Advice Needed - Preparing Pulled pork in advance


 
J

JayT

New member
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!!
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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...
 
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.
 
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