Fresh versus frozen meat

[Joetee]

I prefer meat that is not frozen and will not freeze it to smoke later.

Does anyone know weather there is any difference say brisket, fresh or frozen and then thawing later on?

I was thinking that after freezing meat the ice crystals cut and allow moisture to leach out of the meat and aid in drying out the end product.

Is there any evidence that I would even know the difference?

[rickgregory]

I'm with you, but that means you need to have a source of good meat that's never ever been frozen. That's hard go get for many of us, so...

[bbqLuv]

Good question, I have frozen meat and BBQ later, enjoyed it also. I could not tell the difference.

[Jerod Broussard]

Have frozen LOTS of brisket. I don't expect, and don't see a difference on meats I'm cooking to or near the boiling point of water.

Have eaten lots of steaks since it is hard to eat a whole cow in one week. Nothing worth noting there either.


FYI- from a labeling perspective meat can be taken down to 26.0-F and still be labeled FRESH.

[radshop]

Always appreciate your knowledge.

[bbqLuv]

FYI- from a labeling perspective meat can be taken down to 26.0-F and still be labeled FRESH.

Now that I did not know until know. Very interesting.

[Joetee]

I guess I should have explained a little better. I'll buy it as it is weather fresh or frozen. But if I buy thawed, I won't refreeze it. I'm talking about large cuts like pork butt, brisket, hams, chickens, etc.

So I was wondering if I did, would I be able to tell the difference?

[marshall]

I can’t tell the difference on pork butts or brisket or chicken, but if I buy say beef tenderloin and freeze it I feel it changes the texture fwiw

[tbob4]

That is a really good question - Prof. Blonder . I buy chicken that is mostly frozen, brine and refreeze, I cannot tell a difference. When I buy brisket, I do not refreeze. I have tons of frozen steaks, fish and tri-tips. Pork is interesting. If I were to guess - this is a guess only - I would say that it pulls faster and ribs cook differently frozen twice. I would never have thought about it had you not brought it up.

[ItsAllGoneToTheDogs]

I don't like freezing stuff I KNOW was previously frozen. Fish here is always sold "fresh" but it's really thawed frozen. Honestly don't like freezing any meat we buy, since you dunno... and we don't have a deep freeze so you can tell on a steak or something if we refreeze because it was getting close to the use by date. If we had a deep freeze I'd have to test it out to see if I could tell. But definitely could tell the texture difference on the prime rib steaks we refroze before cooking and some chicken breasts. Even when using foil and other methods recommended to reduce crystalizing and such, I can still tell when we freeze a protein

[TheQuietOne]

We buy a quarter beef and a whole hog, vacuum sealed, every year and various fresh cuts throughout the year. I honestly can't tell any difference. I know when I that the meat it releases more myoglobin when it thaws so that's some lost moisture right there. It doesn't seem to be enough to affect the final product though.

[Mosca]

I have refrozen from partially thawed, and it has always been fine.

As far as starting from frozen, or freezing something bought "fresh", I have always been happy with the product when I finally used it.

[klflowers]

I try not to re-freeze, but sometimes it can’t be helped, like when work interferes with cooking. I tend to vac seal most meat, which impedes the formation of ice crystals, I think.