# Thawed pork butts



## rng1974 (Aug 9, 2020)

I’ve seen a lot of posts on here about how to thaw pork butts. Last night I took out two pork butts that were frozen solid as bowling balls (they were a double that had been frozen together). I put them in the sink overnight and they did thaw about   80-90% and were still eye cold on the outside. My intent is to grind these for to add to deer sausage. Opinions on still safe?


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## indaswamp (Aug 9, 2020)

still eye cold??? I do not know what that means.


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## indaswamp (Aug 9, 2020)

What I do is thaw them with cool water in an ice chest overnight. By morning, the meat has thawed sufficiently enough to process, and the water temp. is still below 40*F. The insulated chest helps retain the cold temp.


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## rng1974 (Aug 9, 2020)

indaswamp said:


> still eye cold??? I do not know what that means.


I’ve cold


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## rng1974 (Aug 9, 2020)

rng1974 said:


> I’ve cold


Ice Cold


indaswamp said:


> What I do is thaw them with cool water in an ice chest overnight. By morning, the meat has thawed sufficiently enough to process, and the water temp. is still below 40*F. The insulated chest helps retain the cold temp.


Ice Cold


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## indaswamp (Aug 9, 2020)

I'd suggest sticking a thermometer in the meat and check the surface temp....


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## indaswamp (Aug 9, 2020)

If it's ice cold, you're good... break 'em down and make your sausage.


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## SmokinAl (Aug 9, 2020)

What was the internal temp of the meat when you checked it in the morning? And how long was it in the water?  I’m assuming they were still in the original cryovac? It sounds to me like they are fine, but would like to know the temps, just to make sure.
Al


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## dr k (Aug 9, 2020)

During the day a bucket of cold water with the frozen butts and a therm in the water so if the water gets to 40 it can go in the fridge  till thawed. Water conducts heat 25 times faster than air because of the density so its your friend when it comes to thawing even in the fridge.


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## pops6927 (Aug 9, 2020)

Just to be safe, (safety first!) I always thaw frozen meat in the refrigerator, Usually 3-5 days is enough to get the frost out and be pliable to process further.  I have thawed (and thrown out) plenty of meat in the sink erroneously until I learned better planning and execution.  (I have a big whiteboard and dry erase markers n my office with space reserved to make note what I pulled and when, for so many days, and what to do if my planning failed.  Then I copy it into my smoking log book once executed with notes.)


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## chopsaw (Aug 9, 2020)

pops6927 said:


> (I have a big whiteboard and dry erase markers


I have the same in my kitchen . Serves a purpose for a lot of things . I use it for dates for curing , thawing and making sausage .


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## indaswamp (Aug 9, 2020)

I like the whiteboard idea......


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## dr k (Aug 9, 2020)

chopsaw said:


> I have the same in my kitchen . Serves a purpose for a lot of things . I use it for dates for curing , thawing and making sausage .


Dry aging/wet aging primal/subprimal beef cuts from the packed date.


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## chopsaw (Aug 9, 2020)

indaswamp said:


> I like the whiteboard idea......


Taking a detour here . This is an old picture . I have Food grade plastic bowls I use for sausage . I write the type of sausage on the board in the color of the bowl it's in .  That's what I had going on at that period of time . I was going to include that pic in a sausage thread , but never did .







Just remembered that cheese is still in the fridge outside . LOL .


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