Here goes 1st time rib brine

[rbranstner]

Well as I mentioned a while back I picked up a 30lb case of ribs for $30 from a buddy that works in the food business. Well they came all frozen and they had a wierd smell. Not a roten smell but just a smell I can't explain. I made some ribs about a month back and they were ok but I could taste bites of that strange smell. I did some research and found that a lot of people brine their ribs before they smoke them. I decided on a beer brine instead of a apple brine because I was out of apple juice. Its a mixture of beer, brown sugar, salt, pepper, celery seed, cheyenne pepper and I added cinnamon and cumin. I am going to pour it into my freezer bag and seal it and see if it helps with the strange smell/taste. I looked at the ribs again today as I was trying to remove the membrane and they look strange. The membrane is kind of there but there is no way you can remove it. If you can get a piece to pull it pulls about 1/4 of an inch then breaks off. Its like the membrane has broke down and is very fragile and just rips apart into tiny pieces. I'm not sure why but I am thinking maybe because they have been frozen and thawed a few times???? Any way I will let you know how this brine works. I am brining them over night and will rub them tomorrow morning then put them on my UDS so I can heat them some time durning the USA & Canada hockey game.

 

[chisoxjim]

i remember your post about these ribs, are they spares, or bb's?

good luck getting that odd taste out.

 

[rbranstner]

They are spares I believe. He called them Pork back loin ribs.

 

[chisoxjim]

hmm. pork back loinribs are typically baby backs.

either way, good luck with the brine.

 

[mballi3011]

I was gonna say that loin ribs are usually baby backs too. Now for the smell is it maybe from the cyrovac now I have gonna some meat that smell weird from the packaging. Have you cooked any and is the smell still there after you cooked them.???

 

[mistabob]

I've had all kinds of meat from the freezer take on a weird smell when thawed. Most usually taste fine once cooked, though, unless it's freezer burnt then it looks weird, too, and it just goes into the garbage. Good luck with those ribs! If they turn out fine then you got a sweet deal!

 

[rbranstner]

These ribs weren't in any kind of plastic vacume sealed package. They came in a plastic bag with a twist tie and then into a cardboard box. Yes when I cooked them last time I had several bites that tasted like they smelled. We will see what this brine does to them.

 

[caveman]

I had some loin ribs that smelled once. But after I grilled them, (pre smoke days), they seemed fine. No one got sick so I thought it might have been that cyrovac they were packed in.

You should ask your buddy if they have been frozen, thawed & then re-frozen. You would think he should know, right? But yea, if you still smell & taste the smell after brining & cooking, toss em. Better your money than your health.

 

[pops6927]

Kind of a musty smell? Gamey?

 

[rbranstner]

No not like that more of a freezer burn smell or along that line. When I was rubbing them today and looking at them some more there just seems like a lot a fat/membrane on them and they are pretty fatty on your hands after you handle them. Its like you can see the membrane but you can't get it off it just breaks off in a tiny tiny piece almost like the membrane/fat has been broken down so it is really fradgile. Maybe that is what the smell is? Frozen and thawed a few times maybe???
I just removed the ribs from the brine. They smell a little better but I will have to wait and see how they turn out. I have them wrapped with my rubs in the fridge waiting for the stores to open at noon so I can go buy more lump wood. Should have picked it up yesterday like I was going to.

I also need some apple juice for a spritz. I figure I better put everything I can on these baby's.

 

[mistabob]

I've had some meat that I froze, thawed, then froze again because something came up and I couldn't use them right away. When I thawed them the second time, the fat became flaky and would not come off clean, and it was like the repeated freezing had destroyed the structure of the fat cells. When cooked up, the taste was fine but the texture was odd to say the least. BUT I didn't get sick. This was beef, mind you, but it sounds kind of like what's going on with your ribs.

Side note, on Alton Brown's show Good Eats I saw an episode discussing freezing meat. He said that it destroys fat and protein cell walls, altering flavor, aroma, and texture, and making some of the moisture cook off much easier, which may make for a drier meat. Although, I've heard of some restaurant preferring to freeze their fresh ribs for a day or two because they feel it makes meat with a better texture and fall-apart tender how most people (aside from competition BBQ judges) prefer it.

 

[denver dave]

You're starting to scare me a bit. I have had food poisoning before and will never go back.

Because of that, when things smell strange, I figure they are strange and out they go. I hope I'm wrong. I would hate to see you throw out good ribs, but, I would hate even more for you and your gang to get sick.

Just my humble opinion.

 

[rbranstner]

We have eaten these ribs already a few weeks ago and they were fine so I am not to worried about getting sick.

 

[rbranstner]

Well the moment of truth is almost on me. The ribs with the brine will be coming off the smoker in 15 minutes. I am doing the 2-2-1 on 1.5 racks and just 5 hours of smoke on the other rack with a spritz of mountain dew. We will see if the brine helped with the taste of the ribs.

 

[peixegato]

I'm curious to hear how they tasted. I once pulled a butt out of cryo-vac packaging and was hit with a powerfully nasty smell. I had just bought them at Cash 'n' Carry (Smart 'n' Final for some) a few days prior and had kept them in the coldest part of the fridge. As mad as I was about it, I had to throw 'em. I couldn't justify taking the risk on meat that smelled so badly.

Were you able to get any background info on the ribs you bought?

 

[ronp]

Cryovac can smell, all you have to do is rinse in cold water and let it air out and let the gases out, it should be fine.

 

[cilo]

Is Rbran still alive? Did the ribs do him in?

DUDE! WHERE ARE YOUUUUUUU?


I read this thread and am now left wanting to know:

HOW'D THE RIBS COME OUT?????

LOL

 

[rbranstner]

Sorry I guys I thought I posted on here after the smoke. Yes I am still alive. The ribs did come out much better the brine seemed to get rid of almost all of the off taste/smell. I can still tell that they aren't a good quality rib like I normally get but at least now they are edible.