Reheated pulled pork not wowing me…

[bgaviator]

Is it pretty common to lose some of the smoke flavor on the reheat for pulled pork? I reheated last night’s portion in a small saucepan with a lid and some splashes of apple juice. I made sure to keep the heat on low to bring it back up to temp. I sprinkled on some additional Meat Church Honey Hog as well, which did help give it some additional flavor pop. Now granted I used all mulberry wood for this smoke, so being a fruit wood it’s not as strong. But I always feel the smoke flavor is almost non-existent or greatly reduced once I reheat the leftovers. Even when I’ve used something stronger like my favorite hickory/cherry mix, the smoke flavor is not as strong on the reheat. My wife says she can still taste smoke, but I don’t feel like I can. I generally prefer a more pronounced and bolder smoke than she does. This pulled pork was finished at 8:30am yesterday and I shredded it after a 1 hour rest in this foil pan. Since we were going to be having it for dinner later that night I didn’t bother to bag it yet. I just covered with foil and kept this pan in the fridge until dinner. I did vacuum seal some of the leftovers and ziploc bagged some that we were going to eat in the next couple of days. I always felt it was silly to vac seal pork I was going to eat in the next couple of days but maybe I’m wrong on that thought process?

 

[6GRILLZNTN]

I can't speak for everybody, but one possibility is that your taste buds, and your smeller are used to the smoke flavor the day after, and your less inclined to pick up on it. It happens to me. If I eat something I've smoked and eaten the same day, and then ate leftovers the next day, I don't seem to pick up as much smoke flavor. If I seal it up, and wait a few days and then eat it, I pick up the smoke flavor again.

 

[tomhooper]

Best way I've learned to reheat any meat from the pit is that I vacuum seal it. When I get ready to re-heat, I throw it in my sous vide but you could just put it in a pot of hot water on the stove. That way the heat from an oven, stove, or microwave won't dry the meat out. Also sitting in the refrigerator even in a sealed container I find the meat dries out. Vacuum sealed and all the juices are still there.
If the meat has sat out too long I'll add some type of liquid, be that apple juice, BBQ sauce, or whatever you want.

Works really well.

 

[DemonPit]

I vac seal most all of my leftovers and reheat in the sous vide method (140* tops to reheat). Then into a sautee pan (juices n all) over med heat, add desired amount of bbq sauce, 1min later, it's ready to serve. Moist and great tasting, not dried out.

 

[cptnding]

When I have left over pulled pork that is on the dryer side I like to mix in a little melted butter before packing it up. I prefer vac sealing and reheating with the SV or hot water as well.

 

[bgaviator]

I get the sous vide thing. And I do have a vac sealer and sous vide. It just seems like a lot of work for the leftovers I want to eat within the next few days. I guess that’s why I’ve always just done the pan with a lid on the stove method

 

[cptnding]

Try a zip lock bag and low power in the microwave. Works almost as well.

 

[DemonPit]

Most all my leftovers get vac sealed and tossed in my 10cu' deep freezer. It's super easy tossing in proportioned pulled pork, brisket, chili, ect. I even vac seal sauces for later use.

 

[DougE]

I get the sous vide thing. And I do have a vac sealer and sous vide. It just seems like a lot of work for the leftovers I want to eat within the next few days. I guess that’s why I’ve always just done the pan with a lid on the stove method

If that works, fine, but you'll get more like fresh off the smoker results with the vac sealed and reheated.

 

[pineywoods]

I add this before reheating helps with flavor adds another profile

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/finishing-sauce-for-pulled-pork.49892/

 

[bgaviator]

If that works, fine, but you'll get more like fresh off the smoker results with the vac sealed and reheated.

So is it best to vac seal it pretty much immediately then after shredding? Would it help at all to maybe freeze some apple juice into ice cubes and put that with the vac sealed pork? Or is that even necessary if you vac seal right away?

 

[bgaviator]

I add this before reheating helps with flavor adds another profile

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/finishing-sauce-for-pulled-pork.49892/

I have made and used JJ’s finishing sauce before. I like the flavor it gives, but some people I’ve served it to they pick up on the vinegar and don’t care for it. My manager makes amazing pulled pork on his stick burner (I have a Kamado Joe)…and once I served him my pork with the finishing sauce and he said he didn’t care for the vinegar taste. I did not bother to make a finishing sauce for this cook

 

[DougE]

If you vac seal what is left before it has had time to dry out, you really need no additional liquid since you aren't losing any during the reheat.

 

[jcam222]

I always do a pan of broth below my butts. I also wrap in a pan with some of the broth. I mix th coan juice back in the broth and then defat next day. Makes the perfect smokey au jus to kick in that flavor. I freeze what's left over for soups and /or future smokes.

 

[LoydB]

Vac seal and sous vide. This is the way.

 

[bgaviator]

Vac seal and sous vide. This is the way.

What temp to sous vide at?

 

[bgaviator]

I always do a pan of broth below my butts. I also wrap in a pan with some of the broth. I mix th coan juice back in the broth and then defat next day. Makes the perfect smokey au jus to kick in that flavor. I freeze what's left over for soups and /or future smokes.

This was an overnight cook while I was sleeping so I didn’t want to have to get up to wrap. Bark is hard to achieve on the Kamado Joe so that’s another reason I didn’t wrap. Would it be good to sit the pork on a rack above a pan and just not wrap? Basically use the pan to catch drippings to be added back later?

 

[jcam222]

This was an overnight cook while I was sleeping so I didn’t want to have to get up to wrap. Bark is hard to achieve on the Kamado Joe so that’s another reason I didn’t wrap. Would it be good to sit the pork on a rack above a pan and just not wrap? Basically use the pan to catch drippings to be added back later?

Absolutely

 

[SmokingUPnorth]

Just out of curiosity what did you smoke it on? And time/temp and I saw you said mulberry wood but was it chunks, chips or pellets?

 

[bgaviator]

Kamado Joe. Chunks. 275° for 8.5 hours