Newbie question....

[JimC]

Ok folks, I'm pretty new to all this so please don't laugh TOO hard.....Here we go.... Can I fill my smoker up with ribs, cook them about 1/2 way through, take them out, freeze them and then take them out 1 or 2 or 3 at a time and finish smoking them? Will I get the same result as if I cooked them all the way through the first time or will the quality suffer? Thanks in advance for any advice and please reply once you stop laughing!

Jim C

 

[SuperDave]

Jim,
I cook the Sam's or Costco 2 packs all the time and vacuum seal one of the racks for later.  They are great just defrosted and microwaved.  Cook your ribs all the way and then freeze.

 

[Durangosmoker]

Jim,
I cook the Sam's or Costco 2 packs all the time and vacuum seal one of the racks for later.  They are great just defrosted and microwaved.  Cook your ribs all the way and then freeze.

I agree.  Cook all the way and then freeze.  They heat up beautifully in the microwave, wrapped in foil in the oven, in a slow cooker with a bit of liquid, or in a bag in a sous vide bath.

 

[coachB]

Yup, smoke all the way then vacuum bag 'em.  You will not lose anything when reheating except the added time you would have spent finishing 1/2 cooked ribs.

 

[Limey]

I always try and smoke extra ribs and often butts too. Cook them all the way, cool and vacuum pack the extras and then freeze. I reheat in a sous vide setup but others use slow cookers, simmering water in a pan, the microwave, or foil wrapped in the oven. Add some beans, slaw, and rolls and you have a really easy, quick, no mess meal. I recently reheated ribs this way for a dinner guest who regards himself as a rib expert and he said they were the best ribs he had ever had.

 

[SconnieQ]

+agree, cook all the way, freeze. I vacuum seal and reheat ribs sous vide, but before I had a vacuum sealer and sous vide, I wrapped them tightly in two layers of foil, and into the freezer. Then I could thaw and rewarm in the oven wrapped in the same foil, and they were as good as fresh! You can reheat ribs surprisingly well in a microwave if you are in a hurry (remove the foil though ).

 

[DivotMaker]

Welcome, Jim!  Ribs vacuum seal great, fully cooked!  You can also heat them in a crock pot, on low, with about 1/4" of apple juice in the bottom.  Stand them on their sides, and you can get a bunch in there.  3-4 hours, and they come out like the day you smoked them!  No need to cook halfway through; it'll be too unpredictable. 

 

[JimC]

Thank you guys, I appreciate the advice!

 

[drains]

Getting a vacuum sealer really took my smoking to the next level I always smoke more than needed and vacuum seal then freeze. It actually tastes better(smokier) later on after reheating. If you don't have one already and if at all.possible I highly recommend getting one.

 

[swthorpe]

+1  The vac sealer  was one of the best investments I made, and my wife actually uses it more than I do for sealing all kinds of things!