OmManiPadmeOmelet wrote:
> Over the past year or so, I've returned 2 pork shoulder roasts to the
> store. I've put them in the 'frige for cooking within 48 hours and they
> stank when I opened them, and the 'frige temp out back is monitored
> closely at 38 to 40 degrees F...... so I took them back as rotted meat
> and got a refund.
>
> I took a frozen pork shoulder out of the freezer yesterday and put it in
> the 'frige to thaw. Took it out a couple of hours ago, it was still
> slightly crispy with ice crystals. No way in hell can it be spoiled.
>
> It stinks. Smells sulfury to me.
>
> Is it just me? Is this, like, a normal smell for pork shoulder??????


Its "old" meat. You may want to investigate if there is a market that
sells fresher pork in your area.

We buy fresh pork from a local Italian market that cuts the meat on site
and does good volume. There is never that urine/ammonia/rotted smell
when you cook pork bought from them.


>
> It's in the dutch oven right now with a layer of carrots on the bottom
> and LOTS of onions, a largish bulb of grated fresh ginger root, an
> entire head of garlic and a generous sprinkling of lemon pepper. Intent
> is to braise it for 2 hours and it's been in now for about 1 hour.
>
> It smells divine.
>
> I'm wondering if I'm just overly sensitive to certain odors????????
>
> No other cuts of pork have done this to me. Pork chops and steaks are
> good for 48 hours in the 'frige at 40 degrees F. Trotters have never
> smelled bad, I thaw them just enough so they joints are soft and I can
> stuff them into the pressure cooker with water and aromatics to make the
> stock from hell (pics to follow later when I finish shrinking and
> re-naming the files).
>
> Opinions??????