Brisket is supper cheap right now, but I don't have time for a 12 hour smoke for a while. Anyone know how well an uncooked brisket freezes? Can I stock up for winter? Just wondering how much it affects it and possibly ruins the flavor. Can I just freeze it in the vacuum wrap, or should I do something else?
Posted Aug 23, 2020, 6:25 PM UTC
Yes, it will be fine. I cooked one this weekend that I purchased and froze two years ago.
Cryovac meat, as long as the package doesn't get punctured and it never thaws once frozen, can be frozen pretty much indefinitely. Its freeze/thaw/freeze cycles and freezer burn from punctured cryovacs that ruin it.
It works out rather well. If what you buy is in a cryovac package, just freeze it the way it is. If it is in anything less, then vacuum seal is the only way.
It takes a looooong time to thaw.
Last time I froze a pork butt like this, I thawed it for about four days? It was a package of two and when I split the two up it was still quite frozen in the middle. Turned a usual 14 hour cook into a 20 hour one.
Honestly the bark was amazing though.
Second this. My last brisket was 16lbs untrimmed which I kept in my chest freezer.
It took all of 4 days to thaw out. Took it out Monday night and it was ready to trim Friday night.