timing...alternative

henapple · October 2012

There's a lot of questions on timing especially on long cooks. With a butt roast couldn't you just serve it the day after you cook it? Sometimes it seems better the next day.

SmokeyPitt · October 2012

That's a great question. I do think the Q has a different flavor when it is fresh pulled vs reheated. When its fresh, you get more of a varied flavor and you get the crispier bark. After its refrigerated and heated, the bark softens a bit and the flavors "even out" a little. Personally, I love it both ways! I agree there have been times when I enjoyed the reheated stuff later. My family (wife kids and parents) prefer it reheated (gasp!). However, some folks really prefer the fresh pulled and I think that's what they want to serve. I think the cook-ahead is definitely a good option to consider for timing...especially if you have a food saver.

gdenby · October 2012

Once the butt cooled, pulled or not, the gelatin sets up. When its hot from the first cooking, the smoothness of the gelatin more than off-sets the dryness that the cooking caused. The second round of heating to re-liquify the gel will drive out more moisture.

It should be possible to create a sauce that will counteract that additional drying. I haven't found one, or made one yet that quite works.

Likewise, I don't know how to make a quick bark to off-set the loss of the crisp, fresh, hot bark.

henapple · October 2012

I wouldn't do it unless I had to but no one complains about left overs. Sometimes we freeze it for a quick dinner on busy nights.

Skiddymarker · October 2012

I like the bark fresh, and the pulled pork reheated.

Reheat in the microwave, with lots of sauce on a low setting. The high fat content will start to boil in the nuke unless it is reheated low and slow...

Like others suggest, we often put two sandwiches worth in foodsaver bags and we are all set for a quick treat.

r270ba · October 2012

I just did 25 lbs and they came of at 9am for a party that didn't serve until 7:30pm. I put the Q in the fridge and just slowly reheated it in the oven on 170 degs for an hour or so per pan. It turned out really good.

henapple · October 2012

I had one Saturday finish 6 hours early. 4 ftc...2 on warm in the oven. Awesome.

SmokeyPitt · October 2012

Skiddy I do the same thing. In the wave on a low setting. I use a vinegar based sauce (Fresh Air BBQ sauce from Jackson, GA) and the sauce keeps it moist. I have heated it sans sauce and it is still pretty darn good! I tried using the trick of heating the sealed foodsaver bags in simmering water. That was really good as well, but it takes longer. I usually just go with the low n slow nuke.

jfm0830 · October 2012

I have a FoodSaver and my experience has been a little different. To my surprise I found my pulled pork actually comes out better if it is cooked before hand, rested, pulled, sauced and then put in FoodSaver bags and refrigerated it for one or more days. I think the process must act like a super marinator because the pulled pork taste better the next day. This has been great for me because I can cook it ahead and I don't care too much about when it finishes, because I am not planning a meal around it that day. On the day I want to eat it, I reheat it in the FoodSaver bags in a big pan of 170 degree water for about 45 minutes. I use a candy thermometer to monitor the temps. The beauty of the 170 degree reheat is if you need to keep it on the stove longer because your guests are late, it is not a big deal. At 170 the food is not cooking further, so more time doesn't matter. So you basically do the unpredictable part on another day. The day of the meal you know you need to get the pan to 170 and heat it for 45 minutes.

Sadly it doesn't work as well for the other two items in the BBQ trinity. Ribs come out almost as good as new (90-95 percent) and if I am making a large amount of ribs for a party this is how I do them. Brisket is another story. It doesn't come out anywhere near as good and I don't use the FoodSaver on it, except for preserving the leftovers.

Jim

jimreed777 · October 2012

I like to start my butts at 9 pm for 6 pm dinner the next evening. I can always crank up with 4 hours to go until dinner if I am stalled.

I then take 12 oz of leftovers and add 1/4 cup bbq sauce...mix well and use the food saver to seal it up. I freeze it.

about four hours before I want to eat the leftovers..I put my precut, seasoned, and frozen veggies (typically sliced potatoes and carrots, maybe beans) in the sous vide for 90 minutes at 183. I then add some cold water to lower the temp to 165 (leave the veggies in there) and add a bag of pulled pork straight from the freezer for two hours. Whenever we are ready for dinner, just cut open the bags and serve.

timing...alternative

Comments

Categories