Funky pork belly bad or no?

[frayedend]

Well I bought 2 whole pork bellies from Costco and threw them in the freezer. Took one out and thawed it. When I opened the cryovac it had a bit of a funk. But I assumed it was just that strange cryo smell you sometimes get.

It wasn't stinky like when you know something is bad. I rinsed it and let it sit and it seemed the smell was gone. That's typical when you get that funk out of a cryo.

Anyhow, made pork belly burnt ends with half, and put the other half in cure for bacon. Eating the burnt ends I can sort of taste that funk a tiny bit.

Wife didn't notice it at all. I only noticed it a tiny bit on some bites with less fat and more lean meat. I'm not even sure this wasn't just my nervous imagination. It definitely had a pork flavor, like ribs but just stronger if that makes snese.

What you think? Bad pork? Should I toss the bacon. Hate to waste all that money. Since it was frozen it's way past expiration to return.

 

[sudsandswine]

The times I’ve had a bad piece of pork, it was quite evident and people in the next room knew it too. Is it possible you’re having some “placebo effect” because you were concerned about the smell earlier?

 

[frayedend]

Yeah that’s what I’m thinking. When it’s bad there is no question.

 

[ModelMaker]

When you have a slight smell and then rinse and let tit set and then re-smell, you will always still think you can smell it.
Rotten food smells bad.
Your nose knows!
Ed

 

[kevinstaggs]

I agree with those above. I go with - if it didn't knock you down and then rinsed off - you're good.

 

[scp]

I have had a few instances..I wondered about different cuts of meat....THEN...I got a bad pork butt...and there was no question. So I am in the camp...that is ok.

 

[Smoking Piney]

I've experienced semi funky smells from cryo wrapped meats that I knew were treated right.

Rinse it with water, let it hang out a bit, and put your nose to it. If it's still funky, time to make a call.