crap, you’re right. Thanks for pointing it out!

[Panhead John]

I wouldn’t risk it Sid. I’ll check it out for you. Send To:

Panhead John
69 Loser Lane
Houston, Tx.

[Sid P]

The invitation to Christmas dinner wasn’t good enough, you need the whole rib roast?

[Troutman]

Did you move? I thought you lived on Knuckle Head Lane?

[Oak Smoke]

IF there is any chance there is a leak in the bag it’s not suitable for long term wet aging. I just can’t see it spoiling when it’s in the fridge for that short length of time. Put it on the lowest shelf, the coldest one, in your fridge and it will be fine. Most good beef we use out here hangs in a cooler for 21 days before it even gets cut up.

[Jim White]

I'd probably put a vacuum seal bag over it as is and let it ride in the fridge.

[Mosca]

Yes, I’d vac seal it and keep it in the fridge.

[Jerod Broussard]

Take it out, trim it, shape it, tie it, salt it, vacuum seal it or tightly wrap, pop it in the fridge.

[ecowper]

This!

[J-Melt]

Thank you! Just got one today and I was wondering how to keep it until Monday without having to freeze. I don’t have a vacuum sealer, but I can tightly wrap it.

[Troutman]

I was going to basically say the same thing. The salt and seal will help protect it. I plan on buying mine tomorrow and doing the same thing.

[ecowper]

Heckuva a deal on that roast! Jerod nails it for what to do with the roast.

[shify]

For a roast that big, I’d probably dry brine for three days which would take you only 2 days past the sell by date. So if you do that, you’d basically freeze it overnight just to defrost the next day. In that case, I’d let it ride and would be fine going 2 days past sell by date (which as noted above does not mean anything to a consumer)

[fracmeister]

i HAD exactly THE SAME DILEMMA down to the dates but i looped the ribs off, chopped the thing in half and have them all in sous vide bags. The ribs will go on 72+ hours before serving and then smoke for 3-4 hours to get a bark while the others will sous vide 4 hours and then get the charcoal chimney sear. I am not worried about them in the sous vide

[jfmorris]

As others have pointed out, sell by is not the same as use by. However, it is also not in cryovac, so there is air exposure in that foam tray packaging...

If you freeze a roast that big, it will take several days to thaw in the fridge. Factor that into the equation.

Although, I will point out, that I smoked a still frozen 12 pound brisket this past weekend with great results. I pulled I from the -25F deep freeze, let it sit out about 2 hours, at which point it was still solid ice, unpacked it, rinsed it, and then trimmed what surface fat I could with a sharp knife. I then salted and applied a rub with a mustard binder, took it to the smoker, and waited a couple of hours until it was thawed enough to insert the probe. I think it was one of the better briskets I've done, even with no dry brine. Of course the brisket smoked to 203, taking 16 hours. You are only taking this to medium-rare (135 maybe?), so it will have less time for salt penetration while cooking...

[Troutman]

You bring up a good point, you can even Sous Vide it from frozen, although you have to add a couple of hours to the cook time. Never tried a straight smoke from frozen but I guess it would work.