The Original Dry Bag Steak | Make Artisan Dry Age Steak at Home › Forums › UMAi Dry® Sealing › Sealing Questions › Vacuum and sealing a frozen ribeye
- This topic has 10 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 12 years, 11 months ago by
Ron Pratt.
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December 30, 2011 at 7:01 am #1329
Raul Lopez
MemberFirstable, english is not my native language so I’m sorry if I cant’ write or explain myself as you guys.
I just got my starter kit in Mexico, I used the longest drybag for a 14lb ribeye, it was frozen so I had trouble to get a complete vacuum, specially on the side where the bone has beed corved out, I don’t feel satisfied how the vacuum process went anyway I put it on my fridge.
What is your recomendation, should I get the meat out of the bag and use a new one?, and, Is it recommended to work with frozen ribeye?Thanks for your answers
RaulDecember 30, 2011 at 9:54 am #5277Anonymous
GuestHey Raul, You can not dry age a frozen piece of meat. I would not even attempt to thaw out a subprimal and then try to age it. You need to start off with a fresh unfrozen whole ribeye. The temperature that freezes a piece of meat is way to cold for the enzymatic process which is know as putrefaction to occur. This process is what causes the meat to become more tender. The enzymes don’t work in freezing temps. The temp of the meat needs to be between 34 – 38 degrees. I would think a frozen subprimal would probably go bad before it would age because of all of the moisture within the bag. It would never dry out. Another thing which you mentioned about not having a good seal, this is an absolute must in order for the Dry Bag to work. You have got to have a good vacuum for the bag to adhere to the meat. Also what I do is trim the ridges where the ribs were removed. Trim it so the meat is as smooth as you can get it. This makes for a tighter vacuum in that area. Be carful not to slice too deep into the meat when trimming. this will cause the meat to turn sour at those cut marks. Hope this helps. Good luck.
December 30, 2011 at 3:35 pm #5278Ron Pratt
Memberagedtoperfection wrote:
quote :Hey Raul, You can not dry age a frozen piece of meat. I would not even attempt to thaw out a subprimal and then try to age it. You need to start off with a fresh unfrozen whole ribeye.I agree that you should not start the aging process when the meat is frozen. OTOH I disagree that a sub-primal that has been frozen can’t be thawed and aged. Why? I do it often! My sources of meat always buy them frozen. You just need to carefully thaw the meat in a slow safe environment of the refrigerator for several days. Dry the meat and bag it.
Ron
December 30, 2011 at 3:37 pm #5279MemberRulopec wrote:
quote :What is your recomendation, should I get the meat out of the bag and use a new one?, and, Is it recommended to work with frozen ribeye?Raul
Raul – Welcome aboard! I would definitely take that meat out NOW and let it thaw, dry it and start with a new bag.
Ron
December 30, 2011 at 5:55 pm #5280MemberThank you guys! I took the meat out and put it in a plastic bag in the refrigerator to thaw out, I am going to let it dry and then put it bag in a drybag again, hopefully tomorrow…
I am using Sterling Silver meat, crossing my fingers! I will let you know how it went, and again thank you both for answering so fast.
RaulDecember 30, 2011 at 6:05 pm #5281MemberI highly doubt it will be thawed out by tomorrow – maybe the next day – after all no need to rush it.
January 7, 2012 at 8:05 am #5336Charlie
MemberMeat is delivered to the stores frozen and so is the fish unless your store happens to have a farm or fishing fleet out back. And on a side note if you buy fish from a market always ask for frozen and then you thaw it and cook it. The stuff on ice in the display window is slimy and has lost a lot of flavor so don’t buy it. Also if you do happen to have a port that sells fresh fish look into the eyes and if they are cloudy then don’t buy.
Enjoy the New Year!
Charlie
January 7, 2012 at 11:39 am #5337Scott Mark
MemberI thought there was a big deal for some stores to sell “never-frozen” beef. Are you sure that all meat is delivered to the stores frozen? I agree about the cloudy eye for fish, but I want to think that if they say “never frozen” they mean it.
January 7, 2012 at 6:36 pm #5340GuestI can’t imagine meat markets get there whole ribeyes, lions, and sirlions frozen. It would be too time consuming for them to have to wait for them to thaw, cut , and finally put them out for sale. I just don’t see this happening. My father was a butcher, and in helping him from time, to time in the cutting room , I can’t ever remember seeing frozen meat except for the likes of turkey necks, pigtails, feet, and such. Back in those days butchers were butchers. They actually had to disect a whole side of beef.Today most are just meat cutters. Meat comes from the packers already boxed , and parted out.
January 7, 2012 at 6:50 pm #5341GuestOn another note, I would never start out with a subprimal that was frozen, and then thawed. You would never know if it is thawed through, and through. I had an experience where unbeknowst to me, the subprimal had partialy froze due to a combination of the temp in the fridge set too low, and part of it was touching the the wall. This part was frozen when I went to cut it. Need less to say it did not age properly. This is just my opinion formed from my experience.
January 7, 2012 at 9:25 pm #5342Memberagedtoperfection wrote:
quote :On another note, I would never start out with a subprimal that was frozen, and then thawed…..…This is just my opinion formed from my experience.
That’s fine – but I have yet to EVER age a sub-primal that wasn’t frozen when I bought it and I’ve bought from butcher shops, grocery stores and SAMS. I have yet to ever have a problem thawing first and then bagging and aging them. You’re lucky that you live somewhere close and don’t have to deal with frozen meat, but I’d bet dollars to donuts that most of us on this forum age meat that has been frozen before we buy it whether we know it or not.
Ron
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