Steve Rinella meat freezing method

[Shakeandbake]

So I saw a video a while back that showed Steve Rinella not using a vacuum sealer but instead wrapping meat in plastic wrap followed by freezer paper. I’m guessing this was before he picked up the sponsor from Weston. Anyway, so we are eating everything in our deep freezer right now, including last years back straps that I tried freezing this way. I also use a heavy duty vacuum sealer but I wanted to see how the plastic wrap method would hold up. The results were amazing, no freezer burn and very little trapped air. Meat color was still dark red and in just as good condition, if not better than the vacuum sealer. This is a great method for someone that can not afford a vacuum sealer or if your sealer is down for repairs. Thought I would share.

 

[Mike Islander]

Works great, as we would expect from Steve, since he is a chef as well as a hunter. I have done it both ways right here in my office freezer, where I keep all my game meat (wife wants her kitchen freezer available for other foods). Steve's method has worked better on average for me. But I have only done about 20 pieces with the vacuum sealer, and hundreds using plastic wrap method. Instead of paper over the plastic wrap, I use freezer bags. The meat generally stays nice and red in plastic wrap. Some of my vacuum wrapped meat loses a little color. I think it is due to the bags I use, which are the kind with shallow waffle pattern to allow for blood. Also, it takes a damn large chunk of vacuum wrap to cover a single steak. Not so with plastic wrap.

For pork, it doesn't seem to make any difference. The chop on the left is about a month old. The chops on the right are almost a year old.

 

[ljalberta]

I've always used the cling wrap followed by the freezer paper technique as that's how I first learned. My personal experience is that for anything other than sausage shaped items, this method is not only cheaper but leads to less freezer burn and longer preservation in comparison to vac sealing.

 

[Scrappy]

So I saw a video a while back that showed Steve Rinella not using a vacuum sealer but instead wrapping meat in plastic wrap followed by freezer paper. I’m guessing this was before he picked up the sponsor from Weston. Anyway, so we are eating everything in our deep freezer right now, including last years back straps that I tried freezing this way. I also use a heavy duty vacuum sealer but I wanted to see how the plastic wrap method would hold up. The results were amazing, no freezer burn and very little trapped air. Meat color was still dark red and in just as good condition, if not better than the vacuum sealer. This is a great method for someone that can not afford a vacuum sealer or if your sealer is down for repairs. Thought I would share.

You must be really young. Plastic and butcher paper has been around for eternity.

 

[OXN939]

Anyone ever try a non plastic substitute for the cling wrap lining inside the butcher paper?

 

[Shakeandbake]

You must be really young. Plastic and butcher paper has been around for eternity.

I’m not that young, just always used vacuum sealers. Just wanted to share some good results I had. Good thing we are blessed to have older wiser members such as yourself to keep us youngsters in check.

 

[Scrappy]

I’m not that young, just always used vacuum sealers. Just wanted to share some good results I had. Good thing we are blessed to have older wiser members such as yourself to keep us youngsters in check.

Sorry I didn't mean to come off as a smarta$$. Sometimes I get in a hurry and post shorthandstupid

 

[Shakeandbake]

Sorry I didn't mean to come off as a smarta$$. Sometimes I get in a hurry and post shorthandstupid

Haha we are all going crazy being stuck at home. I’m making threads about frozen meat.

 

[npm352]

I use Saran wrap and freezer paper with masking tap. Always have. Meat stays good literally years, so I can't ask for more. Not opposed to vacuum sealing...I move pretty fast with my method so have no reason to change. I have just heard you need a really good one if you do a lot of meat.

 

[Danny Hoey]

Just remember to get all the air out when you wrap with plastic wrap. The big container at Costco is a solid deal, costs a little upfront but it’s worth it

 

[idcuda]

Yep, done it this way for a long time. I use the el cheapo open-top plastic bags from walmart. Squeeze out air, spin it, wrap it in freezer paper. It'll keep for years.

 

[duchntr]

Been doing this for 20+ years, hard pass on the expense and durability issues with vac sealing big game. My preference is to vac seal fish and some small game and use plastic & butcher paper for big game cuts. If you guys are grinding your own burger, do yourself a favor and buy burger bags, much more effecient. I think a lot of guys severely overthink the butchering process, it's really easy to achieve better than butcher shop results diy.

 

[EastMT]

So I saw a video a while back that showed Steve Rinella not using a vacuum sealer but instead wrapping meat in plastic wrap followed by freezer paper. I’m guessing this was before he picked up the sponsor from Weston. Anyway, so we are eating everything in our deep freezer right now, including last years back straps that I tried freezing this way. I also use a heavy duty vacuum sealer but I wanted to see how the plastic wrap method would hold up. The results were amazing, no freezer burn and very little trapped air. Meat color was still dark red and in just as good condition, if not better than the vacuum sealer. This is a great method for someone that can not afford a vacuum sealer or if your sealer is down for repairs. Thought I would share.

That’s the way commercial processors have always done it, some still do. We used double wrap with cling wrap, if it’s not sticky doesn’t lock the air out. I’ve kept game up to 2 years this way. Tested it on fish fillet once, didn’t keep the air out well enough cause weird shaped.

 

[cusecat04]

Learned this from a great uncle that butchered. I like to portion muscle groups, wrap in cling, then place into a gallon freezer bag. Allows us to pull out a meal, use less bags, stacks better in the upright freezer than more smaller bags.

 

[Brendan]

Two advantages to doing it that way: It's faster, and more durable to pin holes from moving bags around (Maybe cheaper, but not sure if you buy bulk). I still like the vacuum sealer though because I have a big chamber sealer, and bulk order heavier duty bags so never get failures.

Listen deeper to the podcasts Steve has done on it: He does it for red meat, still vacuum seals fish.

 

[Terrapin]

Saran Wrap, butcher paper, and black magic marker for 35 years... just the smell of a magic marker makes me happy... and the sound and feel of stacking white packages in the freezer.

Do yourself a favor and find an old school meat cutter to show you how they wrap meat using butcher paper. They have some specific ways that don’t require tape and look awesome.


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[Wrench]

I found a package of elk steaks from 2016 that I wrapped in a ziploc followed by freezer paper.

My wife and kids never had a clue. I have been doing it like this for a couple of decades now. I always use backed paper and there's never less than 3 layers on any side.

 

[Youngbuck86]

I used plastic wrap and freezer paper for years before I got a real vacuum sealer

 

[Bull_n_heat]

Fun fact: if you wrap the meat tightly, you don't even the plastic wrap. Just straight paper will keep for multiple years as well.

 

[Poser]

Fun fact: if you wrap the meat tightly, you don't even the plastic wrap. Just straight paper will keep for multiple years as well.

True. I’ve been using just freezer paper for sometime now. I use it liberally and tape it well, but it works just fine, is cheaper, less wasteful and much faster.