Butt Cooking Concept - Seeking Expert Opinions

Unknown

I’ve been rolling an idea around in my head lately and would appreciate your thoughts/experiences. [p]When I cook Boston Butts I cook them four at a time. That way I can catch them on sale, save lump and I only have to clean up once. In the past I have pulled all four butts, or given some of them away whole as presents, but as we all know it takes considerable time to pull four butts, package, and freeze for later use.

Now the questions and my thoughts: The idea I’ve been mulling over is possibly freezing them whole and bring them back to life by re-heating them in the oven, wrapped in foil, until they reach pulling temperature. Should I pull them off the BGE after they break through an extended plateau (160°) and freeze them after cooling down? I would then re-heat them, wrapped in foil, until they reach pulling temperature (193°-200°). Should I bring them all they way to pulling temperature (193°-200°) both on the pit and during the re-heating period? Will this freezing/re-heating concept work?[p]I have cooked literally 100’s of pounds of butts on the BGE over the past several years (ask Chris we are on a first name basis) and it is my opinion a butt has received most, if not all, of the good effects it is going to receive from the BGE by the time it crosses the plateau. Somewhere I read, and it might have been here, or in Dr. BBQ’s book, that once the exterior of the meat reaches 140° or 160° the enzymes shut down and it no longer produces bark. This would support the argument to freeze them after the plateau. In fact several of you make the argument to raise the temperature on the pit after the plateau to hasten the end result. So, apparently there are others that subscribe to this concept.[p]Just wanted to pass this idea by the best BBQ’ers I know….YOU! [p]Thanks for taking the time to respond.[p]LAD

fishlessman

LAD,
i bring them up into the 130,s at higher temps then drop the temps way down to about 210-220 during the plataue stage, then let the temps climb again and find no difference than a traditional slow cook. extending the time in the plataue stage does it fine. dont know how well it would pull after the freeze and reheat or if it would dry out. maybe you could vacuum pack whole chunks with a little coke and lowsodium broth freeze and reheat in boiling water at a later date, i think it would pull fine then.

thirdeye

LAD,[p]I have good luck completing the cook, resting for an hour or two, pulling and freezing. It is convienent and easy to control portions but I too would be interested in hearing about freezing whole ones.[p]140° is a magic number. It is the accepted high end of a temperature range where bacteria die, where the smoke ring will stop forming and where proteins are denatured. But I don't understand the end of bark formation you mentioned. That doesn't happen in my cookers. (The exterior can hit 140°-160° in 3 or 4 hours). Could you (or anyone) expand on this?? [p]I think most agree that the plateau needs low temperatures and plenty of time. If the temperature is too high, the water in the muscle cells and the fat is rendered out before the collagen melts and will produce a tougher product. [p]Happy New Year
~thirdeye~[p]

Bobby-Q

LAD,
Cook the butts as you normally would, to 200°. Let them cool and then refrigerate or freeze. When you reheat them just bring them up to the 150° to 160° to get them hot and pull.[p]The butts will be pullable once you bring them up to temp the first time due to the tissue breakdown, after that it is just a matter of warming the meat and letting it lossen up to be pulled.