Had to pick between frozen and fresh pork shoulders for my shop last month

I got a deal on 40 cases of frozen shoulders from Sysco at $1.89 a pound, but my local supplier in Richmond had fresh ones for $2.45. I went with the frozen to save money, and now I'm dealing with more moisture loss during smoking. Anyone else run into quality issues when you switch to frozen bulk meat?

3 comments

3 Comments

wendyg435d ago

I read somewhere that the quick freeze process can actually rupture cell walls more than if it's frozen slowly, which would explain all that extra moisture you're dealing with. Kinda makes you wonder if the savings are really worth it when you factor in the yield loss, right?

the_emery6d ago

The moisture loss thing is real because frozen meat breaks down cell walls during freezing. I bet you're getting more purge when it thaws out too, which is basically flavor and moisture leaving the meat. One thing nobody talks about with frozen bulk shoulders is that the salt content can be different. Sysco sometimes adds a brine or solution to their frozen stuff to help with shelf life and texture, and that can mess with how your rub penetrates. Did you notice any difference in how the rub stuck or the bark formed compared to your fresh ones?

taylor.sean6d ago

Sysco's brined shoulders also mess with the collagen rendering timeline because the extra salt denatures proteins differently. I've seen frozen ones stall out almost 45 minutes earlier than fresh when unwrapped, which throws off your whole fire management plan. That salt head start might give you a softer bark too because the moisture gets pulled out before the rub can set.