Splitting a Rib Eye Roast in Half

You'll be fine for a week.

The reason behind keeping it in the original cryovac is because it was a sterile muscle going into a sterile cryovac, meaning there is no chance of bacteria being in there.

In a perfect world, if everything you done was bacteria free, you are in the same conditions, but your facility,food bag,knife,etc. probably isn't a perfect world.

Thanks for your response Cal. I was thinking (and hoping) it would be fine also. Don't want to waste that piece of meat - it was 'prime' grade, so a tad $$$.

When you cut it, even though you vacuum sealed it, you exposed it to air so it will start degrading. A week would be safe, but you could also take it out, cut it up and vacuum/freeze it.

In general I try to avoid freezing meat as I feel the thawed piece then becomes a little dryer and less flavorful from the freeze/thaw process so not as good as a fresh cut of meat. But I do agree a frozen/thawed piece of meat is much better than a having one get spoiled!

I know there is very good wisdom available here and I appreciate all the comments. Just curious as to how long I could keep it in refr and have it still be good. By re-vacuum sealing I was trying to get the piece of meat back into a similar 'original packaging' form, but from what I'm hearing, once the original cryovac 'factory seal' is broken, it's broken and there is no fixing it. Then the time clock for spoilage greatly speeds-up, unless it is frozen.

P.S. to Smokin, Your "low & slow, then blast-it" method for prime rib as given in your Prime Rib 101 works great on the rib eye roasts I buy - thanks!! That's the only way to smoke it.

I'm with Smokin', I'd freeze it before I went longer than a week.

I have no problem freezing beef, in fact, I got a freezer half full of prime briskets right now. I do like to date them though.