Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

Throwing out more money, really disappointed

Just threw out two more pork shoulders that I had in cryo in the fridge. This is getting really frustrating to me. Seems like every time I end up delaying a cook by even a little bit we get an overwhelming sulpher stink coming off of whatever piece of meat has been stored. I've read a dozen times now that the sulpher smell is related to cryo packaging and is not an indication of spoilage but it is just incredibly overwhelming and I can't bring myself to prep/cook/eat/serve something that smells so bad.

I'm thinking I'll go back to the butcher shop this afternoon and get a fresh shoulder, but now I'm just in a bad head space with the whole thing. Not sure why I'm even posting this, I'm not sure a solution even exists, but sometimes it just helps to rant a bit.

Cheers all -
B_B
Finally back in the Badger State!

Middleton, WI

Comments

  • jaydub58
    jaydub58 Posts: 2,167
    Rant understood.
    Did you try giving it a good rinsing with cold water?
    That may help a whole bunch.
    John in the Willamette Valley of Oregon
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,174
    Venting is a good thing-
    No idea about your "use by date" info but I have not experienced that phenomena even with chain grocery (Kroger) foods.  Wish I could offer more-will the store take it back and exchange ?  
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Cryovac smell should dissipate fairly quickly, especially after a rinse. If it doesn't, there's another issue. Take your receipt back to the store and get another one.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • Black_Badger
    Black_Badger Posts: 1,182
    Hey guys,
    Yeah, I did give it a good rinse (I haven't even gone THAT far in the past), but I got ticked off and chucked it all pretty quickly. Almost certainly too quickly. That being said I just walked back through my kitchen and even with the pork outside in the trash and all the dishes, counters, etc washed it still smells like Andre The Giant just ate a bushel of cabbage then farted his brains out in there! I am all but certain it could be cooked and eaten without any health concerns but it's so damn gross I don't even want to think about doing so. I really don't even want to go to the store and start over; may be calling out for catering tomorrow night. Plan was too cook up some pulled pork and have folks over for a little birthday celebration, but that ida is quickly going the way of the buffalo...

    Thanks for the comments, I appreciate to empathy.

    B_B
    Finally back in the Badger State!

    Middleton, WI
  • danv23
    danv23 Posts: 953
    Start freezing them.  I put them on dead ass frozen and they come out spectacular.  http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1178213/frozen-cryovacked-butt-cook-help


    The DudeThis is a very complicated case, Maude. You know, a lotta ins, lotta outs, lotta what-have-you's. And, uh, lotta strands to keep in my head, man. Lotta strands in old Duder's head. Luckily I'm adhering to a pretty strict, uh, drug regimen to keep my mind, you know, limber.

    Walter SobchakNihilists! *uck me. I mean, say what you want about the tenets of National Socialism, Dude, at least it's an ethos. 

    Cumming, GA

    Eggs - XL, L, Small

    Gasser - Weber Summit 6 Burner

  • pgprescott
    pgprescott Posts: 14,544
    I cannot believe there is an issue at all. Pork Will have some faint odor. Some are more sensitive than others. You cannot mistake spoiled meat. I suspect you are throwing away perfectly good meat. 
  • I have cracked more than 50 beef primals chickens, and butts with cryo stink and not one if them was bad. I cooked, sold, and/or ate 100% of them. I've had them clear out the kitchen at the shop and in the house but the smell will go away in 20-30 min. It does not affect the meat at all. If it's rancid, you will know it. The meat will be slimy and green, the packaging will be compromised, and the smell will intensify instead of going away.  It is a byproduct of cryo packaging and you eat this exact same food at almost every restaurant you go to. It happens. But it's not an indicator of bad quality or bad packaging or anything like that. chill out, let it breathe for 30 min and you are all good. 
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    You either have the nose of a bloodhound, bad luck or your refrigerator is above 40F.  That last option can be empirically checked with a thermometer.

    Try opening the next one outside, rinse it off with a hose, then put it in your fridge for a few hours.  If it doesn't stink, it's fine.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • jls9595
    jls9595 Posts: 1,533
    Hate to hear that badger. I've cooked more pork butts than anything the last 3 years and have never experienced this. Maybe my sense of smell is not very strong. 
    In Manchester, TN
    Vol For Life!
  • I have had bad cryo food but the package was compromised. I had a cryo butt leak in my fridge a few weeks ago and it was Gawd Awful. That smell is the smell of death and would make you beg for sulphur :). Like I said, if it's bad, you will know it- most likely before you ever open the bag. 
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • Black_Badger
    Black_Badger Posts: 1,182
    Thanks everyone, and I totally get it. I hereby vow this is the last time I throw away meat because of the sulfur smell; I'm done with that. I trust you guys and I know a lot of you are much more experienced on the topic than I am, so next time we will do some adjusting.

    @danv23 I've cooked them from frozen before as well and I agree, it's a good way to go. Freezer space is a ta premium for us right now, which is why I've tried to utilize the fridge as much as possible.

    @nolaegghead I thought the fridge might be off as well, but I've checked it a number of times with thermo and I don't have issues with other foods (veggies, etc) going bad too quickly, so I think it's just me.

    @Cen-Tex These last few sure cleared the room alright... I'm sure I'm just being too sensitive to it; and my wife is a reformed veg-head so she's paranoid anyway, which I think heightens my response.

    Thanks to everyone that's commented, I'm glad to hear it's not just me that's seeing this and maybe just me that's overreacting. I went to Costco to grab a replacement and they were out of pork butts so we're having St. Louis cut spares tomorrow instead. They'll only be in the fridge overnight, but I might pop the cryo outside just in case (haha).

    Cheers all -
    B_B
    Finally back in the Badger State!

    Middleton, WI
  • 777Driver
    777Driver Posts: 16
    edited July 2015

    ...still smells like Andre The Giant just ate a bushel of cabbage then farted his brains out in there! 

    This situation really sucks, Black_Badger, but I do appreciate a good metaphor!  That made me smile.

    How about this?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDVrmSEZEKg

    PS, how do you embed a youtube video?

  • DMW
    DMW Posts: 13,832
    They/Them
    Morgantown, PA

    XL BGE - S BGE - KJ Jr - HB Legacy - BS Pizza Oven - 30" Firepit - King Kooker Fryer -  PR72T - WSJ - BS 17" Griddle - XXL BGE  - BS SS36" Griddle - 2 Burner Gasser - Pellet Smoker
  • Black_Badger
    Black_Badger Posts: 1,182
    edited July 2015
    @777Driver haha, that link worked and you hit the nail on the head...

    @DMW that's how to work the embedding feature!
    Finally back in the Badger State!

    Middleton, WI
  • 777Driver
    777Driver Posts: 16
    @777Driver haha, that embed worked and you hit the nail on the head...
    B_B,

    No, I just put the link in.  DMW did the embed.  I can do it on other forums but not sure how to do it here so that you can see the screen.
  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,522
    Wish I was your neighbour/neighbor.....I'd be going thru that trash can faster than beans thru a cowboy.....wonder where I got that idea?
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
  • I agree with you dude. Strong smells of any kind concerning pork is a turnoff to me. In my opinion pork does not age well. The fresher the better for me so if I am not cooking pork a day or two after purchase then in the freezer it goes.
     Now beef is another story. I have had some success in aging primal cuts of beef.
    San Angelo, texas