Got a great deal on roasts today so the 2nd free one is going in the freezer for now. I like to salt my beef roasts overnight though, so my question is - should I do the 24 hour fridge salt process first, then freeze for later 72 hour sous vide, or would it be better to just vacuum seal & freeze now, then fridge thaw and do the 24 hour salt then, prior to sous vide?
Or does it really matter? This is a 2 lb. bottom round roast.
I choose not to salt pre sous vide. I would rather be able to use the essence of meat that is produced when cooking for reduction sauces. But even without that, I really don’t notice a huge flavour difference between salting pre-cook or post-cook. I season just before searing/finishing.
Alternatively to salt, you could smear a few dollops of salted butter (like 2 teaspoons) ion the meat before you vacuum & seal. Then freeze if you plan to use it at a later date. When ready to cook, thaw it under cold running water, it should take about 20 minutes, then cook it the usual time.
You can do it with hanger steak too, I put a few sprigs of thyme, butter and a few turn of pepper mill, then vacuum, seal and freeze
Why not drop it straight in the cooking tank rather than waste precious drinking water. Just add extra time to the cook.
I’ve had good luck with both brining poultry and pork, and salting beef roasts overnight; according to ATK, the salt releases moisture as it penetrates the meat, and then, given sufficient time, the moisture is re-absorbed which seasons the whole piece of meat… at least that’s how they explain it. I went ahead and salted, then sealed the meat and it sat in the fridge 24 hours before heading into the freezer. I’ll post results in a month or so when we cook it. And yes, I never thaw prior to sous-vide, I just let the hot water do the job and give it a little more time.