Author Topic: how much meat do you cook at one time for Two.  (Read 13998 times)

swthorpe

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Re: how much meat do you cook at one time for Two.
« Reply #15 on: July 07, 2015, 07:35:31 AM »
+2...you are not the only one!    When I do ribs for me and the wife, for example, we are only going to eat maybe a rack between us, but often just half a rack.   Why would I want to fire up the #2 for just a rack of ribs?  No, no, I throw in 3-4 racks and couple of potatoes!   The extra racks get vac sealed and into the freezer.   I will either reheat them for us or sometimes will give them to others to try out.   It is definitely nice to have the food in the freezer for a quick re-heat and eat.
Steve from Delaware
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DivotMaker

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Re: how much meat do you cook at one time for Two.
« Reply #16 on: July 07, 2015, 08:03:09 PM »
+2...you are not the only one!    When I do ribs for me and the wife, for example, we are only going to eat maybe a rack between us, but often just half a rack.   Why would I want to fire up the #2 for just a rack of ribs?  No, no, I throw in 3-4 racks and couple of potatoes!   The extra racks get vac sealed and into the freezer.   I will either reheat them for us or sometimes will give them to others to try out.   It is definitely nice to have the food in the freezer for a quick re-heat and eat.

+3!  We're the same way - just me, the wife (who eats like a bird), and the boy (who eats like a horse).  So, we average out well!  I always do more than we need, and freeze the rest!  Sure great to pull out a rack of ribs in December that taste like you just smoked them! ;)
Tony from NW Arkansas
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Limey

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Re: how much meat do you cook at one time for Two.
« Reply #17 on: July 07, 2015, 09:09:23 PM »
+4.  Vacuum sealers are pretty essential imo if you are not cooking for a crowd. Incidentally I just took delivery of a Vacmaster 350 Pro and am very pleased so far. Will post in the appropriate place when I have more experience with it.
Roger from the Florida Keys.
Two SI#3s, both with switched bypass and Aubers(different locations), Viking, Jenn Aire & five TEC infra red grills. Recently acquired UDS.

OFFSHORE GINGER

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Re: how much meat do you cook at one time for Two.
« Reply #18 on: July 09, 2015, 10:44:29 AM »
I just took delivery of a Vacmaster 350 Pro and am very pleased so far. Will post in the appropriate place when I have more experience with it.
looking forward to it .
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Durangosmoker

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Re: how much meat do you cook at one time for Two.
« Reply #19 on: July 10, 2015, 03:12:38 PM »
I live alone, so typically have lots of leftovers, even if I smoke just one chicken.  I am curious why everyone uses vac sealers to freeze food? I typically just use ziplock freezer bags, and they seem to work fine.  Is a vac sealer that much better that I should consider getting one?
Eric in New York's Hudson Valley, unless I can get out to Durango.
SI #1 in Durango, #2 in NY, and thinking about a 3D.

mizzoufan

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Re: how much meat do you cook at one time for Two.
« Reply #20 on: July 10, 2015, 04:22:14 PM »
It all depends on time in the freezer, really.  Ziplocs will dry food out pretty quickly in my experience where a vacuum sealed bag will keep it fresh tasting for months.  I originally bought one because I buy coffee beans in 5lb bags so I wanted something to break them down into what my grinder would hold and started using it for everything.  I make 3-6 gallon batches of soups and sauces and just use the foodsaver to break them down into small batches (gripsticks are essential for this when dealing with liquids).
Steven from KCMO

Limey

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Re: how much meat do you cook at one time for Two.
« Reply #21 on: July 10, 2015, 04:51:34 PM »
Gripsticks??
Roger from the Florida Keys.
Two SI#3s, both with switched bypass and Aubers(different locations), Viking, Jenn Aire & five TEC infra red grills. Recently acquired UDS.

DivotMaker

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Re: how much meat do you cook at one time for Two.
« Reply #22 on: July 10, 2015, 11:18:18 PM »
I live alone, so typically have lots of leftovers, even if I smoke just one chicken.  I am curious why everyone uses vac sealers to freeze food? I typically just use ziplock freezer bags, and they seem to work fine.  Is a vac sealer that much better that I should consider getting one?

Eric, I can't recommend a vacuum sealer enough.  We started using one in the late 80's (when the first FoodSavers came out), and they're worth their weight in gold!  First, whatever you remove all the air from lasts considerably longer.  If you are just freezing a small portion of leftovers, and are going to eat them pretty soon, the Ziploc bags are fine.  But, if you intend to keep something frozen for several months, vac sealing is the only way to go.

When freezing, or keeping in the fridge, air is the enemy.  It causes freezer burn, and lets food decompose much faster.  By placing food in a vacuum, you remove the air.  Here's what really convinced us, many years ago, about the value of vacuum sealing:  If you buy a package of hamburger meat, and freeze it (in the styrofoam/plastic wrap from the store), it will be watery when you thaw it.  It just doesn't hold together, like fresh hamburger.  If you vacuum bag it, and then thaw it, it is literally "just like" the day you bought if from the store!  This is the same with steaks, and other meats that affected by the freezer.

I always smoke more ribs than I need.  When I vac-pack the fresh ribs, and then reheat them months later, they are just like the day I smoked them. 

Bottom line - a vacuum sealer is one of the best investments you can make, in our hobby!
Tony from NW Arkansas
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Smokin-It Model 1, 2D conversion, and 3D
Auber PID, NexGrill 896 6-burner, CharBroil Big Easy, Anova Precision Cooker w/WiFi
Wife, Son and One REALLY Big Dog!

swthorpe

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Re: how much meat do you cook at one time for Two.
« Reply #23 on: July 11, 2015, 09:32:21 AM »
+1    We use the vac sealer for all left over smoked meats.  But more than that, my wife uses it for sealing pretty much anything, so it gets a heavy amount of use.
Steve from Delaware
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Durangosmoker

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Re: how much meat do you cook at one time for Two.
« Reply #24 on: July 11, 2015, 04:27:46 PM »
Thanks for the replies.  Sounds like I need to get a new kitchen toy!
Eric in New York's Hudson Valley, unless I can get out to Durango.
SI #1 in Durango, #2 in NY, and thinking about a 3D.

mizzoufan

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Steven from KCMO

damnfingers

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Re: how much meat do you cook at one time for Two.
« Reply #26 on: September 10, 2015, 01:04:28 PM »
+5 - love leftovers.  Will have to shop for a vacuum sealer after reading all these comments though.
Gene - Smoke lover from Saucier, Mississippi
Happy owner of SI#2 since Christmas 2014

DivotMaker

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Re: how much meat do you cook at one time for Two.
« Reply #27 on: September 10, 2015, 10:53:55 PM »
+5 - love leftovers.  Will have to shop for a vacuum sealer after reading all these comments though.

Best smoking accessory you'll ever invest in!
Tony from NW Arkansas
"Official Smokin-It Test Pilot"
Smokin-It Model 1, 2D conversion, and 3D
Auber PID, NexGrill 896 6-burner, CharBroil Big Easy, Anova Precision Cooker w/WiFi
Wife, Son and One REALLY Big Dog!

OFFSHORE GINGER

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Re: how much meat do you cook at one time for Two.
« Reply #28 on: September 12, 2015, 12:07:09 PM »
Just curious is there any one brand that is a plus or are they all about the same.
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gregbooras

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Re: how much meat do you cook at one time for Two.
« Reply #29 on: September 12, 2015, 01:09:56 PM »
Just curious is there any one brand that is a plus or are they all about the same.

Check out the Vacmaster Pro on Amazon, I own the 140 model, but they also have larger units.

Here is a thread discussing them
http://smokinitforums.com/index.php?topic=3685.0

Greg