Suggestions for "Previously Frozen' Pork Tenderloin

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

While making my way through Whole Checkbook a couple of weeks ago, I came upon a sale for cryovac pork tenderloin and snatched up about 4 pounds of it.  Since I likely won't use it by its sell date on Sunday, I was going to freeze it today until I saw that the label states that it was "previously frozen" which means I can't re-freeze it until I cook it first.  Ugh.  Stupid pork people.  Stupid Whole Checkbook people.

So, can anyone recommend some good pork tenderloin recipes that freeze well?  I usually do it with a maple and apple cider glaze or straight up with barbecue sauce.  I can't use anything with eggs, tree nuts, or soy.  

Any ideas out there?  

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

I’d just refreeze it.  The some of the quality will probably be lost, so I’d use it in dishes where you can hide the quality, like a stir fry or pasta and sauce dish rather than cooking it whole and glazing it.

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

Nov 20, 2018 13:16:23 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

I’d just refreeze it.  The some of the quality will probably be lost, so I’d use it in dishes where you can hide the quality, like a stir fry or pasta and sauce dish rather than cooking it whole and glazing it.

I thought you couldn’t *safely* re-freeze raw meat unless there were still ice crystals in it? Or is that another old wives’ tale?

[Artemis Windsong]

I know meat can be refrozen.  I haven't done that because most everything can be cooked in an hour or two then frozen. 

I suggest cooking it your regular way then freeze.

[HoneyBBQ]

I always refreeze meat and I'm not dead yet. :shrug

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

I never thought about it from a safety standpoint, just quality.

This site says you can. You just lose quality.

food.unl.edu/it-safe-refreeze-raw-meat-and-poultry-has-thawed

[buystoys]

Another who refreezes here.

I like making pork loin into boneless chops and grilling them.  You could use any marinade you like or dry rub is good. 

You can cube the meat, saute it, and then you have meat ready for pork stew, pork tika masala, pork stir fry, etc.  I usually have some cubed pork in the freezer.

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

I freeze FRESH raw meat all of the time with no ill effect. But I don’t often buy Cryovaced raw meat with such long sell by dates and that were previously frozen (the butchers at the 2 closest Whole Checkbooks know me by name because I buy so much meat directly from the meat counter).

These tenderloins have sell by dates of 11/26. They have been kept in the back of the lowest shelf of my rarely opened “milk” fridge, so good and cold. The Cryovac looks to be in good shape and there isn’t much liquid in it. I’m going to go ahead and freeze them. And blame all of you when we get sick in a few weeks. 😆

[❤ mollymouser ❤]

Cost Plus World Market sells an amazing bulgogi sauce/marinade that I've used on pork butts, pork shoulders, and pork loins ... yummity yum yum.

Otherwise, I just stick my pork tenderloins in the air fryer, heavily slathered with minced garlic and some salt/pepper.

[thyme4change]

This is the first I've heard of not refreezing raw meat. I have been doing it for decades. I also cook the shit out of most meat. If I'm going to eat it under medium, I buy fresh that day.

[Tiny]

I, too, will refreeze raw meat. Best example: I'm pretty sure the "pub burgers" I buy "raw" were frozen at some point before I bought them. I sometimes combine 2 pub burgers (1 pound) and make 4 to 5 "I'm only eating for one" sized burgers and freeze them.

I've also put prepackaged pork tenderloins in the freezer - I'm pretty sure they were frozen and "thawed" before I bought them.

I've even put the on sale not so frozen chickens  into the freezer when I got home from store (just left it in it's sealed packaging). 

I'm still alive to tell the tale.   (I even solar cooked some of the re-frozen chickens.  I life dangerously.    ) 


I tend to get the meat into the freezer ASAP (so the day I bought it or the next day).

I have found that the chest freezer does a better job of keeping frozen food in good condition for long periods of time. I use my fridge freezer for short term stuff (a couple two three weeks).



Cryovac I had to google. Sounds like it's some sort of "air tight" packaging system that would keep meat 'fresh' for a long time in your fridge:
You can keep it for up to 45 - 60 days past the sell by date (depending on the temperature it's kept at - store it in the bottom in the back of your refrigerator) and, yes, it will continue to wet age while in the cryovac.

I imagine putting the cryovac'd meat into the freezer would work fine. Air is the enemy of frozen foods... and this packaging sounds likes it's more air tight than others.

[Tiny]

Is It Safe to Refreeze Raw Meat and Poultry that Has Thawed?
food.unl.edu/it-safe-refreeze-raw-meat-and-poultry-has-thawed


The answer is yes  based on how the meat is handled/stored/what happened to it BEFORE it's refrozen. 

[dannylion]

Nov 20, 2018 13:27:01 GMT -5 GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl said:

Nov 20, 2018 13:16:23 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

I’d just refreeze it.  The some of the quality will probably be lost, so I’d use it in dishes where you can hide the quality, like a stir fry or pasta and sauce dish rather than cooking it whole and glazing it.

I thought you couldn’t *safely* re-freeze raw meat unless there were still ice crystals in it? Or is that another old wives’ tale?

It's not a safety issue, it's a texture issue, generally minor.  Refreeze it.  It will be fine.  

[Tennesseer]

Because it is sauced, it will have more flavor.  I have posted the recipe here before.  Here's a link to te the recipe.  As I like mustard, I make it with the mustard sauce.


Twice-Cooked Pork Tenderloin

[tskeeter]

Nov 20, 2018 13:27:01 GMT -5 GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl said:

Nov 20, 2018 13:16:23 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

I’d just refreeze it.  The some of the quality will probably be lost, so I’d use it in dishes where you can hide the quality, like a stir fry or pasta and sauce dish rather than cooking it whole and glazing it.

I thought you couldn’t *safely* re-freeze raw meat unless there were still ice crystals in it? Or is that another old wives’ tale?

Old wives tale.  Sausage maker Rytek Kutas talks about defrosting and then refreezing pork in his well respected book on sausage making. 

I suspect that the old wive’s tale is a hold over from the time when it would take a full day or more to return a large cut of meat to frozen.  And when small refrigerators meant that meat was commonly defrosted on the kitchen counter, not in the fridge.  Common wisdom among home sausage makers (based on USDA recommendations) is to allow meat to be between 40 degrees and 140 degrees for a cumulative time of no more than four hours.  (Bacteria grows fastest in that temperature range).

[oped]

So I was always taught not to, but have feeling guilty on occasion. Guilty no more! Yay to learn.

[weltschmerz]

Nov 20, 2018 15:17:36 GMT -5 ❤ mollymouser ❤ said:

Cost Plus World Market sells an amazing bulgogi sauce/marinade that I've used on pork butts, pork shoulders, and pork loins ... yummity yum yum.

Otherwise, I just stick my pork tenderloins in the air fryer, heavily slathered with minced garlic and some salt/pepper.

Bulgogi sauce is pretty simple to make at home. I made this just the other day.


www.allrecipes.com/recipe/246172/easy-bulgogi-korean-bbq-beef/