Pulled Pork Advise

[metsfan2152]

I am doing 2 pork shoulders Friday. I wont be serving these till Saturday early afternoon.
Whats the best way to keep the pork moist. I was thinking after they are done to pull the pork. Then put it in a tin foil tray and cover it. Stick it in the fridge till Saturday.

Should I add any liquid or finishing sauce in the tin to keep it moist? Should I add the AuJus sauce now or when I reheat it on Saturday?

Also what recommendation do people have when reheating it in the oven?
I know in the past I have added a little apple juice and some dry rub. Then put that in the oven.
Anyone have any suggestions would be helpful?

 

[Traeger.Rage.BBQ]

I have not done a lot of pulled pork but what we have done when we vacuum seal it to freeze we add some Carolina style sauce (vinegar based) to the meat before we seal it.

When I fridge food for a day or two after I smoke it, I like to have it in tins as you mention but I use plastic wrap to entirely seal everything in to prevent any drying at all while in the fridge.

Depending what options I will have to reheat and how picky I am about the appearance of the food I may vacuum seal and use the sous vide to reheat. When appearance is more important I do a very slow heat in the oven with the plastic wrap remaining in place. Vacuum sealed food isn’t so pretty. Pulled pork is likely the most ideal to vacuum seal and sous vide to reheat.

Just my practices. Perhaps others practices will be even better.

Pat

 

[browneyesvictim]

If you are planning to do your butts on Friday, just wrap them and put them in a cooler with towels after they are done. They will hold temperature and stay moist until the following day. Leave a temp probe in and set a low alarm it if you want.

When I pull the bone and shred the pork and remove the big globs of fat, I will incorporate all of the natural juices back in. No finishing sauce needed. But you can find (search bar) several PP finishing sauces on here others have recommended.

 

[metsfan2152]

If you are planning to do your butts on Friday, just wrap them and put them in a cooler with towels after they are done. They will hold temperature and stay moist until the following day. Leave a temp probe in and set a low alarm it if you want.

When I pull the bone and shred the pork and remove the big globs of fat, I will incorporate all of the natural juices back in. No finishing sauce needed. But you can find (search bar) several PP finishing sauces on here others have recommended.

So you are saying don't pull the pork friday night? I should pull it Saturday?

 

[browneyesvictim]

That is your call. I don't think there is a wrong answer to that. But In my mind I would leave it whole in this case, until the next day. It will benefit from the prolonged rest and should be just as "pullable" if not more so later.

 

[metsfan2152]

That is your call. I don't think there is a wrong answer to that. But In my mind I would leave it whole in this case, until the next day. It will benefit from the prolonged rest and should be just as "pullable" if not more so later.

Understand. I will have to play it by time and how long they will take.
I have done tons of pork shoulders before but I was just reading something that said not to put the temp prob in the meat till an hour or two into the cook because of contamination and not hitting the 140 marking in 4 hours. Is this true?

 

[browneyesvictim]

That is a general idea. Not sure there is a consensus or even a rule. But that is a good practice, but also as is to be sure to sterilize your probe before sticking it in the meat.

Chef JJ has posted this multiple times before in other posts. But again, try without it first. or even just straight warmed up apple juice.

Foiling Juice / Sweet Pulled Pork Finishing Sauce

Foiling Juice

For each Rack of Ribs Combine:

1T Pork Rub, yours

1/2 Stick Butter

1/2C Cane Syrup... Dark Corn Syrup...or Honey

1/4C Apple Cider...or Juice

1T Molasses

Optional:

2T Vinegar, 2T Mustard and 1/4C Ketchup to make it more KC Style.

Simmer until a syrupy consistency.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes, pour over foiled Ribs and

run your 2 hour phase of 3-2-1. For the last phase return

the ribs to the smoker BUT reserve any Juice remaining

in the Foil. Simmer the Juice over med/low heat to reduce to a saucy thickness. Glaze the Ribs for presentation or service.

For a Sweet Finishing Sauce for Pulled Pork: Make a Double batch, Butter optional.

Add 1/2 the batch to the Foil Pack or place it in a Pan with your Butt, when the IT hits 165*F.

Cover the pan with foil and continue to heat to 205*F for pulling.

At 205* rest or hold the Butt in a cooler wrapped in towels until ready to serve.

Pull the Pork and place it back in the pan with the pan Juices and any additional reserved Foiling Juice to moisten and Serve...OR... Bag and refrigerate until needed.

When re-heating place the Pulled Pork in a Pan or Crock pot and add reserved Foiling Juice or Apple Cider, as needed to make up the Juice that was absorbed while the pork was refrigerated. Cover and re-heat in a pre-heated 325-350*F oven or on High in the crock pot to 165*F and Serve.

Note: the addition of the reserved Foiling Juice or Apple Cider should make the PP moist but not Swimming.

I was AMAZED...No additional sauce needed. ENJOY...JJ

Tangy Pulled Pork Finishing Sauce

This is more of an Eastern North Carolina style Finishing Sauce...

2 C Apple Cider Vinegar

2T Worcestershire Sauce or more to taste

1/4C Brown Sugar

1T Smoked Paprika

2 tsp Granulated Garlic

2 tsp Granulated Onion

2 tsp Fine Grind Black Pepper

1 tsp Celery Salt

1 tsp Cayenne Pepper or Chipotle powder. Add more if you like Heat.

1/2 tsp Grnd Allspice

Combine all and whisk well. Let rest, at room temp, a minimum of 30 minutes for the flavors to meld together. Or bring just to a simmer and remove from heat...JJ

Mild Bubba Q Rub (All Purpose)

1/2C Sugar in the Raw (Turbinado)

2T Sweet Paprika (Hungarian)

1T Kosher Salt

1T Chili Powder (contains some Cumin and Oregano) Ancho Chile is same without cumin, oregano etc.

1T Granulated Garlic

1T Granulated Onion

1tsp Black Pepper, more if you like

1/2tsp Grnd Allspice

For more heat add Cayenne or Chipotle Pwd to taste, start with 1/2tsp and go from there. Makes about 1 Cup

Apply your desired amount of Rub to the meat, wrap in plastic and rest in the refrigerator over night.or longer. The day of the smoke, pull the meat out, add more Rub and go into your pre-heated Smoker...

KC Bubba Q Juice

2C Ketchup

1/2C Brown Mustard (Gulden's)

1/4C Apple Cider Vinegar

1/2C Molasses

2C Dark Brn Sugar

1T Tomato Paste

1T Your Rub

1-2tsp Liquid Smoke

1tsp Worcestershire Sauce

Combine all and warm over low heat just until it starts to bubble. Simmer about 5 minutes, stirring very frequently, to combine flavors and to thicken slightly.

Use or pour into a sterile jar and refrigerate for up to 4 weeks.

Makes 3 1/2 Cups.

 

[Geebs]

I have smoked MANY prok butts and have always put the probe in from the get go, and I have never gotten sick. I would say you can pull the pork and then the following day reheat it, if it needs a little moisture just add some apple juice.

 

[metsfan2152]

Thank you for the reply's. I will try the foiling sauce. I usually just put a pan on the third rack of the smoker and let it drip in there. I think i will do this but when it comes to foiling i will put the pork in the tin foil pan and add the foiling sauce to the pan. Then cover the pan and put it back in to cook.

 

[metsfan2152]

I usually smoke at about 230 for pulled pork. Do you think bumping this up to 250 will effect the quality?
Does any smoke higher then 250 with pork shoulder/butt?

 

[Geebs]

I usually smoke at about 230 for pulled pork. Do you think bumping this up to 250 will effect the quality?
Does any smoke higher then 250 with pork shoulder/butt?

I would recommend reading Al's post on Hot and Fast Pork Butts
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t...ith-judys-pretzel-buns-thanks-mossymo.253165/

Ever since reading this, I have done my last 4-5 prok butts at 280 and will never do them any other way. They had the same amount of smoke flavor and moistness as those that I did at 225-240. The best part is, at 280 I havent been hitting a stall at 160, the butt just keeps on increasing in temp!

 

[metsfan2152]

I will take a look at that thank you. Do you also foil at 160?

 

[gmc2003]

I usually smoke at about 230 for pulled pork. Do you think bumping this up to 250 will effect the quality?
Does any smoke higher then 250 with pork shoulder/butt?

It won't make any difference at all. Butt is very forgiving and can be done many ways at many temps. I like to smoke at 250* because that's where my smoker likes to stabilize at. Personally I would pull the pork that night and store the pulled meat in the fridge. I wouldn't add any juice until your ready to warm it back up the next day, but that's me and how I would do it. Others will do it entirely different and their results will be the same - excellent.

Chrs

 

[Geebs]

I always foiled before when doing 225-250 to help through the stall. But with 280 I just leave it on until it hits 205-208. You could foil if you didnt want a thick bark, but I enjoy the bark. My family says that since I have made the switch its the best pulled pork they have had. I also inject mine though.

 

[metsfan2152]

Thank you guys. Going to try it at 280 and see what happens. I am going to foil this one and use foiling juice.
Well see what how this one goes.

 

[Geebs]

Thank you guys. Going to try it at 280 and see what happens. I am going to foil this one and use foiling juice.
Well see what how this one goes.

When are you planning on foiling? Another option is to just put a pan under the butt and let it collect the juices. I put a pan under mine and add in later.

 

[SmokinVOLfan]

What brown eyes said up at the top is exactly what I do. I would smoke them overnight Friday, wrap them at the stall, and then when they hit 205 pull them and put them in a cooler full of old towels. I have done tons of them like this and pulled them out of the cooler 8 hours later and they are still too hot to touch. Shred them on Saturday at the event and dump the juice from the foil over the top and you will be the bbq king to your guests.

Oh and make sure you knock back a couple cold ones in the process! Its only right...

 

[metsfan2152]

When are you planning on foiling? Another option is to just put a pan under the butt and let it collect the juices. I put a pan under mine and add in later.

I usually put a pan underneath the pork to catch the juices. Then i just foil the pork when it hits about 160-165.
The pan underneath i save for later and take the fat out of it and use it on the pork after it is shredded.
I was thinking when i foil the pork to just put it in a pan and foil around the pan. Use foil juice in the pan. The pan underneath i will use for later still.
What do you think?

 

[metsfan2152]

What brown eyes said up at the top is exactly what I do. I would smoke them overnight Friday, wrap them at the stall, and then when they hit 205 pull them and put them in a cooler full of old towels. I have done tons of them like this and pulled them out of the cooler 8 hours later and they are still too hot to touch. Shred them on Saturday at the event and dump the juice from the foil over the top and you will be the bbq king to your guests.

Oh and make sure you knock back a couple cold ones in the process! Its only right...

I will def be throwing back some cold ones

 

[Geebs]

I usually put a pan underneath the pork to catch the juices. Then i just foil the pork when it hits about 160-165.
The pan underneath i save for later and take the fat out of it and use it on the pork after it is shredded.
I was thinking when i foil the pork to just put it in a pan and foil around the pan. Use foil juice in the pan. The pan underneath i will use for later still.
What do you think?

That will work perfectly.