Is it OK to freeze the meat after you sous vide them?

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1

This weekend I had the best pork chop I ever had, however, sous vide can definitly be time consuming. Is it OK to sous vide a bunch of pork chops and store them in the freezer so that I can sear them whenever I am want to serve the family? 

How would you defrost them and warm them up and getting them ready for searing.  I am worrying that I might dry up the meat while warming it to the serving temeprature.
2

I have never tried it but  I would keep them in vacuum bag and then reheat them in a water bath at the original temperature untill they are warmed through and then sear.

3

Will the time it take to warm the meat be as long as it was before when I sous vide’ed them?  It would defeat the purpose if it does.

4

I would try one. I have not done it so I am not sure how long it takes to defrost and warm through. When I have too much I normally vacuum seal it then freeze the meat raw. I add about 30 minutes for defrosting in the bath to my cook time. I know that this does not help you as you are trying to save time.

5
Answers to your questions: 
1st:  Yes - you can store them in the freezer.
2nd:  It will take longer.

It has been very difficult to find a legitimate answer to this question without the use of a thermometer.  After much research I have found that the best reference to use is Dr. Douglas Baldwin's website titled "A Practical Guide to Sous Vide Cooking":  http://www.douglasbaldwin.com/sous-vide.html.  The approximate heating times for thawed and frozen meats are given in Tables 2.2 and 2.3.  It's based on the thickness of the meat.  The website can be a tough read, but all the information you need is there.

For me it does not defeat the purpose as I do batch cooking with chicken breasts since it can be cheaper buying in bulk (family packs) and I avoid going over the "best by" dates.  If they are in the fridge for a over a couple of weeks, I then put them into the freezer.  My fridge temp is below 38 degrees F.

One last important thing, if you do decide to refrigerate or freeze after cooking (meaning pasteurizing) then it is very important to put the meat into an ice bath for at least an hour.  Use Table 1.1 for more accurate times based on meat thickness.
I'm no expert, just someone who has done a lot of research and concluded that the best reference I can find, that is backed up by science, is Douglas Baldwin's.

6

@CHull I think you are right about it always taking more time. I always use freezing when I have too much for a meal and want to save some for later.

7

If the purpose is a faster meal down the road it does defeat the purpose somewhat.

If the purpose is to save a wonderful meal item with no noticeable difference in quality that will take little trouble later than it doesn't.

3 times I have had guests cancel after the meat was in the water a while. I refroze their portions and all I had to do was plop them in the water for a while when I was in the mood and if anything they were better.

Probably I wouldn't precook food sous vide to reheat later unless the cooking time was long, but if it is already done I would refreeze it. Basically you can't lose by trying it.  Something cooked for 24 hours does not take 24 hours to reheat.

Sous vide food is supposed to keep longer in the fridge as well.

And about safety. There are companies selling sous vide meats. I have not seem any or I would buy one just to see. Apparently you can defrost/reheat it using any safe method.

I personally have no problem with leaving it in the bath for an hour or two unless I am really hungry and then I will just make a sandwich




8

@CHull


Dr. Douglas Baldwin’s website is a great resource. THANKS!