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Funky smelling cryovac-ed pork

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caliking
caliking Posts: 18,731
in EggHead Forum
Bought a couple of racks of pork from Costco earlier in the week. Sell by date was 12/3. Opened up one rack today to cut into chops and there was a funky odor to them. Not overpowering, but it was definitely there. The meat has been refrigerated in the veg drawer of the extra fridge for 4-5 days. Fridge temps check out ok. 

I washed off the meat and let it sit for 15mins. The odor was markedly diminished. Cut some chops off to sous vide @ 137°F overnight, plan to eat them for lunch tomorrow. Packed up the rest with the foodsaver and put them in the freezer.

I know that cryovac meat can smell funny sometimes, and since this was a solid cut, I'm guessing I'm ok. The sous vide will run for about 18hrs, so I'm thinking I'm safe there too. Should I be worried about the meat having spoiled?



#1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,970
    edited November 2013
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    normal dude. crack it, rinse it, and let it air out for 10-15. smell should be almost gone at that point. If the smell goes away, just like you said, you are 100% fine.
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,970
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    travisstrick said:
    I had a girlfriend once who required the same remedy.

    image
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,731
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    That's what i figured. First SV cook for SWMBO, so I'll lose major credibility if it fails. And that's not counting the gastroenteritis. 

    Trav - airing that out only prolongs the inevitable. One word - antibiotics... strong ones!

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,970
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    caliking said:
    That's what i figured. First SV cook for SWMBO, so I'll lose major credibility if it fails. And that's not counting the gastroenteritis. 

    Trav - airing that out only prolongs the inevitable. One word - antibiotics... strong ones!

    You are all good. Travis is all bad.
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • Eggcelsior
    Eggcelsior Posts: 14,414
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    caliking said:

    That's what i figured. First SV cook for SWMBO, so I'll lose major credibility if it fails. And that's not counting the gastroenteritis. 


    Trav - airing that out only prolongs the inevitable. One word - antibiotics... strong ones!
    Yeast laughs at your suggestion!
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  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,731
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    Eggcelsior said:
    That's what i figured. First SV cook for SWMBO, so I'll lose major credibility if it fails. And that's not counting the gastroenteritis. 

    Trav - airing that out only prolongs the inevitable. One word - antibiotics... strong ones!
    Yeast laughs at your suggestion!
    You don't know Travis very well. Yeast is never the problem. :D

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
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  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,731
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    Well, I guess I'll find out at lunchtime tomorrow. if the funk is still there I might pass.

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
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  • Eggcelsior
    Eggcelsior Posts: 14,414
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    caliking said:

    Well, I guess I'll find out at lunchtime tomorrow. if the funk is still there I might pass.


    Cali, we NEED the funk, gotta have that funk.


    image

    I guess all Travis needs is a Flash Light.
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  • Aviator
    Aviator Posts: 1,757
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    caliking said:
    That's what i figured. First SV cook for SWMBO, so I'll lose major credibility if it fails. And that's not counting the gastroenteritis. 

    Trav - airing that out only prolongs the inevitable. One word - antibiotics... strong ones!
    Thats what does it in the first place.  :D

    ______________________________________________ 

    Large and Small BGE, Blackstone 36 and a baby black Kub.

    Chattanooga, TN.

     

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  • Aviator
    Aviator Posts: 1,757
    edited November 2013
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    Eggcelsior said:
    Well, I guess I'll find out at lunchtime tomorrow. if the funk is still there I might pass.
    Cali, we NEED the funk, gotta have that funk. image I guess all Travis needs is a Flash Light.
    Did you not spell the "flash" wrong? I see what you done here.  :)) But then, we now venture into MCN's KY ride.

    ______________________________________________ 

    Large and Small BGE, Blackstone 36 and a baby black Kub.

    Chattanooga, TN.

     

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  • SmokeyPitt
    SmokeyPitt Posts: 10,490
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    I had some funky smelling ribs and I did some research and what I took away was if you rinse them and they smell ok then it is just cryo-funk and you are good.  If you rinse them and smell remains, it is dangerous funk.  So, I think you are good if you could wash the funk away.  

    Which came first the chicken or the egg?  I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. 

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  • gte1
    gte1 Posts: 379
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    caliking said:
    Bought a couple of racks of pork from Costco earlier in the week. Sell by date was 12/3. Opened up one rack today to cut into chops and there was a funky odor to them. Not overpowering, but it was definitely there. The meat has been refrigerated in the veg drawer of the extra fridge for 4-5 days. Fridge temps check out ok. 

    I washed off the meat and let it sit for 15mins. The odor was markedly diminished. Cut some chops off to sous vide @ 137°F overnight, plan to eat them for lunch tomorrow. Packed up the rest with the foodsaver and put them in the freezer.

    I know that cryovac meat can smell funny sometimes, and since this was a solid cut, I'm guessing I'm ok. The sous vide will run for about 18hrs, so I'm thinking I'm safe there too. Should I be worried about the meat having spoiled?


    Funny but I had the exact same experience last night with a rack of pork from Costco dated the same 12/3.  I went ahead and fired up the egg and cooked it and it was great and we are still alive and doing well this morning.
    George
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  • TFols
    TFols Posts: 241
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    I've had the same situation several times with ribs from Costco and never had any health issues. The wife walked in one day when I was prepping and freaked about the smell but she doesn't eat meat anymore so she said it my problem if I got sick :)
    Bloomfield, NJ
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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,970
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    It's not just costco. It's very common with cryo pork. If it's bad, the smell
    Will intensify. If it gets better after 10-15 minutes and a rinse, you are good.
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • JRWhitee
    JRWhitee Posts: 5,678
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    I have always noticed that smell from my costco pork but never had a problem with it being bad. I had a shoulder from publix once that was in the refrigerator for 5 days and when I opened it the smell hit the gag reflex, that shoulder got double bagged and put in the outside garbage. It didn't smell anything like the costco pork.
                                                                
    _________________________________________________
    Don't let the truth get in the way of a good story!
    Large BGE 2006, Mini Max 2014, 36" Blackstone, Anova Sous Vide
    Green Man Group 
    Johns Creek, Georgia
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  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,522
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    The Cen-Tex Smoker said:
    It's not just costco. It's very common with cryo pork. If it's bad, the smell Will intensify. If it gets better after 10-15 minutes and a rinse, you are good.
    This sums it up. I have to rinse and dry cryo pork without SWMBO around, she cannot get by the initial funk smell if there is one and I end up eating a lot of pork loin all by myself. 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
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  • MuttaJ
    MuttaJ Posts: 9
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    Had the same thing happen when I bought a bunch of chicken breasts from Restaurant Depot--I called the meat manager and he said he gets 2-3 calls a week regarding the same issue and that it manifests from the gas the meat packers use to cryo the meat and assured its safe...I have bought and cooked many things that have that sulfur/bad smell and everything has been fine.

    Large BGE
    Memphis transplant by way of New Orleans. Who Dat.
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  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,731
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    About to fire up the mini and take the meat out of the SV. Woke this morning to check on it, and the bag had some air in it and floated. First time making and sealing bags with the foodsaver, so could have been operator error, but i'll what it smells like when I open the bag. Meat has been in the SV all night @ 138°F. Wish me luck.

    Funny things is that I have never had this problem with cryovac ribs or butts from HEB, which is where I almost always buy those cuts. Bought ribs from Kroger once and the smell was god awful when I opened them. 

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,970
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    caliking said:
    About to fire up the mini and take the meat out of the SV. Woke this morning to check on it, and the bag had some air in it and floated. First time making and sealing bags with the foodsaver, so could have been operator error, but i'll what it smells like when I open the bag. Meat has been in the SV all night @ 138°F. Wish me luck.

    Funny things is that I have never had this problem with cryovac ribs or butts from HEB, which is where I almost always buy those cuts. Bought ribs from Kroger once and the smell was god awful when I opened them. 
    not good. I wouldn't eat it. Not kidding. do not eat that


    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    edited November 2013
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    I agree, if the bag is compromised you get a bacterial soup...think about a hot tub after a party.

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • Eggcelsior
    Eggcelsior Posts: 14,414
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    Little Steven said:

    I agree, if the bag is compromised you get a bacterial soup...think about a hot tub after a party.

    Have Travis bring the Flash Light.
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  • Aviator
    Aviator Posts: 1,757
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    I do not buy cryo sealed ribs anymore, as I have made several of these and thrown em away. To me the smell persists even after cooking.

    I buy fresh from Publix or Fresh Market and throw them on right away.

    ______________________________________________ 

    Large and Small BGE, Blackstone 36 and a baby black Kub.

    Chattanooga, TN.

     

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  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,731
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    The Cen-Tex Smoker said:
    caliking said:
    About to fire up the mini and take the meat out of the SV. Woke this morning to check on it, and the bag had some air in it and floated. First time making and sealing bags with the foodsaver, so could have been operator error, but i'll what it smells like when I open the bag. Meat has been in the SV all night @ 138°F. Wish me luck.

    Funny things is that I have never had this problem with cryovac ribs or butts from HEB, which is where I almost always buy those cuts. Bought ribs from Kroger once and the smell was god awful when I opened them. 
    not good. I wouldn't eat it. Not kidding. do not eat that


    Fark. Too late. Ate it all. 

    Fished the bag and inspected it carefully. There was a little air in the bag, but I think the vacuum just didn't suck all the air out. The bag didn't leak (tested under water - no bubbles when I squeezed it). Cut it open and it smelled fine. There was some meat juice in the bag, about 2-3 tablespoons worth. The chops had been seasoned with Mickey's coffee rub, and that might have drawn some liquid out of the meat. The liquid was not foamy or turbid.

    Its been about 1h 45mins since we ate. Preformed toxins should have been hitting me about now. We'll see how things are at the 8-12hr mark. I hate being a microbial experiment. 

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,970
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    damnit. chances are you are ok but you have to weight it down. if it ever sits out of the water, that part is way cooler than the part that is in the water and that is no bueno. That is shangri-la for bogeys.
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,731
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    I hear you. When I saw that it had drifted up this morning, I put the rack in to keep it under water, so it was under water for several hours. Hoping that the cooties were dead by the time I pulled the meat out. In the future, I'm going to weigh the meat down with the rack or a plate. If there is a future...

    I'm REALLY hoping that the cooties were all dead.

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,970
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    caliking said:
    I hear you. When I saw that it had drifted up this morning, I put the rack in to keep it under water, so it was under water for several hours. Hoping that the cooties were dead by the time I pulled the meat out. In the future, I'm going to weigh the meat down with the rack or a plate. If there is a future...

    I'm REALLY hoping that the cooties were all dead.

    Me too! I always use a rack to keep it down. Good luck man. Should be ok but that is exactly how things can (not always do, but can) go wrong with SV.
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,731
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    Yep. Lesson learned. 

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
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  • lakewade
    lakewade Posts: 385
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    Just my 2 cents guys but I refuse to eat any meat that smells even slightly off.  Not worth it.  If you've ever had food poisoning you know what I mean.  Stinky meat = bad.  Stinky cheese = good.  That's my motto.

    -----------
    I feel a whole lot more like I do now than I did when I got here.
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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,970
    edited November 2013
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    lakewade said:
    Just my 2 cents guys but I refuse to eat any meat that smells even slightly off.  Not worth it.  If you've ever had food poisoning you know what I mean.  Stinky meat = bad.  Stinky cheese = good.  That's my motto.

    yes- you of all people would never put anything bad in your body :)). seriously though, I've cracked way more than 50 stinky cryo bags of pork, chicken and beef that were smelly once cracked and then the smell dissipates. most of these were at the shop so I called in our suppliers to discuss. Of course they said it was no big deal, so I talked to our chefs and they said they had seen it for years everywhere they worked. we served it in cooked food and sold it at retail as "the best meat counter in town" (and we were by far) for years with no issues at all. I can tell the second I crack it if it's bad or just "that cryo smell" but it's obvious if it dissipates after 15-20 minutes that it is ok. It happens (a lot) and you all have eaten food exactly like this if you have ever eaten in a restaurant or shopped in a grocery store. I agree that you should never eat anything you are not comfortable with but I'm telling you that this is very comon-(and i have eaten all kinds of undefined meat at 3 am out of dirty hubcaps at taco stands deep inside Mexico with @lakewade more than once so take his stance on dubious meats with a grain of pepto).
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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