Mistake to rub and freeze before cooking??

Hi DaveN'
If it were me,I would freeze them and when you thaw them out then put the rub on them.I like to trim the extra fat from them so I can get more bark too.Let us know how you do when your smoker gets there.

I don't know about rubbing and freezing just because I've never tried it.

As to triming the excess fat off the butt, don't do it for your first smoke. You want the fattiest piece of meat you can find as it helps set the seasoning in the unit.

I agree that you should not rub then freeze. I would leave the fat on and put the fat side up. This way the fat will melt and keep the meat moist. I trim the fat off only on one side, not the thick part. Good luck and let us know how it turns out. I actually make a marinade from scratch and let it sit for 24 hours. Then I pat it dry and apply the rub and let sit for 12 hours. Then I bring it up to room temperature and put it in the smoker. Go easy on your rub for your first smoke. Some people try to fill every pour, but I go easy on the rub. Your rub should compliment your meat. The meat is not there for the rub to have something to stick to. Look at Paul Kirk's books. Good Luck.

Don't take any more phone calls from your friend.

Don't overthink a butt.

It will hold a couple weeks in cryovac,from pack date.

Open vac pac,after it is thawed, throw whatever rub you own on them and some brown sugar.

You won't overseason them.

They'll probably be moist enough that most of the rub will stick to them.

If it sets an hr ,before going in the cooker,you'll be fine.

Stick the probe in the smaller one.

Set on 235º,come back after about 1 1/2 hrs /lb on the smaller one.

If it is around 195º internal,figure out what to do next.

Worst case,it will be the best you have had.

Worry about tweaking things next time.

Don't worry.

I agree that you want to thaw the butts out before hitting them with the rub. However, if you've already done it, it probably will be ok. I was going to make some hot smoked andouille and after I cut up the butt and tossed it with the spices I found out my meat grinder wasn't working. I had to freeze the meat while waiting for the replacement. Anway, they turned out fine.

I wanted to have country spare ribs for supper so took them out of the freezer,poured some mojo marinade on them ,then sprinkled rib rub on and put them in the smokette frozen.After about 5 hours at 225 then I wrapped for another hour with some sauce diluted with more mojo and left on the lowest setting.They were tender but not fall apart.

I appreciate all of the advice. I'll rub before smokin. Now I hope the 2-3 weeks to ship is closer to 2 weeks....

dave,
this may help you. the next time you get cyro butts look for the "kill date" it will printed somewhere on it. make note of the date. all it means is you have to cook it by that date OR you can freeze it on that date. most cyros are good for a few weeks before you have to freeze.
hope it helps
jack

It seems kind of silly, but do look at the date on the cryovac. I bought some picnics recently that were out of date. I returned them, but it was a big hassle. CHECK THE USE BUY DATE
Peggy