Transporting Meat

[psycho dad]

Hey Guys,

 I'm going out to Bristol in 2 weeks for the race weekend. I'm going to smoke a pork butt and maybe a brisket to take along. I need to smoke them Sunday, but I don't leave for Bristol until Thursday.

 Should I leave then whole, or go ahead and pull the meat?  Also should I freeze the meat or refridgerate?  I aldso need advice for reheating.  I recently got some pulled pork out of the freezer and microwaved it, it was horrible! It was dried out and just tasted bad.

 Any advice would be greatly appreciared.

- Jay

 

[s2k9k]

I've reheated PP on a plate in the micro and like you it was very dry. I now leave it in a ziplock and micro it and it is very moist and fresh. A friend of mine vacuums his then freezes then drops it in simmering water for a few minutes and he says it comes out great.

Will you have access to electricity at Bristol? Another way to reheat a large amount is in a crockpot.

 

[scarbelly]

I would smoke it prepare it the way you are serving it save the juices and freeze it in food sealer bags or baggies with the liquid . I would take it out of the freezer the day before yu leave an put in the fridge. When you get there heat it in hot but not boiling water.  Boiling plastic is not a good idea in my opinion 

 

[chef jimmyj]

You always want to reduce the size of the meat to store and reheat. That means Pull the pork and Slice the beef. Reheat the Pork in some apple juice or finishing sauce with the pan juices in a Crock Pot or in a covered pan over a low grill or in a oven at 325*F. Some AuJus in a pan with the Beef will heat it up nicely. As Scarbelly said simmering in heavy guage plastic bags is an option. Microwaves are a last choice and only for individual portions...JJ

 

[mballi3011]

Now I would recommend that you steam the meat hot. If you have a way to re-heat thats the way I would do it.

 

[triplebq]

I am first and foremost a country redneck. I would not slice the brisket,leave it whole. Refridgerate and not freeze it. Set it out like under the back glass so the sun will hit while you are driving and serve it room temp . You will love it this way .  Just make sure you drain off any talo ( fat drippings )(  Briskets tend to dry out after slicing in my humble opinion ) ,

before you put it in the icebox .

For the pork pull it and wrap well in foil , sauce it well ... about an hour out of bristol secure it to the inake of your engine or somewhere close to the engine under the hood... the heat will make it hot and delicous when you arrive ... I too go to Bristol,Daytona,Dega,Alanta,Dallas & Kansas when funds allow ... I do these this way all the time ...

if you do not feel comfortable wait until you arrive and then set it in the engine compartment as close to an exhaust manifold as you dare get .. DO NOT TOUCH any of the hot exhaust as it will burn you ( my disclaimer )

Pork can not be nuked unless it's half power or less with a bbq sauce soaked rag or heavy duty wet papertowel  over it.

This post is NOT intended to disrepect the others as this is just how I do it with good results . The others are most likely professionals where as I am NASCAR fan and avid BBQer .

 

[psycho dad]

thanks guys,

 I'll be staying at my brother's house and he has electricity (not a given in that part of the world).  I can probably hit his wife up for a pan hot hot water or maybe even a crock pot.

I've done my share of manifold cookin when I had a boat, but I wont be tailgating this trip.  Guess I should have mentioned that before.

 

[triplebq]

Man staying at a REAL house is like cheating ... Have fun , enjoy the race ..

 

[rdknb]

I agree with steaming to reheat.  I do it that way all the time.

 

[mlrtime]

the best is a manifold pastrami sandwich, use to work on a lobster boat and around 9:30ish we put our linch on the manifolds in the engine room.  One day the boss showed up with a pyrex plate of macoroni and meatballs, i lthought for sure that was gonin all over but it was fine.  The hot tank was great for heating up a can of soup too just throw it in and a few hours later ready to go.  hell we had a microwave too.

 

[801driver]

A lot of years ago I first saw John Force (Nitro Funny Car multi time world champ) in Tulsa cooking his bacon and eggs breakfast on a flat iron griddle he had welded to the exhaust manifold of the 6cy Chevy single car hauler truck he was driving. He looked like he had been sleeping in his truck the night before. Yep, he paid his dues to get to where he is today. I am pulling off a PB soon for a ham radio Christmas party in the morning.