Freezer went out...need to cook lots of grass-fed beef. Help please!

[kcjmom]

Our freezer went out in a storm and we just discovered it. We now have completely thawed, but still cold grass-fed beef that needs to be prepared pronto. We have 2 chuck roasts, 2 rump roasts, some stew meat, 3 packs of rib-eyes, filets, lots of liver, and probably 20 pounds of ground beef. I'm going to start browning ground beef and making hamburger patties, but really don't want to lose out on all this fabulous meat. I would love any suggestions on how to do this well and any recipes that freeze especially well. FYI, we eat Paleo--meat, veggies, fruits, nuts primarily, so we'd especially appreciate anything along those lines.
Thanks!

[firecooked]

Can you get a sous vide system set up? One of the ways to cook and re-freeze meat.

[Rick]

Since it sounds like you have the ability to freeze it AFTER you cook it I would just re freeze it. Not sure what the benefit to cooking all that meat would be if you can just re freeze what thawed. I'd much rather have twice frozen mean than cooked, frozen, and defrosted meat. I freeze just about anything, but cooked steak is a problem if you like it anything but well done as re heating it just cooks it more.

[freia]

I'd just refreeze it, if your freezer is back up and running of course:
http://www.stilltasty.com/questions/i...

[gingershelley]

You might contact your packer, or a good cold-storage locker place, and see if they can quick-freeze some of your larger pieces again for you. Pat dry, wrap well, and quick-freeze and you will have minimal ice-crystals form back in the meat.

I am saying I don't think just because it is thawed out, you need to cook it all. If it was properly frozen the first time, then thawing shouldn't have brought large ice crystals into it, and with a little care, you can re-freeze it without cooking it all. I would call your supplier and discuss before cooking it all.

[wyogal]

Does your homeowner's insurance cover it? Some do.
Beyond that, yep, prepare the meat simply, then freeze the cooked meat.

[ospreycove]

Most "Chilled Boxed Beef" comes into the markest at about 25-30*F hard as a rock; the consumer buys it and refreezes it. So there is no safety issue here, just a possible breakdown of the cell structure. Does it affect taste, maybe maybe not.........
Most honeowner insurance has a deductible, might not be worth making a claim, many ins cos. are now bouncing policyholders for renewal if you make excessive claims.

[wyogal]

I had friends that got the whole freezer restocked with meat when theirs went out. Just a suggestion.
I don't know what your first paragraph is referring to. I said to refreeze the meat AFTER is is cooked.

[freia]

I think ospreycove is suggesting it doesn't need to be cooked then frozen. As I have also suggested...

[Rella]

I would use my time to save the more costly-to-replace meat.

Rev up your oven and grill and start grilling and roasting and baking your rump roast, steaks and then chuck roasts. None of your meat pieces have to be prepared in any other way to freeze.

Then, I would freeze every piece of cooked meat. Others may say not to freeze cooked meat - they may be correct, I don't say yes or no, but only that I've cooked steak, rump, chuck roast, etc, and frozen it for later use. One can use spices and recipes later.