Freezing Brisket

[Bootney Lee Farnsworth]

Me and Mrs. Bootney are about to smoke a 20 pound brisket. It's way too much for us to eat at one sitting or even in one day, and our brat kids are old enough now where we don't feed them anymore.

Any tips on freezing it?

I intend to smoke at all at once and cut it up into pieces to freeze the leftover.

 

[rightwinger]

For some reason my Brisket gets tough when I freeze it

It will be moist and tender out of the smoker but will be tough when I try to freeze the leftover

 

[Cassy Mo]

A vacuum sealer, maybe.

 

[jbrownson0831]

Me and Mrs. Bootney are about to smoke a 20 pound brisket. It's way too much for us to eat at one sitting or even in one day, and our brat kids are old enough now where we don't feed them anymore.

Any tips on freezing it?

I intend to smoke at all at once and cut it up into pieces to freeze the leftover.

I freeze jerky all the time, usually in vacuum bags where it seems to do fine for long periods of time. I would guess vacuum sealing it would certainly keep it until you are ready to eat it the next time.

 

[Dekster]

For some reason my Brisket gets tough when I freeze it

It will be moist and tender out of the smoker but will be tough when I try to freeze the leftover

Maybe try coating it with bacon grease before you freeze it. Just an idea.

 

[Vastator]

Put it in a vacuum seal bag with beef bone broth. Put it in the freezer ensuring the meat is totally covered by the bone broth. Once frozen... Vac seal it. Bam! No dry meat.

 

[toobfreak]

Put it in a vacuum seal bag with beef bone broth. Put it in the freezer ensuring the meat is totally covered by the bone broth. Once frozen... Vac seal it. Bam! No dry meat.

Bone broth has water in it. Meat has water in it. No matter what you cover it with, the act of freezing still forces the water out of the tissue damaging the fibers. It would be better to just save the leftovers, they will keep for days, and eat the remaining brisket over the following days, maybe in sandwiches.

 

[Bootney Lee Farnsworth]

Thanks for the tips.

I will probably go with the vacuum sealer on 1/3 and make sandwiches out of the rest. I will try that beef broth inside the foil, in side the vacuum bag.

 

[toobfreak]

Thanks for the tips.

I will probably go with the vacuum sealer on 1/3 and make sandwiches out of the rest. I will try that beef broth inside the foil, in side the vacuum bag.

Don't do that. What you must freeze, put the brisket in a vacuum bag dry not covered in sauce, for the easiest thawing. Sauce will only cause your brisket to clump up, which will make it thaw unevenly and can cause freezer burn.

When you go to reheat the brisket, let it thaw naturally in the refrigerator for a day, then lightly baste it with some of the same juices you originally made it with, let marinade a bit all wrapped in foil, then reheat it slowly to let the juices work in avoiding drying the meat.

Another idea along the same lines is to quickly pan-fry the leftover brisket with some BBQ sauce, then chop it up slightly and toss it in a sandwich.

 

[Vastator]

Bone broth has water in it. Meat has water in it. No matter what you cover it with, the act of freezing still forces the water out of the tissue damaging the fibers. It would be better to just save the leftovers, they will keep for days, and eat the remaining brisket over the following days, maybe in sandwiches.

As it thaws, it draws the broth back in. Try it.