How long?

Last night I rubbed some spare ribs and pork tenderloins with plans of firing up the smoker today. When I woke up this morning I was feeling kind of sickly and don't think I'm gonna do any smoking. My question is this. How long will the meat keep in the refridgerator and is it ok to keep it for extended periods with the rub on it? Or would I be better off to throw it in the freezer. I have read that it is better if you don't freeze ribs, but I would hate to ruin the meat and I just don't feel spunky enough today to smoke.

Hi,

Sorry you're not feeling well. I think you're facing a tough situation here. It's hard to assess the remaining life of your meat since there are so many factors involved, like how fresh it was when you bought it, how long you've had it, and how it's been handled and stored.

I like to use fresh meat within two days of purchase. Personally, I wouldn't freeze meat with rub already applied out of concern for the effect freezing would have on the flavor and texture of the meat. But I've never done it before, so I don't know what the result would be.

Having those meats marinating in rub for two days is not something you would normally choose to do, as the meat may get a bit mushy (this is especially the case for tenderloin).

If it were me, I would hold the meat no more than one more day. If I felt better on Tuesday and had time to cook it, and it didn't smell bad, I'd cook it up and see how it turns out...but be prepared to order out for pizza, just in case

By the way, you didn't ask this question, but I find pork tenderloin more suited to grilling than to barbecuing. It is very tender by nature and tends to dry out during the long, low temp cooking in a smoker.

Thanks for the reply.

I have to work tomorrow so the earliest I can get it on the smoker is Wed.

Got the meat smoked today. The ribs looked good, and like you said the loins were a little crusty on the outside but it didn't appear mushy on the inside. Haven't sampled any yet, but I did take some to a neighbor who is batching it this week. I told him to let me know if it was fit to eat.

I'm feeling much better now!