First Time Smoking Pork Butt/Pulled Pork

[brewmate76]

Hi Everyone,

My wife and I decided we'd have a birthday party for my soon-to-be three year old son. We are inviting about 30-35 people and decided pulled pork would be an economical way to serve all these people.

I have an electric ECB that I have been using fairly regularly since I got it for my birthday in March, but I have not yet smoked butts. I'm looking to cook two of 'em. Our party is Friday, September 26th. Since I work on Friday, I will have to smoke them the weekend prior, since I figure it will take all day.

My questions are this:

1. Are there any tips to keep the butt real nice and moist? I do not want it to be dry. I was wondering if anyone had tried wrapping their butts in foil in the middle of the smoke. Seems to work real well when I do that with my country style ribs.

2. Will the cooked butts last in the fridge for one week or will I need to freeze them?

3. What's the best way to warm up a cooked butt so that it retains moisture?

Thanks so much for any help!!

 

[krusher]

hello, I hope your party goes well,

most people here including myself take the butt to 165 degrees and the wrap it in foil until it gets to 200-205. This weekend I discoverd that using an oven bag it even better that using foil, there is no mess and it is easier and faster to get wrapped. Before you seal off your foil or oven bag be sure to trow in atleast a half of a cup of apple juice, to braise it, it will make it moist and tender like you want.

As for storing it I would go ahead and pull it, mix in the juice you get after you open the wrap, and after the fat has come to the top, and then put it in gallon ziplock bags, if you get the good bags, you can just get a pot of water boiling and drop bag and all into the loinling water for 10 to 15 minutes, it should reheat just fine this was.

hope this helps

 

[meat-man]

krusher said it best !
Be sure to keep us posted on how everything turned out for ya

 

[flash]

Smoke meat does keep fairly well, longer than other meats, but I would not chance a whole week. Do as krusher says.

 

[brewmate76]

Thanks guys!

I got lots of good information. I'm excited about doing the butts. I'll either do them this Saturday or Sunday. I like the idea of using the oven bag. Sounds great!

 

[wutang]

As far as retaining moisture, I would also recommend the finishing sauce-there is a sticky in the pork forum with a recipe.

 

[pitrow]

If you go this route, I'd recommend not adding the finishing sauce until after you reheat it. Otherwise the vinegar in it will turn the meat to mush.

 

[dennisdocb]

ditto on krusher...The only thing I do differently, (other then the oven bag will try that), is I have a vac-sealer...don't know if you have one but works great..we just heated the last that I had in the freezer and it was three weeks in and tasted just as good as the day it was cooked. Hope this helps

 

[wutang]

Good point. Just add some to the meat you are serving right away and add some after you reheat. We had some with the finishing sauce that we kept in the fridge overnight and ate the next day and it was fine-but you said you were keeping it for a week.