Last October, digging in the old chest freezer in the basement for a bag of corn, I found six hamburger patties from the previous summer. They were gray at the edges, covered in ice crystals, and smelled like the freezer. Greg looked at them and said, "Those were good burgers once." They went in the trash, along with about $8 of beef.
This summer I decided that wasn't going to happen again. With Josh in Indianapolis since June, grilling is back to just Greg and me most evenings, and the meat counter still sells everything in sizes meant for a family reunion.
Why I still buy the family pack
The math makes it hard not to. At Kroger this month, the family pack of 80/20 ground beef was $4.99 a pound, about five pounds a package. The one-pound package was $6.49. Boneless chicken thighs were $2.49 a pound in the big pack and $3.99 in the small one. Bone-in pork chops, $2.99 a pound in the family pack and $4.49 in a two-chop tray.
On a five-pound package of ground beef, that's $7.50 saved. But only if we eat all of it. Last year's six burgers wiped out the savings and then some.
How I split it, the same day
The rule I've made for myself is that the family pack doesn't go into the refrigerator whole. It gets split the afternoon I bring it home, before I can talk myself into "I'll do it tomorrow."
- Ground beef: I form one-third-pound patties, about 15 from a five-pound pack, with a square of wax paper between each one. I freeze them flat on a sheet pan for two hours and then move them to a freezer bag, four patties to a bag, which is two dinners for us.
- Chicken thighs: Four thighs to a quart bag, with marinade poured right in. Italian dressing in one, lemon and garlic in another, barbecue rub in a third. They marinate as they thaw.
- Pork chops: Two to a bag, wrapped in plastic wrap first and then bagged.
Every bag gets the air pressed out and a label with what it is and the date. Freezer burn is mostly air getting at the meat. It isn't a safety problem, just a taste problem, but it's what ruined last year's burgers.
I used to think the freezer stopped the clock. It does for safety, as long as it stays at zero degrees, but not for quality. For best taste, frozen ground beef is good for about three to four months, pork chops four to six, and raw chicken pieces up to nine. That's why I'm buying ground beef for about two months of grilling at a time now, not for the whole summer. Anything bought in July should be eaten by October, not found in October.
I also keep a list on the freezer lid with a dry-erase marker. When a bag goes in, I add it. When it comes out, I cross it off. Greg has started using it too, which surprised me.
Grilling smaller
Greg's gas grill has three burners. For two people, he only lights two now, and he cooks on the hot side and moves things to the cool side if they flare up. That saves a little propane. A 20-pound tank used to last us about five weeks in summer; this year it's going closer to seven.
I thaw the night before in the refrigerator, never on the counter. And we use a thermometer now instead of Greg's "it looks done." Burgers come off at 160 degrees, chicken at 165, and pork chops at 145 with a three-minute rest. The chops are much juicier than the shoe leather we used to eat. Greg admitted this was an improvement, though he credits the grill.
Any leftover marinade that touched raw chicken goes down the drain. If I want sauce for the table, I set some aside before it goes in the bag.
Corn on the cob, zucchini halves and a few potatoes in foil fill the empty side of the grill, so it's a whole dinner without heating the kitchen. When it's 92 degrees in July, that matters as much as the price of beef.
So far this summer we've thrown away nothing from the freezer. I'll check again in October, in the basement, with the corn.
