Freezing Ribs Before Smoking

[John Vale]

I have been buying baby back ribs from Costco which come in a Cryovac package containing three racks. I would like to smoke only two racks at a time. Can I freeze the third rack for use later? If so, what is the proper procedure for freezing and defrosting them?

John

 

[K Kruger]

You sure can.

If you have a vacuum sealer use that (with a new bag, don't re-use the cryo). If you don't, wrap the ribs tightly in plastic--be generous with the plastic--then either put in a Ziploc and squeeze the air out before sealing (the freezer bags are best because they are thicker) or, in the absence of Ziplocs, wrap further with a couple layers of HD foil to protect the plastic from possible damage in the freezer.

Thaw the ribs in the fridge. Pull them out of the freezer 36 hours or so before you plan on cooking them.

 

[John Vale]

Thanks Kevin