How long can i leave a seasoned prime rib in a vacuum bag before I sous vide it. Also can i season a frozen prime rib, vacuum seal it then let it defrost in the fridge?
Akio, you don’t disclose where you are going to leave your seasoned and packaged prime rib before cooking.
What’s the rush to vacuum pack it?
You can do whatever you want to, but why don’t you just season, seal, and cook?
Your roast when cooked to the point of Pasteurization will keep far better and longer than raw meat in your refrigerator as long as its seal is intact.
Anyway, at room temperature: - 2 to 3 hours maximum if you are cooking it below 150F, and i certainly hope you are.
In your refrigerator: - 24 hours maximum. Depending on the seasonings you select. Some will develop unpleasant flavours when wet and without oxygen. I don’t recommend doing it.
It’s much the same with a frozen prime rib that you vacuum package.
Why don’t you use a technique that will have a great outcome instead of a mediocre one? That’s a very expensive piece of meat that deserves your very best efforts.
Here’s my technique for a tender beef roast:
If the roast is frozen, thaw it uncovered in your refrigerator. Depending on it’s size it will take up to 48 hours.
Then give it a thorough coating with a mixture of two parts Kosher salt to one of black pepper (by weight).
Place it on a wire rack set over a pan or plate, and let it rest uncovered in your refrigerator for up to 72 hours.
When ready to cook take your roast out of the refrigerator. There shouldn’t be any visible moisture on the meat, but if there is pat it dry.
Vacuum seal and cook as usual.
If there are bones attached to the prime rib i recommend removing them to prevent an accidental bag puncture (they can have very sharp edges) and also to reduce cooking time. You can double vacuum pack the bones and cook them along with the roast.
Enjoy, and please share your results with the Community.
Hello chatnoir, the reason i am asking this is because i dont have a vacuum sealer in my house, i have to use my friend’s sealer. Due to time constraints i might have to vaccuum it a day or two before i actually cook it. And to answer your question, i would store it in my fridge for those days in between vacuum and sous vide
Akio, you don’t have to use your friend’s vacuum sealer to successfully SV cook your prime rib roast.
I am a believer in cooking with as few compromises as possible. Cut the bones off the prime rib and read the following link about using the water displacement method of sealing Zip-Loc freezer bag. When done carefully you will have as favourable a result as most get with a Foodsaver. Go slowly and massage the bag to encourage pockets of air to escape.
Here’s the link on the water displacement method of sealing. Scroll way down to Tips and Tricks: where Kenji will demonstrate just how to do it.
If you are determined to season and vacuum seal the meat and store it before cooking i would only use salt and pepper. You can unleashed your creative seasoning on the roast before searing
I forgot to thank you for your quick reply! Well thank you! 
Freezer bags are not an option, since i am cooking a whole 16 pound slab, hence the need to use my friends commercial grade vacuum sealer, sorry if im giving out these details piece by piece lol. I do use the water displacement method whenever i just cook steaks
Good to know, thank you.
Consider cooking boneless.
Another way to do it if you have a big freezer is to season and vacuum, then freeze it. When ready to cook, bring you water at temperature and put it frozen in the water bath, you’ll get a temperatur drop, but it should be back within range in less than 5 minutes. I buy my prime ribs when on sale and freeze them in the vacuum bags.
When cooking,I then add 45 minutes per Kg (2 pounds) to the cooking time to counterbalance the tawing.
When the time is over, open the bag, pat the meat dry and sear it quickly. You can experiment with a smaller cut of meat first and see if you like the result.
Akio, Jacques’ recommended addition of 6 hours cooking time seems about right if your Anova can run at full output that long.
Think of your roast as a two gallon iceberg that you have to phase shift from solid to liquid and that will take a tremendous amount of energy before cooking can begin.
Welcome to cooking in the 21st Century.