I’m smoking ribs this Friday for a small group and my local grocery chain (the Jewel) has baby backs on sale (buy 1 get 2 free), but they’re previously frozen.
I usually get my meat from my butcher, but am trying to save a few bucks lately. Are these ribs going to suck? Does the freezing process dry them out too much? If they’re giving 2 away, are these slabs on their last legs like 29 cents a pound turkeys the day after Thanksgiving?
So should I just suck it up and buy racks from my butcher, or get these previously frozen ones?
The thing I noticed is that even at buy 1 get 2 free it’s not all that great a deal. The carnicerias around Chicago can match that price/lb. regularly.
Personally I think they’ll be fine, but I’m not that picky about bbq, I’ve never had a rib I didn’t like.
Previous frozen ribs are fine, in my experience, assuming you’re not refreezing them. I buy fresh ribs and other pork products in bulk when there is a sale, and freeze them for barbecuing later. Never noticed an issue.
I agree with zoid that Jewel’s sale prices are not usually a great deal, but sometimes it’s not bad. If they’re baby or loin backs and you’re getting them for $3.29/lb or under, that’s pretty good right now. If it’s spares, around $2.49/lb and under is a great sales price.
The main thing I’m concerned about ribs is the amount of meat on them. If they’re cut really close to the bone with little meat left (which, unfortunately, is how the carnecerias in my neighborhood tend to cut them), I would not buy them at any price. There’s only a small handful of places I like buying my ribs from in the Chicago area (Costco, Peoria Packing, Restaurant Depot [which is not open to the public]). Also, cryo-vacced ribs are fine (like in Costco), but I wouldn’t get that Hormel Always Tender stuff (or anything else that is treated with a salt solution). I don’t like their texture and they’re extra salty.
OK, I was just over at da Jewels, and I think I saw the ribs you were talking about. The sale sign was marked Buy One Get Two for the Hormel Always Tender loin back ribs, but the ribs behind the sign were a different brand, but same concept, of basically pre-brined and otherwise “enhanced” ribs. They were marked as $7.99(!) a pound, which works out to around $2.66/lb for buy one get two (assuming your three packs of ribs are approximately the same weight). That’s a good price for loin backs. I personally do not like the enhanced meats, especially pork, as it tastes a bit “hammy” to me, and I don’t particularly like the texture (it’s easy to get it mushy, but some people like it this way, it seems.) But I doubt most people will care. Just be sure to give them a good rinse, and go a little easier on the salt if you’re doing a dry rub.