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Cooking pork butts to be pulled the next day

robnybbq
robnybbq Posts: 1,911
Say I want to cook a few pork butts on Friday (turbo method).  And I want to reheat them for pulled pork on Saturday evening around 6.  How do I do it?  Will they taste like they just came off the Egg?  Pull first - Afterwards?  After they get cold can you pull them still?  Will they be dried out?

_______________________________________________________________
LBGE, Adjustable Rig, Spider, High-Que grate, maverick ET-732, Thermapen,


Garnerville, NY

Comments

  • Foghorn
    Foghorn Posts: 9,795

    @robnybbq, I've eaten a lot of leftover pulled pork (pulled at the time it was cooked) and it sometimes seems better than it was the day I cooked it.  I've read several threads on here over the past year that recommend different ways of doing this and I'm not sure it matters much as long as you put in a little effort to keep it moist. 

    Reheating a whole, unpulled butt and then pulling it will take more time and effort than reheating pre-pulled pork so I would make the decision based on your Saturday situation and how much time and reheating space you have.

    I'm curious what others will say.

    XXL BGE, Karebecue, Klose BYC, Chargiller Akorn Kamado, Weber Smokey Mountain, Grand Turbo gasser, Weber Smoky Joe, and the wheelbarrow that my grandfather used to cook steaks from his cattle

    San Antonio, TX

  • robnybbq
    robnybbq Posts: 1,911
    How could I keep it moist if pulled and reheate somehow?

    _______________________________________________________________
    LBGE, Adjustable Rig, Spider, High-Que grate, maverick ET-732, Thermapen,


    Garnerville, NY
  • Duganboy
    Duganboy Posts: 1,118
    When you reheat, spray it with apple juice. Pork loves apple juice. I do this all the time.
  • Duckhook18
    Duckhook18 Posts: 42
    Here is what I do. I cook them, rest them and pull. As soon as the pulled pork cools I vacuum seal it in 1-2 pound portions with my food saver. If you are using the next day, just throw it in the fridge. About an hour before you need it boil a big pot of water. I put the sealed bag of pork in the water and let the pork get hot, about 15 minutes in the water. Take it out, open the bag and enjoy. It will be just as juicy and flavorful as the day you cooked it.
    LBGE Knoxville, TN
  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    Over the past few years, there have been many recommendations to put the PP in a slow cooker, and add a little root beer or cola. I've tried that, and it worked well. What I've done more recently was to pull it, and place it quickly in plastic bags. Push as much air out as possible. Freeze or refrigerate depending on the storage period. Then into a slow cooker set on low or keep warm w. enough water to immerse the bag.

    I think the flavor may be better, but the texture is not quite the same. But it is still very good for sandwiches.

    I've also done single sandwich portions w. a half pat of butter which are reheated in a microwave. Maybe not the greatest, but nice for lunch at work.
  • Charlie tuna
    Charlie tuna Posts: 2,191

    This is what i do and it has worked for me on some big parties.  I turbo cook  my butts and keep them just as they came out of the rest cooler.  Place them, unpulled, in their foiled wrappings as they came off the grill, in the refrigerator.  Now understand, not off the grill and into the refrigerator, but AFTER their one to two hour rest period in a cooler.  The next day, about two and a half hours, before serving time, i place them in an oven or my gaser at 300 degrees -- still in their unopened foiled package.  Being that they were turbo cooked, you will see that the normal liquid found in the foil has "jelled", this is the flavor that must be mixed back into the pulled pork to keep it moist and flavorful, SAVE EVERY BIT OF IT ! Takes about one and a half hours before you start smelling "cooked pork"!  At the two hour mark i would open one of them and check it's temperature, adjust the oven temperature accordingly.  I wait till the last minute to pull, and since it is turbo cooked, the butt will have plenty of liquid flavor to mix back into the pulled pork as you are pulling it.  Pull it right in the foiled package and move into a serving dish.. 

    Example: 

    Monday, i have some company coming by for a luncheon, and i froze two "makeover" butts about a week ago.  I cut them in thirds(while dividing up the jelled liquid) and sealed them in plastic wrap.  I will take two packages of them out today to defrost in the refrigerator.  Monday morning, i will re-heat them in foil, as i discribed above, and serve it along with some home made cole slaw on toasted Ciabatta rolls.  I, nor the company, will taste any difference between frozen or fresh.  

  • SmokeyPitt
    SmokeyPitt Posts: 10,490
    If you have a foodsaver then the best way is vac seal it  right after pulling it, frige or freeze, and then reheat it in simmering water (170-180 degrees) in the food saver bags.  Heat it for 20-30 minutes or so.  When I use this method I don't add anything to the pork.  If you vac it while it is fresh there will be plenty of natural pork juice trapped in the bag :)

    If have also just used (gasp) the microwave.  I heat it on lower power and not too long...you don't want to "cook" the pork any more.  When I use the wave I add a little vinegar based sauce.  It is still really good IMO but I agree it is different...it will be softer and the flavors meld a bit more.  My wife and my parents actually prefer a sammich from the leftovers. 

    To keep the pork warm, you can use a crock pot.  My crock pot, even on "keep warm" tends to burn the meat a little so you have to stir it occasionally.  I think a chaffing dish or steam pan would work good to keep it warm. 


    Which came first the chicken or the egg?  I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. 

  • robnybbq
    robnybbq Posts: 1,911
    Thanks guys. Good recommendations. Don't think I will hav time for his upcoming party. Not enough time. I guess burgers and dogs on gasser.

    _______________________________________________________________
    LBGE, Adjustable Rig, Spider, High-Que grate, maverick ET-732, Thermapen,


    Garnerville, NY
  • twlangan
    twlangan Posts: 307
    Like others, I pull the pork after it is cooked and store in a tupperware container. A few hours before mealtime, put it in crock pot and add some apple juice. It has never failed to turn out great!