First Disappointment in a long time

Unknown · October 2007

After three very successful tri-tip cooks, my wife and I had company for dinner, today. Despite all my best efforts, the tri-tip was tough, sorta dry and the rub tasted bitter.[p]Man! This is really frustrating, since I don't know what I did wrong![p]The meat had been sitting in the freezer for about three weeks -- That shouldn't have bothered anything... It was from the same batch of meat I had successfully cooked just a few weeks ago.[p]If anyone has any ideas what could have been the snafu -- I'd appreciate the feedback. I have three more tri-tips in the deep freeze, and I don't want to "lose" any more of these fellers.[p]Thanks -- [p]===[p]To all "homely" Festers -- Good to hear everyone's home safe and sound.[p]~ Best Wishes to All![p]~ Broc

amini1 · October 2007

Broc -- Just across the Muddy Mo from Omaha!,[p]The bitterness may be from too much smoke. I've done it to a tri-tip once before. As for being tough and dry, it may be from freezing the meat. I never freeze meat and can usually tell if it's been frozen. I find the texture can change dramatically.[p]

mollyshark · October 2007

Broc -- Just across the Muddy Mo from Omaha!,[p]Well, I freeze tritip all the time and it's fine if done right. Couple possibilities: (a) just a yuck tri-tip and it doesn't matter what you did. Cow had a bad life; (b) cooked someting previously that left some bad juju on the coals and permeated your meat. Remember it's those first few minutes when the bad stuff is burning off that your meat is susceptible.[p]I'm sure there is more, but yuck meat happens and I've had rancid fat-on-charcoal syndrome happen more than once. You can taste it in a chicken right away, but a tritip is a pretty porous cut and would get it from one end to the other. Could also be to close to the fire and the rub burned. If it had a lot of sugar, it can go from caramelized to burnt reeeeal quick.[p]mShark with some only one cuppa coffee thoughts

Bob In Texas · October 2007

Broc -- Just across the Muddy Mo from Omaha!,
I had two butts frozen for 3 weeks, and smoked them last week. I fed a group of about 50, and got comments that it was the best they had ever eaten. I don't think freezing would hurt it unless it maybe got freezer burn. The butts I had were vacuum packed from Sams.

Unknown · October 2007

Broc -- Just across the Muddy Mo from Omaha!,Sorry to learn of this disappointment. Did you let the smoke from new charcoal burn off before putting the meat on? What temp did you set the egg for? How long did you cook it and to what internal temperature? From what you said in your post you cooked it just like the other two times. There must be something that was different.

Unknown · October 2007

Dr. Jim,[p]Thanks for responding. Yes -- I always let the Egg burn off all "new smoke" and "old stinkies" before putting the meat in.[p]I stabilized the Egg @ 350F, and also baked some spuds simultaneously. The addition of the potatoes to the grill is the only thing I did differently. I pulled the tri-tip when the internal temp hit 135, wrapped it in foil and towels -- and into the "cooler" for an hour before serving.[p]The tri-tip had been frozen for three weeks, and vacuum packed... no sign of freezer burn and anything else.[p]I find the experience a bit mysterious -- but as MollyShark says -- sometimes ya just get a relatively bad piece of meat.[p]Thanks again for responding --[p]~ Best[p]~ Broc[p]

Unknown · October 2007

Bob In Texas,[p]Yes -- the tri-tip [from Sams] had been trimmed, then vacu-sealed before freezing. I bought six tri-tips, which came in one package. I separated them, trimmed, and packaged each individually, vacu-sealing them before freezing.[p]Two weeks ago, I Egged three of these trip-tips [precisely the same process, temps, etc [including the same rub], and served them as "steak sammies" to a group of 45 -- all were very pleased.[p]All I can think of is that MuMu, the great god of meat, mooves in mysterious ways![p]~ Broc[p]

Unknown · October 2007

mollyshark,[p]Thanks for responding --[p]I remember you well from Omaha [my first and only Fest], but I well know of your skills as an EggChef... I appreciate your suggestion that the steer just had a rough life.[p]Maybe he had been depressed, seeing his kids on steroids or other drugs... maybe he had been separated at birth from a twin... whatever...[p]Probably his Karma to deliver sub-standard tri-tip... his way of speaking to mortals who have also had some rather rough patches, as it were![p]I'd love to sit through more of your cook schools! I hope you return to Omaha next year![p]~ Best Wishes![p]~ Broc

Unknown · October 2007

amini1,[p]I always freeze meat -- just my circumstancess... not being able to get it and cook it the same day.[p]I don't add woods to my lump -- I like mine "straight," and don't like a lot of smoke -- therefore I can't understand why smoke would be an unusual factor, as I maintain a clean egg, clean grates... and always burn off the stinkies and wait about a half an hour or more before adding meat.[p]I find this cook rather mysterious...[p]Thanks for your response -- I'm going to spin my wheels a bit a see if I can justify your suggestions... I hope to be able to learn from this experience.., but maybe MollyShark's suggestion [just a bad hunk-a meat] might be all I can come up with.[p]Thanks for writing --[p]~ Broc[p]

First Disappointment in a long time

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