To Refreeze Or Not - A Meat Preparation Question

[AtTheWall]

I know the USDA says it's ok to refreeze meat if it's allowed to thaw out at 40 degrees or cooler.

I want to make some Mexican Chorizo but I'm caught thinking, if it's been frozen once, turns into Chorizo after the thaw, and gets refrozen again....it's no bueno?

So I am interested in what some here on the Green Sceen do to protect their game during the processing stage as well as handling procedures...like freezer storage, thaw-refreeze-cook etc.

I'm simply getting ready for some serious sausage smoking but some in my group want other meat treats. I'm all for meat treats and want to make sure if I opt to go game, with whats in the freezer now, that I'm not blowing the pooch on quality smoked game sausage. Certainly don't want to waste good game meat or get folks sick. If it's not safe, I'll simply buy brisket and pork butt and step into that to deliver the Chorizo request.

[Goldeneagle]

Not sure really, but my wife was in food services for 15yrs. She will NOT refreeze anything.

[buzzbait]

i say refreeze. We always make our sausage in January or February and then refreeze the sausage.....

[Smart]

Rob...we debone and freeze in bulk bags as the season goes along, then thaw to make sausage or hamburger and refreeze again with no problems....

[AtTheWall]

Buzzbait....I'm assuming it's simply refrozen after casing...no cooking involved?

[crittergitter]

Rob...we debone and freeze in bulk bags as the season goes along and then thaw to make sausage or hamburger and refreeze again with no problems....

x2

[AtTheWall]

excellent!!!!

Thanks guys!!!!

[bentlimbs]

Rob, done it for 16 yrs and tastes and eats well.

[Roscoe]

Alot of the meat we buy at the grocery store has already been frozen once and thawed...and then gets taken home and refrozen.

[Tex_Cattleman]

Concur with others. After cleaning deer, it drains for 5-7 days in a cooler. Then bone out and freeze. Come March, it's all thawed and ground for burger and 6 different kinds of sausage. Promptly back in the freezer for the next year's consumption. No problem at all.

[bklem]

x2

x3. Always debone and freeze as the season goes and process later and then refreeze.

Just did about 400 lbs this weekend.

About 150 links of dry sausage in the smokehouse as we speak, 60 links of green sausage, 500 sticks of jerky, 80 links of green pork sausage w/cheese and japs, about 50 lbs of seasoned hamburger (whitetail). Still have to grind the axis (hamburger) and a little more pork sausage.

[Stins]

Rob...we debone and freeze in bulk bags as the season goes along, then thaw to make sausage or hamburger and refreeze again with no problems....

what he said

[bowhuntertex]

Concur with others. After cleaning deer, it drains for 5-7 days in a cooler. Then bone out and freeze. Come March, it's all thawed and ground for burger and 6 different kinds of sausage. Promptly back in the freezer for the next year's consumption. No problem at all.

Dang Trey.......i couldn't wait that long for venison burger and sausage.......Early Feb. is too long for me.......

[Tex_Cattleman]

Dang Trey.......i couldn't wait that long for venison burger and sausage.......Early Feb. is too long for me.......

Managed lands permits. We don't stop the killing until Feb 28. As far as meat in the freezer, still have about 20 lbs of ground and 20 lbs of sausage in the freezer. That should get us through the next 6 weeks.

[Leftridge]

MC is the expert but from what I learned you need to almost freeze your meat first anyway before you grind. The neck of the grinder will work the meat and it will feed and be cut better if its almost frozen. Then put your meat back in the freezer to get back to 33-34 degrees and pull it out, mix and stuff it, then package and freeze. Thats the way it worked at the sausage shop my buddy owns in Colorado.

So if its frozen meat just chop it up frozen then grind, bring the temp back down, 2nd grind w/ mix or just mix and stuff.. OR just pull out the amount you want to make and eat as someone mentioned.