# costco 3 pack of ribs, cooking only one at a time?



## solman (May 9, 2019)

i usually smoke all 3 ribs in a costco pack of ribs, and can eat them all within a week. due to diet changes, i'm trying to avoid eating so much at a time.

would you guys suggest smoking all 3 ribs, portioning and freezing them to eat later?

or smoking one at a time? if so, how would i preserve the other two rack of ribs since they're all in the same package? in this scenario, i'd do a rib a week, so the 3rd rib would sit around for about 3 weeks after being opened.


----------



## AllTuckerdOut (May 9, 2019)

solman
 I have smoked a rack and then wrapped the other racks with saran wrap then foil and tossed them in the freezer. They turned out good thawed. Just toss them in the fridge 24 hours before you want to smoke them


----------



## toysejr (May 9, 2019)

I would cook all 3 then Vacuum pack your meal portion size to put in the freezer for later .
I would put a date on the package so you know when you put them in the freezer .
If you do not have a vacuum sealer then I would Double ziplock freezer bag them .


----------



## HalfSmoked (May 9, 2019)

I vote for cooking 1 and freeze the other 2 individually.

Warren


----------



## pineywoods (May 9, 2019)

I agree with Warren I'd separate the racks and vacuum seal and freeze two individually for smoking later, but then again I could solve your problem just let Warren and I know what time dinner is and we can take care of those other two racks


----------



## HalfSmoked (May 9, 2019)

I agree with Jerry what times dinner.

Warren


----------



## solman (May 9, 2019)

thanks for the feedback. is 2 weeks too long for the opened ribs to sit in the fridge? or 3 weeks max? my thought was to keep the 2 ribs in the original packaging, and use some saran wrap to seal it back up to sit in the fridge for no longer than 3 weeks. fridge temp is around 32-35F. maybe i'll give it a shot and see how it goes.

dinner at 5pm, don't forget the cole slaw. :)


----------



## krj (May 9, 2019)

solman said:


> thanks for the feedback. is 2 weeks too long for the opened ribs to sit in the fridge? or 3 weeks max? my thought was to keep the 2 ribs in the original packaging, and use some saran wrap to seal it back up to sit in the fridge for no longer than 3 weeks. fridge temp is around 32-35F. maybe i'll give it a shot and see how it goes.
> 
> dinner at 5pm, don't forget the cole slaw. :)



I personally would never let opened meat set for more that 5 days, but that's just me and some others may have thoughts on it.

As far as cooking, I'd say cook all three portion, vacpac and freeze the two you don't plan on eating. Do the portion work will help a lot with your dieting, no matter what diet you're on.


----------



## pineywoods (May 9, 2019)

solman said:


> thanks for the feedback. is 2 weeks too long for the opened ribs to sit in the fridge? or 3 weeks max? my thought was to keep the 2 ribs in the original packaging, and use some saran wrap to seal it back up to sit in the fridge for no longer than 3 weeks. fridge temp is around 32-35F. maybe i'll give it a shot and see how it goes.
> 
> dinner at 5pm, don't forget the cole slaw. :)



You will need to freeze the two vacuum sealed packages two weeks would be to long in the fridge


----------



## HalfSmoked (May 9, 2019)

solman Thanks for the like it is greatly appreciated.

Warren


----------



## HalfSmoked (May 9, 2019)

solman said:


> thanks for the feedback. is 2 weeks too long for the opened ribs to sit in the fridge? or 3 weeks max? my thought was to keep the 2 ribs in the original packaging, and use some saran wrap to seal it back up to sit in the fridge for no longer than 3 weeks. fridge temp is around 32-35F. maybe i'll give it a shot and see how it goes.
> 
> dinner at 5pm, don't forget the cole slaw. :)




Not to long if you want to feed the dog or trash can. Check expiration date on package and nooooo open packages in fridge. Expiration date is only until you open the package.

Warren


----------



## johnmeyer (May 9, 2019)

I'd definitely cook them all and then vacuum pack the unused ribs and freeze them. My wife and I can't come close to eating all the ribs in a Costco pack, but when frozen this way, and then reheated, they are indistinguishable from the fresh ribs. No difference.

By contrast, the work involved in setting up the smoker again and doing another 3-2-1 six-hour smoke is enormous.

To me, the decision is easy: smoke them all at once.


----------



## solman (May 9, 2019)

i think i'll do that - smoke them all and then package them into individual meals. another thought i just had is to trim the meat off the bones when packaging the leftovers. it would pack smaller and fit better in the freezer, and also be easier to eat as a quick meal without getting my hands dirty.


----------



## HalfSmoked (May 9, 2019)

Vacuum package and reheat as a boiling bag makes for best reheated taste none of the taste change as from microwave or oven reheating.

Warren


----------



## solman (May 9, 2019)

i have a foodsaver vacuum and an anova sous vide, so i think i'm all set for reheating. i could probably just eat out of the bag if i take the meat off the bones prior to packaging them up. my wife would appreciate one less dish to wash.


----------



## AP514 (May 9, 2019)

Cook All at once...then foodsaver the rest in Small Portions...
Will help out the diet by making smaller portions too


----------



## motolife313 (May 10, 2019)

I cook only as many racks as needed and wrap what I don’t use in butcher paper and in the freezer it goes until I want to do ribs again.


----------



## motolife313 (May 10, 2019)

pineywoods said:


> You will need to freeze the two vacuum sealed packages two weeks would be to long in the fridge


 

Ya I’d say 2 weeks is getting up there  for  pork ribs  and u will lose flavor. I’ve has brisket at 2 weeks and still very good


----------



## Inscrutable (May 10, 2019)

solman said:


> thanks for the feedback. is 2 weeks too long for the opened ribs to sit in the fridge? or 3 weeks max? my thought was to keep the 2 ribs in the original packaging, and use some saran wrap to seal it back up to sit in the fridge for no longer than 3 weeks. fridge temp is around 32-35F. maybe i'll give it a shot and see how it goes.
> 
> dinner at 5pm, don't forget the cole slaw. :)




I try to not let raw go more than a day or 2 in fridge.  Here’s a link to good guide for fresh/raw food refrigerated (for safety) and frozen (safe pretty indefinitely, but taste/texture suffer). 

https://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/storagetimes.html


----------

