Advice Needed - Preparing Pulled pork in advance

[JayT]

Hello all, I need some advice on the optimal method for smoking pulled pork a day in advance of consuming it. I am preparing it for lunch this coming Sunday. But due to Church in the morning, I am planning to smoke it on Saturday on the WSM. My typical method is to smoke it low until bark forms and then finish it in the oven. How should I store it on Saturday and prepare it on Sunday so that the meat's at its best? It will be served for tacos (carnitas). Once we return from church on Sunday, I plan to warm it for lunch.

Should I pull it apart on Saturday and refrigerate it? Or, pull it apart on Sunday?
Any tips/techniques for refrigerating it on Saturday?
Tips for warming the meat on Sunday afternoon?

Anything else I need to keep in mind. Thanks everyone! Happy Thanksgiving!!

 

[DanHoo]

I would not cook it any differently than I would normally do do it.

Do you have a vacuum sealer? One way is to vac seal and then reheat it in sealed bag with sous vide, or just in a pot of hot water.

Pulled pork is really forgiving on the reheat. Sometimes if it is a little dry on the reheat I'll add a splash of apple juice if I'm heating it in a pan.

 

[JayT]

Thanks Dan. Unfortunately, I do not have a vac seal.

 

[DanHoo]

No worries about not having a vac seal. Just pull it and refrigerate the day/eve before. I like to make sure it is really well sealed so it doesn't dry out in the refrigerator.

 

[Mark Foreman]

I would refrigerate it. Sun AM, put the pork in the oven, covered, and reheat at 200 for a couple of hours.

 

[Timothy F. Lewis]

I’d go overnight, dbl foil and towel wrap, into a cooler before you go church, then it will have a good rest and pull it just before serving.
I am a BIG fan of a long rest before pulling, three or four hours has worked well for me. It’s still plenty hot at that point.

 

[Bob Bass]

I agree with DanHoo. Pulling the day before will make the reheat process much easier as you control the meat thickness and hence the time it takes to reheat...

 

[Brett-EDH]

if you're going to break it down after cooking it on Sat, leave the pieces in much larger chunks. then when you reheat, and i recommend adding in your pork juices from your cook the day before, you can do a final shred once reheated to serving temp.

i did a cuban style pp yesterday and at 165F i placed the butt in an aluminum tray with a citrus liquid which kept everything nice and moist. after 1 one hour rest, the butt shredded easily and i added in the citrus pan drippings back into the shredded pork and the meal was moist, tender and very flavorful.

 

[JayT]

Thank you all, appreciate it! Happy Thanksgiving!!