Butt question?

Eggspert · March 2009

My wife :evil: has schedule a get together this weekend with total disregard to my turkey hunting schedule and she wants me to cook a butt. Of course, i will not miss the opening weekend of turkey season so, i was wondering if anyone has cooked a butt the day before an event and had success. I read on here that you can pour a coke in the pulled pork and will help with the moisture the following day. Has anyone done this? Should i just reheat the pulled pork in the oven? any suggestions?

Unknown · March 2009

Yes, you can cook the day or days ahead and when you reheat pour a little original coke over the pulled pork and heat slowly in a 200º oven. Most of the time I just get the meat warm, not hot, and serve. I've never had the pork dry out and no one ever knows the coke is in there.

stike · March 2009

takes longer to melt the gelatin that to melt the collagen that made it in the first place, which is why PP often seems "drier" when leftover. it's no drier than it was when it was first done, but the gelatin is now no longer liquid. reheating it needs to melt the gelatin. Alton Brown did a blurb on his show about stew. he walked us all through the paradox that the stew beef will soften, and then firm up again overnight. that's the gelatin firming up again.

since we tend to pussyfoot around reheating PP for fear of drying it, we rarely take it to the point where it (the gelatin) melts again, and instead try to augment the moisture thing with coke, broth, etc.

i always pull the shoulder, then store it tightly wrapped, usually in maybe two ziploc bags. i reheat it covered (foil over a foil pan usually) in a low oven (say 225/250) for as long as it takes to return it to the floppy moist pile it was the day before. it won't dry out, but i'm always afraid it will. remember, it is ALREADY dried out. there's very little moisture in that meat. it's the melted gelatin that remoistens the meat, and that doesn't evaporate or go away, it just gets firm. melt it again (slowly), and that PP will be as good as when pulled. even without coke or broth. i always add a little leftover sauce though, even a small can of coke. superstition maybe. but you really don't have to if you have faith in the food science gods.

>>>edited to clarify ....

first, the collagen is converted to gelatin. the gelatin males it feel moist. the next day, when cool, the gelatin is firm and no longer liquid, bit it doesn't go back to being collagen. it's just in a different (solid) state

Keving · March 2009

I have never done the coke thing, but if you could put the butt on before you go to bed that night and have it ready to take off when you get up. You can wrap it in foil and put it in a cooler and it will stay warm for many hours. Then you can pull it when it is time for the party.

Bordello · March 2009

Stike, great info. Thanks for adding to my learning curve.

It's the knowledge that people like you continue to pass on that make this forum so great.

Regards,
Bordello
A little smarter now & I sure need it. :cheer:

opod · March 2009

i just vaccum pack it for several days and then when i need to heat it up, drop the vaccuum packed back in boiling water for 30 min. By definition, the pork cannot dry out because there is no air in the bag for the moisture to evaporate to. also, garanteed not to go over 100 deg which seems to be hot enough to melt the gelatin. also a great way to freeze leftovers for tacos or ABT's, brunswick stew etc. i don't add coke as i haven't noticed a difference and the moisture messes with the seal sometimes.

Butt question?

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