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on fri for pulled pork on sat.
Anybody have some tips on storing and reheating.
Also what about making pulled pork and freezing it for later.
The biggest thing I can think of not to go is maybe not to put the finishing sauce on till the meat its served.
Thanks all
If you are going to reheat in for the next day just keep the pork after it has been pulled in an alumium tray. Add some finishing sauce when you reheat it in a low temp. oven or the smoker.
For longer storage vacuum seal it with some left over juices and put it in the freezer. To reheat it you can do the same as above or boil the bag to reheat it.
I just mix it all up and just use the good ole Food Saver. I make dlfferanent size bags. Some big some small. If I'm going to reheat just a little for one or 2 people just grab a little bag and pop it in the micro wave. For a lot of people, a big bag and into the crock pot it goes. I put the finishing sauce on before I freeze it and it turns out great.
Best thing for storing pulled pork in the freezer is the Food Saver vacuum sealer. If you don't have one get one, you won't regret it and WILL use it. For about $130. Bought mine at Sam's Club. Get some extra boxes of bags with it. Best $$$$ I've spent in a while.
Divide the pork into the portions you want and seal each individual portion.
Reheating is no biggie.
And hold the sauce for serving time. Or sauce what you think you will consume and serve it. You can always sauce more as needed. The Food Saver prefers it's pork without sauce, but it will work with some liquids in the bag, read the instructions.
Good luck & ENJOY!
I'm in agreement with the comments so far, just wanted to throw in my 2 cents.
Short term - covered in the fridge.
Long term - vacuum sealer... save sooo much $$$, especially if you have a family to feed. You can pack up so much stuff, either to serve in portions or save for later recipies.
Here is a shot of what I saved from Saturday's smoke session. I did 2 shoulders, left a couple of pounds out for immediate consumption and sealed up 6 freezer packs at about 1.5 pounds each. Good portions to thaw for dinner, and have a bit left over for lunch. I reheat these by boiling the bag in water for several minutes (thaw the night before for better/quicker results)... when you cut it open, dump into dish and give a stir you will think it just came off the smoker. No kidding, it keeps perfect in these bags.
I sealed 8 slices of brisket the week before so we can have it some other time. I keep all kinds of leftovers in vacuum bags, but I also use them to store ingredients for other recipies. I usually grow bell and jalapeno peppers in my garden for use in salads, potatoes, or whatever, but most importantly for winter chili. Peppers freeze fine, but they must be in some sort of container to keep from freezer burn. I usually cut a bunch of peppers at once and then bag 1 1/2 cups of bell peppers and 3/4 cup of jalapenos in a vac bag and when they come out they are just like they were from the garden, AND PRE-MEASURED for one of my favorite recipies. Much more convenient than doing all that prep each time I want to make a pot of chili. I also store dry goods that I don't want spoiled (by natural disaster, etc.) rice, beans, matches, sugar, etc.
Anyhow, you get the idea... I just wanted to chime in and promote one of my favorite kitchen appliances. These things usually sell with some bags, but I find the rolls to be much more versatile. You have to do a little more cutting and sealing work (a few seconds per bag), but I like being able to cut just as much bag as I need for each project. I recently picked up 3 wide (11" x 18') and 3 narrow (8" x 22' - my favorite) rolls at Sam's for $30-$40 (IIRC). A little pricey, but the savings that I'll be able to put away will far outweigh the cost of materials.
Give it a try, I think you'll find it to be rewarding and fun.
Oh... I know this was aimed at storing meat, but another item I would recommend (especially for a family) is a deep freezer. I picked up a small/medium size chest style freezer from Lowes several years ago (about $175), and I'm glad I did. Gotta have somewhere to keep all that stuff. I would probably like a large upright with shelves a little better, but I'll bet one like mine can be found used for $100 or less, and you can keep so much stuff in there. Aside from freezer bagged items, I keep leftover chili, gumbo, bean soup, etc. in pint sized canning jars, just leave and inch of headroom for expantion. I suppose that stuff could be bagged too, but seems easier to place in jars.
I'm with you on the freezer K5.When I didn't have one my freezer would never stop running. And I had to pass up plenty of sales because of no room. Now I got a little deep freezer in the garage. Heck I don't even remember what on the bottom of it any more. but I know it's full of meat.
on fri for pulled pork on sat.
