# Brisket safety



## derrikmo (Aug 24, 2020)

My wife brought home a 16lb Prime cryovac brisket from HEB a few weeks ago which we never got around to smoke.  The "Sell By" date is Aug 25,2020.  It has been in our secondary refrig ever since then at 38 degrees.  I was thinking about keeping it past that date and doing it for Labor Day weekend.  Would that be ok?  If not I will get on the stick and do it tomorrow.   But I would much rather put it off for the additional 2 weeks as long as I can be sure that it is safe.  Don't want to ruin the holiday weekend with a familywide  illness.

Thanks in advance for your help.

DerrikMo


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## smokerjim (Aug 24, 2020)

I would say at 38 degrees it might get gassy on you , I personally would freeze it until your ready to use.


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## dr k (Aug 24, 2020)

With large primal/subprimal beef cuts I get the  butcher to tell me the box date which is the butchered date the cryovaced beef comes in. You easily have 45 days from the butchered date to keep in your fridge before cooking or freezing to wet age the meat. I bought a 15 lb brisket  on 7.14.20. It was boxed in the cryovaced bag on 6.30.20. I cooked it 8.13.20 about three weeks after the sell by date so you should be fine to cook yours labor day weekend.


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## JBinGB (Aug 24, 2020)

Another thought is to cure it and smoke some pastrami. The curing process would be a way to burn up some time


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## crazzycajun (Aug 24, 2020)

I believe you will be fine, but if chef jj or Dave omak doe chime in pm them. I would trust their judgment over mine


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## Chasdev (Aug 24, 2020)

I would not be at all concerned, the sell by date assumes you will store it for a while.
If you are paranoid, cut a small hole in the plastic and smell it, anything short of rotting corpse means it's good to go.
You could dry brine it as well and probably be well pleased by the results.


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## hoity toit (Aug 24, 2020)

I would go ahead and freeze it. No big deal to re-thaw.

HT


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## dr k (Aug 24, 2020)

Usually the $,# sales label generated is based off the box/butchered date to get the sell by date and if they have a consistent sell by date  plan for cryovac beef, they/you can figure the butchered date then go 45 days or sooner before cooking/freezing.


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## daveomak.fs (Aug 25, 2020)

Check your refer with a calibrated therm....   Ice in water and the temp should be ~32-33F...   then with a glass of water in the refer, check the water temp....  That will give you an "average" temp and what the meat is seeing...    I like to keep my fridge ~34-36F...  Stuff seems to keep longer..
If you have concerns, cook or freeze this brisket and purchase another...  
Personally, a single muscle, like brisket,  that will be "overcooked" so to speak, doesn't bother me...  (as long as an odor is not present)...    The pasteurization tables show an easy 7 log reduction in bacteria, when meat like brisket is cooked...    Here's the table....

The pasteurization times for beef, lamb and pork are listed in Table C.1. Table C.2 lists the pasteurization times for chicken and turkey.
Temperature...  .......    Time....  .......    Temperature...  ........    Time
°F (°C)    (Minutes)     °F (°C)    (Seconds)
130 (54.4)...........            112 min        
131 (55.0) .........    89 min...........    
132 (55.6)..........    71 min............    
133 (56.1)..................    56 min............    
134 (56.7)..................    45 min...........    
135 (57.2)..................    36 min............
136 (57.8)..................    28 min...........    
137 (58.4).................    23 min............    
138 (58.9)..................    18 min...........    
139 (59.5)..................    15 min    ...........
140 (60.0)....................    12 min............    
141 (60.6)..................    9 min..............    
142 (61.1)..................    8 min.............    
143 (61.7)..................    6 min        
144 (62.2)..................    5 min        
145 (62.8)..................    4 min        
Table C.1: Pasteurization times for beef, corned beef, lamb, pork and cured pork (FDA, 2009, 3-401.11.B.2).


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## chopsaw (Aug 25, 2020)

dr k said:


> Usually the $,# sales label generated is based off the box/butchered date to get the sell by date and if they have a consistent sell by date plan for cryovac beef, they/you can figure the butchered date then go 45 days or sooner before cooking/freezing.


I've had this one in the fridge @ 36 degrees for about 2 weeks . 
Not as close to sell date as you are , but you can see when it was packed , compared to sell date . 
First thing I look at is the price . Second thing is pack date . If the cryo vac has any ballooning , I leave it lay . 







so .
Pack date 
Fridge temp 
Smell


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## dr k (Aug 25, 2020)

chopsaw said:


> I've had this one in the fridge @ 36 degrees for about 2 weeks .
> Not as close to sell date as you are , but you can see when it was packed , compared to sell date .
> First thing I look at is the price . Second thing is pack date . If the cryo vac has any ballooning , I leave it lay .
> View attachment 460140
> ...


Nice to have  a pack date on the label. I went to GFS for the first time a couple weeks ago. No other supermarkets around me have a pack date on the label. I think Kroger has a blue ink pack date on the pork loin cryovac plastic but pork isn't like beef and turns rancid so the sell by date for pork. Especially the plastic wrapped  styrofoam trays.


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## derrikmo (Aug 25, 2020)

Thanks everyone for all the ideas.  Because I have no idea of the pack date, I decided to play it safe a freeze it.  Better safe than sorry.  From now on I'll check with the butcher to see if he can give me the pack date.


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## chef jimmyj (Aug 25, 2020)

To store meat for an extended period of time, 34°F is optimum.  38 is too warm to expect a full 45 days with meat. I doubt you would have made it to Labor Day.
Today I went to cook a Cryo-Vac Pork Butt that was in our kitchen refer 4 days. Breaking the seal unleashed that unique Rotten Odor that quickly fills the room. That's 16 pounds of trash. Refer temp is critical...JJ


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