Anyone freeze leftover ribs?

[krex1010]

So I made 4 racks of spares yesterday, was having a small gathering and one family couldn't make it at the last minute so I was left with a rack and a half of leftover ribs....anyone freeze them? I can only eat so many and my wife and daughters eat like birds.

[code3rrt]

I freeze them frequently. I usually package them 2-3 ribs per package with my Food Saver, and then they are good to go for grab and go lunches, I just warm them in the microwave. Not as good as fresh, but still pretty darn good.

KC

[m-fine]

The goal is usually to make too many and have leftovers and even more leftovers for the freezer, so yes, I freeze ribs often. Nothing special, just bag and freeze. Defrost overnight in the fridge if you plan ahead, otherwise you can nuke them.

[Happy Hapgood]

I have vac packed a whole rack of St. Louis cut and swear they tasted better 2 months later. Not sure about regular freezing.

[Jeff H]

Smokers aren't free to run. I usually fill mine and plan on freezing the rest for later.

[krex1010]

Good deal, thanks for the replies...I freeze pulled pork and beef regularly but ribs always seem to hop retry fast...ill be honest I usually don't make extras with freezing in mind unless I'm making bacon or sausage, I love having a reason to BBQ every weekend so I usually make what we plan on eating within a day or two and then we're out and I have a reason to cook more the next weekend.

[jwtseng]

I can never fully appreciate the flavor the same day I cook...my smell receptors are all smoked out. Oftentimes, I find my vac-packed frozen leftovers to be more tasty than I remembered originally. I also pack them in 3-4 ribs packs. I freeze them and they defrost during the day at work before I nuke them for lunch/dinner. I think they get a bit more fall-off-the-bone after nuking and more rendered fat.

[m-fine]

I can never fully appreciate the flavor the same day I cook...my smell receptors are all smoked out.

Yeah that can be a problem. The first time I made smoked mac n cheese I had lost my ability to truly taste the smoke so I kept sampling and then putting it back in for another 45 minutes. It never pickjed up the smoke flavor I was looking for.

Then I had it for breakfast the next day and it tasted like smoke with a hint of cheese. :doh:

I don't think the freezer does much to harm the ribs, you just have to be careful reheating them.

[krex1010]

Yeah that can be a problem. The first time I made smoked mac n cheese I had lost my ability to truly taste the smoke so I kept sampling and then putting it back in for another 45 minutes. It never pickjed up the smoke flavor I was looking for.

Then I had it for breakfast the next day and it tasted like smoke with a hint of cheese. :doh:

I don't think the freezer does much to harm the ribs, you just have to be careful reheating them.

A day hanging around the cooker definitely desensitized me to smoke smell and flavor, the food tastes smokier the next day, the next day the clothes I wore while cooking smell like they may have been on fire at some point but Didn't seem overly smoky while I was cooking and eating.

[blazinfire]

Hey krex, I have froze ribs one or twice. Turned out amazing for pre-cooked food. Better than any "pre-cooked" food you can buy from walmart LOL

[cheez59]

I freeze cooked ribs pretty much every time I cook. I just wrap them in heavy duty foil. They never stay in the freezer more than a week or so. I take them straight out of the freezer and put them on the warming rack of my gasser and fire it up. It takes about 30 minutes to thaw and heat them up. I will say that they are really good this way.

[NCGrimbo]

Being single, pretty much every meal I make I end up with leftovers. Doesn't matter if it's been cooked in the smoker, on the grill, or in the oven. For anything I think I will eat within two or three weeks, I use zip type freezer bags. If I'm not sure I'll get to it in that time frame, into a vac-sealed bag, dated, and into the outside freezer. I've done this for steak, ribs, pulled pork, fatties, and many other items.

The key is how you reheat the frozen food. The best way that I've found is to use the boiling water method. This works good for the vac-sealed bags, but not so good for the zip type bags. Those usually get dumped onto a plate and popped into the microwave oven for 30 seconds at a time until they are at a good eating temp.

[backdraftbbq]

Vacuum pack and freeze. Heat them up, just like they came off the smoker.

[Durangutan]

Yep! Same as those above. Always smoke more than we need and freeze what we don't give away; ribs and everything else. They do seem to benefit in flavor and, sometimes, texture for having done so. Only thing is I never nuke them but warm them in the oven at around the same temp they were smoked at and wrapped in heavy foil with a little of the spritzing liquid for moisture. Don't know if it matters but it works.

[Big George's BBQ]

I like to vac seal them

[markdtn]

I am going to go against the grain here. We regularly vacuum seal and freeze leftovers-except ribs. To me they never taste right later. No issues with brisket, pulled pork, loins, whole chicken, chicken qtrs., wings, sausage, etc.-even Country style ribs are OK-but have had bad taste experiences with spares.

[IamMadMan]

I cook an extra 2-3 racks of ribs every time I cook ribs. I vac-seal whole racks or a rack and a half per sleeve. I take them straight out of the freezer and put them in the refrigerator the day before. I heat them on the kettle, or my gasser if I am pressed for time. It takes about 10 minutes to heat them up before serving.

They come in handy when we both come home late from work, when unexpected company drops in, or just when I just don't have time for a long cook. I put them on indirect heat similar to Cheez59 does and serve when thoroughly warmed.

Everybody loves them and are not aware they were frozen, heated, and served. Taste like they just came out of the smoker. Also 1/3 racks individually sealed makes a great single serving lunch.

[Bigr314]

I always make good use of my smoker every time I cook. If I want a rack, I will cook 3 or 4 to freeze. Might add a butt, brisket or some chickens. I vac. pack, and freeze.

[BillN]

I have not eaten a frozen rib I did not like... I am having trouble comprehending freezing 2 to 3 ribs per pack but that's probably because when it come to ribs I eat like a pig.

[Durangutan]

I have not eaten a frozen rib I did not like... I am having trouble comprehending freezing 2 to 3 ribs per pack but that's probably because when it come to ribs I eat like a pig.

Ditto! I thought a full rack was single serving. :redface:

[smoke ninja]

A frozen vac sealed rack of bbq spare ribs with reheating instructions makes a great gift