I was wondering what the best way to smoke ribs and then freeze for later would be? I plan to put on Jan's rub the night before then smoke for 3 hours. Should I pull and let cool then freeze in vacuum bag then finish cooking in oven later or wrap in freezer paper and cook later? We will be going to cabin and I don't want to bring smoker up. Also I was thinking about doing a bunch of ribs this way if they could stay in freezer for 4 or 5 months.
watchdog, I often make more ribs than we will eat and then freeze them. I usually do not sauce the ribs that I plan to freeze. I'll sauce them when I reheat them. Leftover ribs at our house are usually only in the freezer for a few weeks, so I just cut the slab in half and slip them in a ziplock. To keep your ribs in top shape for several months, I agree that vacuum sealing is the best approach. To reheat, I defrost the ribs, then reheat the ribs on a sheet pan in a 225 - 250 degree oven. When a small amount of fat starts to render out of the ribs around the ends of the bones, I know the ribs are heated through. Other low temperature heating methods can be used, too. (A low reheat temperature keeps your ribs tender.)
Your thought about not fully cooking the ribs before freezing is a good one. That approach allows you to finish the ribs and reduce the risk that the ribs could get over done and dry/tough.
Do you smoke the ribs at 225 still and then take out after 3 hours of smoke?
I am always concerned about partially cooking and then freezing. I don't have a problem with thawing in the fridge and then refreezing if I am not going to use; cooking and then freezing; but I am leery about partial cook or cold smoke and then freezing.
i cook fully , have the meal and freeze thew left overs,,, never freeze partly cooked foods
Watchdog, what I have done is fully cook the ribs, then freeze. So, about 4 - 4 1/2 hours at 225 degrees for baby back ribs.
Gus makes a good point about partial cooking and then freezing. Probably not the best practice to make a habit of. Better you should bring the ribs to a fully cooked condition (at least 145 degrees) before freezing. And take from cooking temp to frozen as quickly as possible. That is, don't leave the ribs sitting on the counter to cool. Put them in the fridge in a single layer to pull down the temperature, and freeze as quickly as you can. This should minimize any possible food safety issues.
I freeze ribs all the time. Like the others mentioned, fully cook them then freeze either sauced or un sauced. I vac pack them. You can reheat in the pouch in simmering water, heat in the oven or toss on the grill for a few minutes. It's all good :)
Quote from: iceman on June 10, 2013, 12:24:14 PM
I freeze ribs all the time. Like the others mentioned, fully cook them then freeze either sauced or un sauced. I vac pack them. You can reheat in the pouch in simmering water, heat in the oven or toss on the grill for a few minutes. It's all good :)
Ditto Iceman! I place the vac bag with the frozen ribs in a long pan such as a turkey roaster or roasting pan with barely simmering water, not boiling, for around 30 minutes, being careful to try to keep the seal out of the water to prevent the seal from releasing and filling up the bag with water.
Thanks everyone for your input. Sounds like a fully cook to 145 then in vac bag.