Question about smoking a butt... (1 Viewer)

[4mydogs]

We have guests coming for Thanksgiving and I want to serve pulled pork to them the day before which is of course Wednesday. I can only smoke this weekend, so will the meat be okay if smoked Sunday and refrigerated to eat Wednesday? How about smoking it Saturday?

I've never stored pulled pork more than 2 days because it's never taken any longer than that to consume.

 

[Skeet]

Your best bet is to freeze instead of refrigerate. It's a common practice at BBQ places. You can't tell it's been frozen.

 

[JohnVee]

If possible, borrow or buy a vacuum sealer. Cut the butt in half when it's done smoking, and leave them intact (don't pull them). After it's chilled, seal each half in a vac bag. Include any juices that accumulated as it chilled. Ideally, double bag each one, this is protection for the best part - to reheat, simply place the bags in a large pot of water at no more than a bare simmer. This method of reheating prevents any drying of the meat and is also hard to overdo because the meat will not rise above the temp of the water. To speed up the reheat, you can cut the butt into more than 2 pieces before sealing but still do not shred it until it's been reheated. A half butt from the fridge might take 25-40 minutes to reheat this way, expect longer if both halves go into the same pot. I can't recall how long it's taken from frozen.

The vac seal bags also will comfortably gain you an extra day or two (maybe longer) holding time in the fridge, as does leaving them in larger pieces.

I do this all the time now, and the people I cook for are way happier with the meat than any other method I've given them. It's pretty fool proof as long as you don't just boil away on high. I've only ever had one bag burst on me, but that was an expensive lesson (1/2 gallon of great chili) and I always double bag since then and watch the water temp.

For your situation, I'd hate to have to freeze it for only a day before pulling it to thaw in time. Vac bags for the win!

I just picked up a Food Saver brand (great stuff) vac sealer at Ollie's for $29 (factory refurb unit, sells new for $89). Leaving this one at my parents house.

 

[4mydogs]

Thanks guys. I appreciate the advice.

 

[Dragos80]

Inside the refrigerator it will get dry. Fridges always dry food out.
So yes, freezer would be a better option.

 

[B-RAD]

The Crock Pot is a great to warm and serve shredded, smoked meats too....just make sure there's either some liquid or BBQ sauce if you so desire.

 

[JohnVee]

@4mydogs How did it go?

 

[4mydogs]

@4mydogs How did it go?

Thanks for asking. I ended up smoking it Saturday (close to 15 hours), wrapping it and letting it rest about 90 minutes and then pulling/chopping it. I divvied it up, some for dinner for me and my wife Sunday, some to take to my boss Monday and the rest I wrapped tightly in foil and put into a zip lock bag for Wednesday, when I put the foiled meat in the oven and heated at 225 for about 90 minutes. My boss is a master smoker/griller and he told me Friday afternoon that it would be fine from Saturday to Wednesday, and it was! Rave reviews all around.

I need to read up on and refine my technique on fuel, though. I ended up having to add fuel (charcoal) at around 11-12 hours and thought I ought to have been able to go longer than that on the original fuel. Might have had something to do with the outside temp being cool.

Looking into a vacuum sealer for Christmas.

 

[FLATU8ER]

How could I have missed this thread??????????
Just the title conjures up a whole lot of smart azz things I could come up with.
Damn, well ya snooz ya loose.
I hope you succeeded, and got all the kudos