How long can I rest pork.

[schultzy]

I am going to be cooking for a big outing and lunch will be at noon. I was wanting to do pulled pork the day before. Can I finish it up around 9:00 pm the night before and then wrap and cover with towels and put in cooler? How long will that keep warm? Should I pull it right away and put in roasters and then reheat the next day? Should I leave whole and reheat the next day and then pull it?

 

[zapper]

You are talking 15 hours, possibly longer than it took to cook. I wouldn't think that you would want to go quite that long. I have gone 4 hours wrapped in the cooler and found that the meat was still too hot to touch with a bare hand and to pull it was really more like stir it with a fork. I really don't know that the meat would get over cooked or dry out if it were foiled. I just don't know.

I would cook it, rest it and pull it as usual and then into the fridge and reheat in the electric roaster the next day. If there is no electricity at the event maybe leave the pork whole and reheat in a pit at the event and pull in front of the crowd for effect.


I still am leaning towards having the whole thing done, pulled and reheated before I would even show up at the event. Just bring the roaster, pork and all from home.

 

[deejaydebi]

I've had butts in the cooler all day that stayed hot. Guess it depends on the cooler.

 

[smokebuzz]

I had 2 butts and a packer brisket in a cooler that just held it all, small cooler, for 8 hours, kept a digi thero in the meat, went in at 195* ,rose to 201* and was 184* 8 hours later, and was great, but i do agree with ZAPPER, you may want to pull and cool it, reheat with a little apple or pineapple juice.

My cooler was also in a black trash bag sitting in the sun.

 

[ajthepoolman]

I left mine in a cold oven that was at 200 when it went in. 2 hours later it was down to 170.

 

[kew_el_steve]

I usually keep it hot in the cooler for 3-4 hours, in to the fridge to cool down completely in the foil, and pull it using my hands (washed of course) the next day. That way it's not too hot to handle and I can remove any remaining fatty areas.

When I open up the foil after complete cooling, the rendered fat is yellow and goes in the trash; the good juice is a dark brown jelly that will be going back in with the lean pork. I scrape what's remaining of the fat cap off the top with a spoon and in to the trash. I gently break the butt apart in to its' various sections and remove any fatty areas that I can feel. In to a 9 x 12 aluminum foil pan it goes and is pulled. A cup or so of Jeff's BBQ sauce or Sweet Baby Ray's mixed in and it is heaven... Warm back up in the oven (covered) or in the GOSM (uncovered) with smoke and water pan (takes about an hour in the GOSM at 225, stir a couple times over the hour). mmmmmm

I use latex gloves when I get my hands in to it...

 

[richtee]

Food service manuals refer to "the danger zone" as the range from 40-140 F. I wonder if keeping it above the 140 mark that long would reduce it to mush?

Sounds like something to be checked out, but not THIS time, eh.

Err on the side of caution and chill and re-heat. Cooling it whole has some merit, as pointed out by Zapper. The folks will marvel at the tenderness and the looks of those whole pretty butts!

Also, I would think cooling whole would reduce the chance of any contaminants getting a 15 hour head start. Ya never know what's floatin' round in the air.

 

[bearswoodshop]

I always try and cooler rest the meat for at least 3 to 5 hours, really helps with tenderness. As others have said, for that long a rest, the meat may turn to mush, don't think it would spoil though. BEAR