Holding uncooked brisket


 
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Pat McCreight

TVWBB Pro
I have a brisket in cryovac that has a sell by date of 4/28/08. It was supposed to get smoked last weekend, but plans got changed. So, I was going to do it this weekend, but plans are possibly going awry yet again. So, how long can I keep this thing in my fridge before it goes bad? I have it in a meat locker drawer which has an adjustable thermostat, and I checked the temp - right around 33 degrees. Can I safely put this off 1 more weekend, cooking it 5/10 (12 days past sell by date)? I don't want to freeze it, but can if that is necessary.

Thanks
 
Shouldn't be an issue at all. Sell-by dates on most items are arbitrary. With the exception of some dairy products and all infant/baby foods, there is nothing that mandates any sort of standard criteria for determining sell-bys at the federal level. It is possible your state or county has some sort of mandate (but not very likely). Stores are free to establish their own criteria and can even change the sell-by date if they 'reasonably' think that doing so isn't a problem.

As long as the cryo is intact beef will last for many weeks after its pack date (the only date with a federal requirement--it is stamped on the cases the meat is shipped in).

When your time comes, open the package, remove the meat, then let it sit on a rack on a pan on the counter for a bit to allow the oxygen to get at it and the stagnant odors that develop from the cryo to dissipate.

If the cryo is damaged (but unnoticed) you should see obvious signs of spoilage--but let the meat air out well before you make a decision. It can get rather rank sometimes but oxygen exposure should fix it.
 
I have gone 3 months past the sell by date on Cryo-Vac Brisket.
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Has it at any time been kept out or above 40 degrees? Without puncturing the cryovac, you won't be able to measure the actual temp of the meat. In order to prevent a Food Born Illness, meat must be kept under 40. Freezing will not KILL any "viruses" just slow them down. I suggest freezing immediatly and when defrosted, check for smell and color..this will be the major indicators if its gone bad...I had a package of ground chuck in the fridge that was only 3 days past the sell date and it went bad.....when in doubt, throw it out...

BBQJEDI .02
 
Originally posted by MICHAEL ADAMSKI:
Has it at any time been kept out or above 40 degrees?
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No, it was picked up at Sam's and put in an iced cooler for a couple of hours before it got home. It's been in the locker drawer of the fridge ever since, and it's well below 40 in there.
 
Another way to tell is with the bubbles in the cryovac Pat. They start to swell up the longer you leave them in there.

My guess is you are good for at least 3 weeks. Might even be a good one for Westmont.

Scottie
 
While off odors can indicate the presence of spoilage organisms these organisms are not the cause of food borne illnesses, pahogenic and toxigenic bacteria and a few viruses are, and none of these produce any odor at all.

Some time--albeit a somewhat limited time--above 40 is not a big concern for raw intact meat cuts destined to be cooked as long as the temp spike wasn't dramatic. i.e. to < 55.

The meat, as noted above, is likely to smell off when the cryo is first opened due to the lack of oxygen.

Ground meat packages frequently comprise meat from intact cuts that did not sell before their sell-by dates and were thereafter ground and packaged with a new sell-by affixed. Sell-bys on fresh meat don't necessarily mean much. I ignore them. If I need to know a real date in order to determine aging potential I ask for the pack date off the shipping case. Not worth bothering with for repackaged meats though--especially if the meats are ground.
 
A properly aged birksrt will have a slight musky smell that will eventually go away after opening it. If it is rotten or has gone bad, you will no instantly and the smell will not go away. Trust me on this. You will know immediately.
 
Originally posted by MICHAEL ADAMSKI:
I had a package of ground chuck in the fridge that was only 3 days past the sell date and it went bad.
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That's two totally different animals though. You can't compare Cryo-Vac to Saran Wrap.
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On a totally similar vein, how about pork butt? I have some that say sell by with today's date but they've been in my fridge for the past 5-6 days. Kept super cold but I'm still wondering if I can safely cook them Sunday or Monday night or should I plan on doing them tonight?

Thanks all!
 
Same thing. The sell-by is arbitrary. Pork does not hold as long as beef due to its structure and nature but, that said, it lasts long enough in most cases. If holding for a while simply freeze till needed.

Again, spoilage is the issue with raw meats that are refigerated, not food safety. In other words, it's a quality issue not one of safety.
 
I think I'm going to lower my fridge temp more. I have a 14 lb brisket in there, and unfortunately its my primary fridge. I just try not to keep the door open more than a brief second.
 
I think I'm going to lower my fridge temp more. I have a 14 lb brisket in there, and unfortunately its my primary fridge. I just try not to keep the door open more than a brief second.
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Tom, I don't think you need to worry about your fridge temps as long as they're below 40. Opening the door (for a short amount of time) should not affect the temp of a 14 brisket especially once it's reached its holding temp. That's a lot of mass to warm up.
 
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