Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

Advice on How to Reheat for a Crowd...without a Microwave

Options
Franzster
Franzster Posts: 6
in EggHead Forum
Hi All,

We're having a potluck at work tomorrow and I volunteered to bring in some pulled pork. The plan was to feed about 5-6 people, but that has gone up to 10-12 now. My conundrum is how to reheat the pulled pork avoiding using the microwave if at all possible. 

I was originally going to bring a 2.5 lb chunk vacuum sealed to reheat in a crock pot through the morning so that it would be ready for lunch. Now I have two chunks and I'm concerned that it's going to be a tight fit and possibly not heat everything up in time.

Should I just bite the bullet, nuke the two chunks and serve that? Reheat before leaving the house in the morning and let it soak in the crock pot till lunch? Something else? (Unfortunately smoking another shoulder overnight is not an option)

Thank you for your advice in advance!


· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,522
    edited May 2017
    Options
    By the sound of it, the pork is not pulled, as you are talking two chunks. I have reheated a chunk of butt, using the SV set at 165ºF. 
    If the meat is cooked and ready to pull, albeit cold, why not just break it up a bit and add some liquid, drop it into the crock pot, set on high to get it warm then down to low if it looks like it needs less heat. 

    PS - Welcome!
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • kl8ton
    kl8ton Posts: 5,429
    Options
    If the meat is already cooked and in large chunks,  I would chop it and put it in some apple cider vinegar with red pepper flakes and put in crock pot starting right away in the morning.  Turning it all over with tongs every half hour. 
    Large, Medium, MiniMax, & 22, and 36" Blackstone
    Grand Rapids MI
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Franzster
    Franzster Posts: 6
    Options
    Thank you! I've been reading entries for so long that I forgot that this was my first post!

    I thought about pulling it (SWMBO is from W KY and is adamant about not chopping pork) as suggested and putting it in the crock to heat up during the day but everything else we've ever put in there always seems to overcook. Maybe I can pull it tonight and then pseudo SV it tomorrow in the crock? 

    I'm thinking I will definitely pull the pork tonight, vacuum seal it again, and make the call in the morning. Either SV or straight into the crock. It's the first time I'm bringing BBQ to the office and folks are a bit excited. Just want it to go well.

    Thanks so much for weighing in.




    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Jeremiah
    Jeremiah Posts: 6,412
    Options
    If you have a sous vide, then yes, if not a redneck hot bath (nag of meat in a pot of water on a cook top). BACK AWAY FROM THE MICROWAVE.  =)
    Slumming it in Aiken, SC. 
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • BikerBob
    BikerBob Posts: 284
    Options
    For a lunch time cook away from home, I do an overnighter pulling off the egg just before leaving. FTC will hold a full butt for four or more hours which should get you near lunch. Egg to cooler only takes a few minutes and showing up a couple of minutes late to work with a load of BBQ shouldn't be a big deal.
    Opinionated Bob
    Cooking on the coast
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • itsmce
    itsmce Posts: 410
    Options

    "Tomorrow" is here, and lunchtime has passed.  Let us know what you ended up doing and how it went.

    I had this exact conundrum a few months back.  I ended up pulling the pork and vacuum sealing it the day before.  Day of lunch, sealed pork went in a crock pot with water...call it crock pot sous vide, if you will.  Turned out great.

    Large (sometimes wish it were an XL) in KS
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • dldawes1
    dldawes1 Posts: 2,208
    Options
    I usually put it in the crockpot, either still in one chunk, or pulled. I leave it in the foil and add some beef broth, if needed (usually not).

    Sometimes I leave it in foil and stick it in the oven at 180 or200F  (in foil, use broth if needed)  Tastes just like it came off the egg.

    Donnie Dawes - RNNL8 BBQ - Carrollton, KY  

    TWIN XLBGEs, 1-Beautiful wife, 1 XS Yorkie

    I'm keeping serious from now on...no more joking around from me...Meatheads !! 


    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • northGAcock
    northGAcock Posts: 15,164
    edited May 2017
    Options
    Jeremiah said:
    ......, if not a redneck hot bath (nag of meat in a pot of water ....
    Is a nag of meat anything like a wife? ;)
    Ellijay GA with a Medium & MiniMax

    Well, I married me a wife, she's been trouble all my life,
    Run me out in the cold rain and snow
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Jeremiah
    Jeremiah Posts: 6,412
    Options
    Bite me Clark. 
    Slumming it in Aiken, SC. 
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Options
    I hope this worked out for the OP. I know it's too late now, but if anyone's reading this down the road, here's what I did last year at Mom's 100th birthday party. I cooked the butts in the oven (her house, no egg... amazing how good it is, even cooked that way). Then, I pulled the butts, applied a moderate amount of eastern NC style vinegar sauce, vac sealed in 1 lb bags and refrigerated.

    We had her party at the church and it has this awesome commercial kitchen. Grabbed a few stock pots, filled with water and heated to 160° (as I recall). Yes, I remembered to pack my T-pen ;). Put the pouches in for maybe 30-45 minutes and served. Longer would have been fine as it couldn't have gotten any hotter than 160°.

    I used to be of the belief that, unless it was straight off the cooker, it just wasn't very good. Tried many different reheat methods and this is the only one that comes close. I still don't think it's as good, but it's close - and by far, the best method I've found!

    Wonder what we'll do for 101 on July 4th. =) 

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Franzster
    Franzster Posts: 6
    Options
    Thanks for all the insight! I ended up going the crock pot sous vide route. Took a risk and kept it in chunks but was able to bring everything up to about 160-170 by lunch time. Everyone enjoyed the lunch and all the leftovers were taken, so I feel pretty good about how it went. Next time I think my preference would be to do an overnight cook and then FTC it till lunch but this gave me a little bit more flexibility. Thanks again for all the help!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories