First Time Pork Butt Question

[kubs]

I am doing my first butt tomorrow for pulled pork. I have a good idea for the procedure, but i will not be eating it right away. I am making it for a party on Sunday. My questions are, after pulling what is the best way to store it in the fridge overnight? Then, how should i re-heat it? Oven temp? Pork temp? Covered or uncovered? Etc..

Thanks!

 

[b-one]

Good planning,butts can be an interesting experience when shooting for a time! I would reheat in the oven at 350 tightly foiled maybe add some finishing sauce to keep it extra moist and flavorful,or a bbq sauce of your choosing, I put sauce only on top of a Sammie generally. You can find various finishing sauces using the search feature. I would fully cook and rest the butt pull it and just cover tightly or store it in a ziplock bag. The best way I can think of to cool the meat after pulling is to spread it out on a sheet pan and stick it in your fridge or freezer for a bit to get it chilled and out of the danger zone faster. You want to reheat the pork to 160 when I reheat in the oven I cover the dish with plastic wrap then foil it seems to help seal the moisture in as well as the steam doesn't escape.

 

[kubs]

Thanks for the tips! I too plan to only sauce it on a sandwich. I have some foil pans i was going to cover and put in the fridge. That way i can take the covered pan out and right into the oven. Wjat is the danger zone you are taking about? How long should i wait after pulling to put it in the fridge?

 

[b-one]

Thanks for the tips! I too plan to only sauce it on a sandwich. I have some foil pans i was going to cover and put in the fridge. That way i can take the covered pan out and right into the oven. Wjat is the danger zone you are taking about? How long should i wait after pulling to put it in the fridge?

I would let it cool about 15-30 min then fridge it. The danger zone is temps between 40-140 *F. It's the time bacteria grows the fastest in your food. Are you planning on resting the meat before you pull it? Most of us will wrap the butt in foil usally twice wrap that with a towel and put it in a dry cooler to rest for about an hour and it should stay hot 2-3 hours fairly easily for future reference. I wouldn't cover it when you put it in the fridge until it's really cooled off and if it's in a deep pan stir it or toss it with some tongs to help cool it faster. If it looks dry when you reheat it you can add a little a apple juice or a finishing sauce as I recommended earlier. Good luck butts are forgiving have fun! What are you using for a rub and what type of wood are you using? Also how big is the butt!

 

[kubs]

I was planning to let it rest before pulling. Several places i read said that was a good idea. I am using my own rub with a mixture of apple cider vinegar and apple juice spray. I might use the juice/vinegar mix as a finishing sauce as well. I am going to cook with mostly cherry wood and a little pecan mixed in.

Here they are prepped for tomorrow morning!

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• kubs
• May 15, 2015

 

[b-one]

Those are my favorite woods for smoking! That's looking good can't wait to see the finished product!

 

[kubs]

Thanks! Im looking forward to trying it! I like to use fruit and nut woods for pork and chicken. Ill be sure to post pictures before and after pulling!

 

[foamheart]

P - E - C - A - N  !!

 

[kubs]

So i started the two butts this morning at 7am local time and its now noon. After 5 hours the meat IT is already up to 180 with no stall at 160 like i was expecting. I have been cooking around 250° the whole time to speed it up a little, but this seems to be going too fast. Should i slow it down or see how long it takes to get to 200° IT?

 

[kubs]

Ok so it looks like it has hit a stall at 180°. Still truckin along. After being at 183° for about an hour it dropped a bit to 181°. Is that normal?

 

[radioguy]

Kubs,

Yes sometimes butts will drop a few degrees during stall. Stay with it don't peek. You're almost there. Check out JJ's finishing sauce..it's the bomb.

RG

 

[kubs]

Thanks! They came out pretty good!

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• kubs
• May 16, 2015

 

[b-one]

Thanks! They came out pretty good!

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• kubs
• May 16, 2015

Looks like they turned out fine! Do you have a calibrated therm your using for your smoker the stock ones are usally way off.

 

[kubs]

Yes i do. I use a Maverick wireless (forget the model number) and it is much better than the stock one in my smoker.