Why put cooked meat in a cooler?

JimF

Many of the posts I read talk about putting the cooked meat in a cooler for some time period. Why is this done? Does the cooler have ice in it or is it empty? If you are not going to eat it right away, why not put it in the refriderator once it has cooled down some? Is the cooler part of the total cook?

WessB

JimF,
Typically that would be a brisket or boston butt if it were done to early...the idea is to have a cooler pre warmed with hot water or other means....wrap the meat in foil and cover with a towel in the cooler....you can keep a butt hot for many hours this way..and have pulled pork at a more convenient time...most people who cook briskets say to wrap in foil for an hour or 2 after cooking, kind of a "rest" period....by placing it in a pre warmed cooler it will stay hot even longer...the only other instance..and I have done this myself...would be a turkey..I egged mine at home and then placed in a cooler as described above....it was still steaming 3 hours later when it was sliced.[p]Wess

The Naked Whiz

JimF,
You put it in the cooler to keep it hot until you are ready to serve it. For example if your pork butts are done 4 or 5 hours early, you can wrap them in foil and beach towels, put them in a cooler and they will stay safely hot until you are ready to pull and serve them. Also, some meats benefit from a resting period after you remove them from the cooker. So you can keep them hot in the cooler while they rest. [p]TNW

fishlessman

JimF,
it slows the cool down and the meat goes back down thru the plataue. biggest thing is that you can get everything done hours before dinner and serve it when your ready. the meat will still be above 140 degrees hot for pulling near 6 hours after getting things off the grill. the meat is also juicier when pulled after the temps drop 30 or so degrees. last fathers day i had everything off the grill, beans, brisket, and pulled pork before anyone got to the house, its nice to sit and chat with your guests and drink as much as you want without worrying about the cook, will it come out right, will it be on time etc. it just makes the day easier and more enjoyable, we also end up with so much appetizers that we can delay the meal until folks are hungry

Celtic Wolf

JimF,[p] To clarify something WessB said. You only put the water in the cooler to heat up the cooler wall. Dump the water and dry it out before putting the meat in the cooler.[p]

BluesnBBQ

The term "cooler" is kind of misleading. It only cools if it has something cold (ice or ice packs) in it. it's really an insulating device, like a thermos. If you store something warm in it, it will stay warm especeially if that warm stuff has extra insulation, like foil and towels). [p]You can also wrap whatever it is you cooked in foil (or in a covered foil tray) and keep it in a warm-200 degree oven until you're ready to serve it.

WessB

Celtic Wolf,
Thanks for adding that, I was in a hurry when I replied and didn`t even read it...[p]Wess

Celtic Wolf

WessB,[p] Were you grinding up all the evidence???[p]Where is Sally???[p]

WessB

Celtic Wolf,
NAHHHHHH...Actually doing my job...LOL[p]Wess