Smoking a Butt in Advance

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mabrandt

Fire Starter
Original poster
May 22, 2008
65
10
Indiana
Usually when I smoke a butt it is just the day before or the same day depending on when I can get it into the smoker and the time I need it to serve it. I have been requested to bring pulled pork to a party and was wondering how far in advance I could smoke and pull the butt. Ideally, I'd like to smoke and pull it a week ahead of time and store it in air tight containers in the fridge. Would this be feasable? I have seen posts about a day or two, but not a week.
 
For a week I would freeze it. If you have a foodsaver or other vacuum sealer, freeze portions and then all you need to do it heat the bags in boiling water. Or you can open them, put them in a foil pan, add a little saved juice (you did save it right?) and heat them at 250 in an oven or the smoker.

If you don't have a vacuum sealer then you can put them in freezer zip -loc bags, press as much air out as you can and freeze them.

If you go the freezing route you can take the saved juices, skim off the fat once it cools and freeze that too and use it to moisten when you reheat.

If you are doing small quantities you can even pour the defatted juice in an ice cube tray and freeze, then put the frozen cubes in a ziploc in the freezer an use as many as you need.
 
Heck yeah on the pull, vac seal and freeze. Smoked all my July 4 party butts last weekend. 14 pounds in 2 pound bags resting comfortably in the freezer right now!
 
Me too. If a vac seal, ya can just dunk the whole bag in boiling water for a few minutes. Keeps all the moisture in.
 
I took your suggestion on this yesterday and it worked out very well. Easy and kept it moist.
 
Thanks all for the help. Looks like freezing is the way to go. Should I wait and put the finishing sauce on after it is thawed, or before I freeze?

The first time I used that finishing sauce was a few weeks ago at my son's graduation party. Like the others said in the sticky, everyone said it was the best pulled pork they had ever eaten. I didn't say a word about using it. The funny thing is I always have a bottle of Lexington sauce available as that is my favorite, along with the standard stuff the folks around here like. A lot of the patrons wouldn't touch it when I said there was vinager in it. But they sure gobbled up the pork with the finishing sauce which is almost the same. If only they knew!

Thanks again for the help. The success at the graduation party prompted this week in advance thing. Still trying to work out a way to get it done just a day before, but don't think my schedule will allow it.
 
Shhh it's a secret sauce. Add finishing sauce after it's warm, before serving. But reserve some juice for before freezing, helps with the re-heat.
 
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