How to hold Butt

CITYSWINE

We are having a party this Sunday, thinking of egging a pork butt on Saturday to make some pulled pork and have the egg free (now I know why everyone has multiple eggs) for ribs and assorted grilled veggies and corn on Sunday.

What is the best way to hold the pork till Sunday afternoon if it's done on Saturday?
Do i let it rest and then pull it or pull it the next day?

It's sitting in deep freeze right now, if I pull Thursday night and stick in fridge will it thaw by Friday night?

thanks

Little Steven

CITYSWINE,

What is the weight of the butt (I was going to ask how big is your butt but I caught myself). If it is a reasonable size 8-10 lbs you are best to put it on Saturday night and hold it in a cooler with towels. It will be good for five hours or more that way.

Steve

Egg-N-Tino

Depending on the weight, you may need to hold your butt with two hands :P :laugh:

I couldn't resist

Little Steven

Egg-N-Tino

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Steve

CITYSWINE

7lb firm round succulent butt.

Party starts at noon on Sunday so wanted egg free early that morning to put some ribs on and then some shrimp, corn and other veggies once guests arrived.

worried it may go too long if i have fire issues overnight.

CITYSWINE

7lb firm round succulent butt.

Party starts at noon on Sunday so wanted egg free early that morning to put some ribs on and then some shrimp, corn and other veggies once guests arrived.

worried it may go too long if i have fire issues overnight.

Little Steven

CITYSWINE,

You can do ribs and butt at the same time if your succulent butt goes too long. Just get a few firebricks and another grid at a big box store. I am assuming you have a large. You can make an extended grid pretty easily with some long carriage bolts and nuts and washers.

Steve

Grandpas Grub

I like to use a blanket.

I went to walmart and picked up some fleece (stadium blanket material). 50" wide and 2 yards long.

When the meat is pulled off of the egg I wrap in aluminum foil and wrap all that blanket around the meat.

I then just put it on the counter. I have held a Boston Butt hot for 5 hours and very warm to 7 hours.

Some folks use a cooler with towels or news paper and or put some hot water in bottles in the cooler. The cooler works fine, I just think there is too much free air in there and all that air has to be heated one way or another. You don't want that air heated using the energy inside the food.

Some will use an oven on a very low heat setting.

GG

Little Steven

Kent,

Thats agreat idea. (I mean the blanket) All of our bath towels are stained from meat juices and sauce leaking out. Does the fleece stuff wash OK?

Steve

Fidel

Not to be argumentative, but the cooler will keep the meat warmer than leaving it on the counter.

Heat loss via convection and conduction will be greater on your countertop, all other things being equal.

Wrap it in the fleece then shove it in the cooler.

I did two butts that finished Sunday morning and did a test. I double wrapped them in foil, the covered in a styrofoam cooler provided by the fine folks at Omaha Steaks with a couple sections of newspaper to reduce free space inside the cooler and greatly reduce any convection cooling. I laid the meat probe of my Maverick on the surface of one of the butts to monitor the surface temps.

At four hours the surface temp of the meat was 146*. I opened the butts and measured in several places and the lowest reading I got was 142*. My conclusion is that this is well within food safety general guidelines for safely holding food.

Misippi Egger

If you are too concerned about running over on Sunday, why not start your butt cook Friday night, finishing up mid-morning - noon on Saturday. I would let it rest briefly, then pull and put in frig.

You can put it (covered) in a 200* or so oven after adding some liquid (I used about 1 cup of water and 1/2 cup apple juice - some used a canned Coke Classic). Warm for an hour or 2 before serving. Serve with buns and choice of BBQ sauce. It will be great!

That will leave your egg free Sunday for your other cooks.

BurntOfferings

You need to remove from freezer and put in fridge now or you will have cold hand when you hold your butt. it take a long time to thaw in the fridge.

Fidel

I didn't catch that last question, but I agree. Get it in the refrigerator now or it will still be partially frozen on Friday.

1/2 Chicken

I'd definitely go with Misippi Egger's plan. Start Fri, get it done, pulled and chilled then your free to cook the quick stuff at the party and enjoy your company. Or just cook it a little hot and start early Sat am... it'll be done before your done with dinner.

civil eggineer

Hopefully, firmly with two hands.

CaptainJimmy

i had a similar dilemma this weekend for my daughters baptism.

cook the butt saturday, rest it, and then pull it. Frig overnight, then the next morning give it a douse with some apple juice and some carolina vinegar sauce (apple cider vinegar, brown sugar and spices).

Put it in the oven at 225 for 2 hours. No one can tell you made it the day before.

Grandpas Grub

Steve,

Sometimes in the winter it is nice to snuggle under that wonderful egg aroma in the blanket.

I wrap the meat in foil and make sure there are no holes in the foil. Foil seem at the top and when I wrap I keep the foil up side facing up while wrapping the blanked around the bottom side of the meat.

If one was concerned about leaking, plastic wrap would work well over the foil or even a plastic bag.

The blanket washes fine.

The fleece isn't expensive for 2 yards 50" wide, give it a try.

GG