Vacuum sealed ribs

[otter]

Has anyone vacuum sealed ribs after they are cooked for reheat later in warmed water? I've done this several times with pulled pork with much success, so I was curious if this method would work for at least ribs and possibly chicken. Then I could cook all of it ahead of time on the K2 and reheat it in a giant pot on a propane burner. Also, if the above process is a viable option, would ribs and chicken hold up to freezing prior to the reheat?

[myself888]

My husband often cooks, then vacuums large batched of ribs. He comes home for lunch, so he'll just drop a vac bag into a pot of boiling water and make a quick salad or slice some tomatoes. We've had no problems so far. Of course, they're never in the freezer for more than a couple weeks max. I don't know about long term storage. He does this with beef too - TriTip, Flank steak, etc.

[trudeto]

I do this all the time. i used to do put a rack in a bag whole, but found it too difficult to fit into a pot, so now i either do half racks, or cut a rack in half and put both in the same bag. Boil them for 15 min or so and you are good to go. Tom

[bryan]

Re: Vacuum sealed ribs

Has anyone vacuum sealed ribs after they are cooked for reheat later in warmed water? I've done this several times with pulled pork with much success' date=' so I was curious if this method would work for at least ribs and possibly chicken. Then I could cook all of it ahead of time on the K2 and reheat it in a giant pot on a propane burner. Also, if the above process is a viable option, would ribs and chicken hold up to freezing prior to the reheat?[/quote']

This looks like a very good idea.

http://www.smoking-meat.com/august-2010 ... bites.html

[Syzygies]

I have a Sous Vide Magic, which is a circuit very similar to that used in e.g. the BBQ Guru, but intended instead for controlling water baths. They recommend rice cookers, but I've been using a good hot plate on hand.

With this rig, I can throw frozen ribs (or anything else, e.g. bangers) into cold but regulated water, and the mix will stop on a dime at 175 F, or whatever target temperature I set.

If I instead throw a frozen packet into a pot set on a flame to reach a boil, invariably I get lost in my work, and return to the kitchen to find a scene not unlike the first Soviet space walk. (Google it. The guy's space suit blimped up on him, and he very nearly couldn't fit back inside the door. And he was really, really hoping to return to earth with the space ship.)

It boggles the mind that this circuit isn't built into every rice cooker, stove, and hot plate made. The only explanation I can offer is that 99% of the population has no clue how sous vide works, so they don't know they want this. Chicken-and-egg problem.

Yes, carefully reheat any frozen, vacuum-packed bbq you have. If you don't want to buy the above unit, then show the discipline to bring a large pot of water to a boil, drop it to a simmer, and only then add the vacuum packet.

[T Rex]

Sous Vide Magic

Hey Syzygies, I kind of wish that you hadn't brought up the Sous Vide Magic gizmo.................... but I like it!

Looks like a nice unit to add to the KOoker arsenal. We vacuum freeze a lot of BBQ as Mrs. T and I are not big eaters and this unit seems like it would get good use in our household. Thanks for the info.

T Rex

[otter]

Thanks for all the good info. I suspected I could do this but I don't have the time for trial runs so I really appreciate the feedback. Ditto TRex. Now it looks like I have to justify this toy along with the 19.5K2 I am planning on getting. Looks like more scrapbooking supplies are in order to offset my toy purchases. Syz, which model are you using? Looks like the advantage of the water oven is the recirc. It is pretty cool that they are advertising the system being able to support a 50L cooler. This could be right up my alley since we are expecting 50 or so folks for the party next weekend.

[Syzygies]

I just have their most basic controller. A relay that responds to temp, exact same algorithm as a Guru. I use it with a hot plate I already owned, but I'm eyeing a large rice cooker.

Recirc puts you in Thomas Keller territory. I don't plan to do duck breasts at 142.7 F for 6.43 hours, so I'm not sold on recirc being worth the expense.

[Syzygies]

Laurie pointed out that I didn't really answer the OP question. I thought my answer was implicit: All barbecue reheats great, with care.

For those wondering about this toy envy-fest, the sous-vide controller has many uses, but for reheating frozen barbecue it simply saves a step:

Standardize on a burner, pot, and water volume. For this combination, figure out by experiment what burner setting stabilizes on a given target temperature, e.g. 175 F.

Now, to reheat a freezer vacuum packet of barbecue, bring the pot to a boil without the packet. Add the packet (straight from the freezer is ok) and reset the burner to the setting that stabilizes at the target temperature. Now you can walk away, get distracted for hours, and the barbecue won't overcook. It can't come to a boil again, if you've done your homework.

The logic here is not unlike using a router table. Insufficient cuts can be corrected, but if it is even theoretically possible to make an unintended cut (the finished woodworking, or your fingers) then something is fundamentally wrong with your jig design.

I only have the sous vide controller in one of two kitchens. We just had awesome pulled pork sandwiches in the other kitchen, by the above protocol. It works.