Pulling pork question?

[patgreat]

I am smoking a picinic shoulder tonight and taking on vacation with me to the poconos for the weekend. I am gonna pull it off the smoker in the morning and wrap it in foil and a towel and put it in a cooler. My plan is to pull it when I get home from work and reheat it tomro to enjoy with friends. My question is after I pull it does it matter if I put it in a cooler with ice for the ride up there or should I let it cool in pan and refrigerate it when I get up there? Not sure if how it cools will affect the meat for reheating. Thank for any advice

 

[noboundaries]

I take pulled pork to family and friends all the time.  I smoke it the day before, let it rest four a couple of hours just covered in foil and covered with old, clean towels.  The meat cools down quite a bit, then I pull it.  I put it in a bowl in the refrigerator and let it get cold.  The morning I'm going to travel, I seal it up in vacuum bags and stick it in the cooler with jugs of ice.  When I'm ready to serve, I reheat with what's available (stovetop, oven, microwave, etc).  It isn't as perfect as when I serve it here at home, but folks who don't smoke meat themselves only taste the smoky goodness. 

I always serve it with a finishing sauce.  Chef JJ's is my personal favorite.  I have a stash of inexpensive squeeze bottles that cost like $1.38 each.  I'll fill one with the finishing sauce, then usually just leave the bottle with my hosts for leftovers.  They always ask for the recipe for the sauce. 

Have fun making your friends smile with porky goodness!   

 

[noboundaries]

Just pulled apart two bone-in butts this afternoon (started last night), totaling 16.64 lbs pre-smoke (20 hour smoke). Other than a little we'll eat for dinner this evening, and what I ate putting the meat in vacuum bags, I have 8 lbs that will travel soon. Will freeze it, then provide directions to thaw in cold water to the recipients. I've found that a cold water thaw preserves much of what it tasted like going in the bag.