Freezing Brisket

Bigmista

Bigmista

somebody shut me the fark up.
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How do you feel about cooking a lot of brisket early in the week and freezing it for use later?

Would you freeze it whole or slice it?

Would you pull it a littler early and finish it after it thaws out?

Would you add au jus in the bag or would you be concerned about it getting mushy?
 
I cook and slice my briskets, then vacuum seal the leftovers. Reheat in simmering water. Its as good as the day it was made, except the bark is a bit softer. I guess you could "set the bark: again on a smoker...
 
Neil,

Here's my take. If this were home use I'd slice, bag and freeze. No problem there.

If it's for your Farmer's Markets then I'd take it unsliced to the market. I think having it sliced in front of the customer is a better presentation and doesn't give the indication that it's "not fresh."
 
trp1fox said:
Neil,

Here's my take. If this were home use I'd slice, bag and freeze. No problem there.

If it's for your Farmer's Markets then I'd take it unsliced to the market. I think having it sliced in front of the customer is a better presentation and doesn't give the indication that it's "not fresh."
Click to expand...
I agree with Larry. You wouldn't want to give any indication it had been frozen. Maybe setting the bark in the smoker, if at least for presentation.
 
Do you really need to freeze it? Nothing wrong with vacuum sealing it and just tossing it in the fridge. THat said, I have freezed and not been disappointed later.
 
I freeze whole to contanian as much juciness inside and reheat and slice later. Everyone swears it just came off smoker
 
I'm with Larry. I would freeze it whole and warm up and slice on site. It's just safer that was as well, a lot less surface area to worry about having exposed.
 
Yep - Larry hit the nail on the head - freez whole and slice on site.
 
tony76248 said:
Do you really need to freeze it? Nothing wrong with vacuum sealing it and just tossing it in the fridge. THat said, I have freezed and not been disappointed later.
Click to expand...

I agree, your not cooking THAT far ahead are you?
 
Probably cook on Monday, last going out by Sunday. Will it be ok in the fridge that long?
 
I would think cryovac'd it would last a week. You've eliminated pretty much all ability any air or bacteria to be present. Plus you'll be reheating.
 
we have been putting are briskets in the frige for up to 36 days after buying them ageing the meat seem to make it more tender and moistread up on wagu beef thats aged it makes sence
 
The Pigman said:
I freeze whole to contanian as much juciness inside and reheat and slice later. Everyone swears it just came off smoker
Click to expand...

I put mine in the fridge to "set", then vacuum seal. I agree, do not slice until you are ready to serve. Not only to make it look like "fresh" cooked, and more appealing, but also keep it from "drying" out too quickly. I find that after I slice brisket, it seems to get "dry" rather quickly. Keep it whole, slice as needed, and if it has to sit for a while, slice a thin slice off, toss to your tray and slice the customer the next one. Just my opinion.

Bill
 
smoke-n-my-i's said:
I find that after I slice brisket, it seems to get "dry" rather quickly. Keep it whole, slice as needed, and if it has to sit for a while, slice a thin slice off, toss to your tray and slice the customer the next one. Just my opinion.

Bill
Click to expand...

This part I always do. I never serve that oxydized, dried out piece.
 
Be careful how you chill your briskets. Whole briskets and pork butts are big hunks of meat and it takes a while to chill them down, especially if you have a lot of them. Putting 12 hot briskets in your freezer is probably a bad idea.

We wrap very well in foil with all seams on one side. Put two 2 1/2 inch hotel pans upside down in one of those big white coolers that has been sanitized. Add a layer of ice. Add a layer of briskets, seam side down. Add a layer of ice. And so on...

The hotel pans keep the briskets out of the water that accumulates in the bottom of the cooler. Putting the briskets in seam side down prevents melted ice water from getting into the briskets. Four hours later they will be below 40 degrees and you can pull them out and put them in the freezer.
 
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