Holding a Pork Shoulder Overnight

[dganor]

Question.....If I were to smoke a shoulder or butt the day before we plan to eat it, what would be the best way to store it overnight??? Then, the next day when we are ready to eat, at what temp should I warm the pork up to and at what temp should I have the oven at? I have read where a lot of people will keep a briskett over night, but haven't seen much on the pork storage. I would assume I would want to keep it in the fridge, but please let me know your thoughts. Thanks.

 

[placebo]

I just keep it in the fridge after its been pulled and finishing sauce added. Also set aside some of the fat skimmed juice to add back to it when you re-heat. As for re-heating you can do it in the oven at a few hundred degree's or nuke it. When I'm re-heating for myself and one or two others I usally just nuke it.

 

[desertlites]

Ya just wrap it and store in the fridge-heat at 200-225 to bring to temp and slice-or if you pulled than same as Placebo says-there very forgiveing.

 

[butch321]

I'll go along with the other wrap and store in fridge, heat in oven.
I myself fell that when you nuke it, it take away some of the taste
that is my 2cents.

 

[white cloud]

I agree with placebo on this. Exactly.

 

[smokin out the neighbors]

Anytime I plan to smoke ahead of time, I end up eating it anyway as soon as its done. People have a habit of dropping by when they smell smoke.

 

[jaynik]

I'm planning for a bbq on Saturday afternoon and will probably smoke both butts Friday, then pull one and wrap one whole and heat/pull the next day. I'll heat up both in the smoker if time allows. If no, I'll use the crock pot.

 

[flyin'illini]

Make that two of us on agreement with Placebo.

Also, I read here (maybe a Dutch comment - search for it) to add some apple juice on the re-heat. I tried this and it worked great as well,

 

[davenh]

I pulled the same day while warm and next day re-heated in the smoker with more Hickory. I added some finishing sauce and a little apple juice, mixed every 20 mins or so. Took about an hour and was great.

 

[seboke]

When I smoke for any reason, I fill up the smoker. I DO believe in leftovers! I put pulled pork thru the foodsaver in 2 pound paks. Then you can dunk the bag in boiling water or snip the corner and nuke it. Thawed, not frozen! If ya ain't into vac-sealing, ziploc it, removing all the air. If frozen, thaw, double wrap the PP in foil, into the oven at 300 for 30 minutes. All methods have given me moist, tasty chow.

 

[foozer]

I cooked 5 butts a couple weeks ago for a church mission trip fund raiser. Serving time was 4:00 pm. Four of the five butts were done at 6:30 AM. I wrapped in suran wrap, aluminum foil and towels put them in a cooler. The 5th was done at 11:00 AM. When I put it in the cooler with the others i was surprised at how much heat was in the cooler. I started to pull the meat for the sammies at 3:00 (over 8 hours after putting them in the cooler) They were still so hot I had trouble pulling them without burning my hands. After saying all that.....they will hold in a tightly sealed cooler for quite a long time.

 

[seboke]

I absolutely agree with foozer. A few times I have had butts come off the heat, still foiled, wrapped 'em in towels in a towel-lined cooler for at least 6 hours. Come pullin time, they were still too hot to handle.

 

[dganor]

Appreciate all the feedback. I think for my purposes, smoking the previous day and not eating until about the 6 or 7 the next night, I may go ahead and smoke it, pull it, sauce it, pack it in the fridge and just reheat the next day in the oven. I do like the idea of throwing it in the smoker again the next day, but we'll see. Unfortunately I won;t be able to let you know how it goes until June when we go on vacation. (Just trying to plan ahead!) Thanks for all of the input, as always very helpful!

 

[ajthepoolman]

I say eat the Friday smoke until it is gone, skip whatever the event is on Saturday and stay home drink some beer and smoke up another butt!

 

[dganor]

Also good advice

 

[cinnamonkc]

What a fantastic idea!! I foodsaver everything else...never thought of doing that for the Q and then boiling!! Would really keep the flavor in! Thanks!!

 

[seboke]

Gotta give kudos to desertlites for the dunking foodsaver bags in the boiling water idea

 

[cinnamonkc]

Props to desertlites and seboke!

 

[pitrow]

back when I was a kid and used to do a lot of backpacking, that was how we did a lot of our meals. Spaghetti, eggs, beef stew, whatever you wanted went into individual servings in the vacuum sealer, then when it was time to eat, dunk it in the boiling water to reheat it. Worked great!

 

[meandmytwodogs]

I'm w/ Seboke. I pull then vac seal. Boil in the bag and the meat will not dry out. Good to go.

Dave