Freezing Pulled Pork and Brisket


 
P

Paul Brown

New member
I want to cook some pork butt and brisket and then freeze them so that I can enjoy them later. Any advice on how to freeze and then reheat pulled pork and brisket? Do I slice then freeze? What's the best way to reheat? Any advice is appreciated. I am using WSM 22.5"
Thanks,
Paul B.
 
I slice/pull & then freeze individual portions using Foodsaver.

As for reheating many (including myself) use the approach of boiling a pot of water, turning burner off, then dropping one of the aforementioned bags of frozen goodness into said pot of boiling water.

If I'm reheating a lot I usually just toss in an aluminum pan covered with foil, then heat in oven at 250 until desired temp is reached.
 
What Mike said. I don't have a Foodsaver. I'm using manual vac pack bags.

I'm new at this too Paul. I did just did a pork butt and have read to sauce it before freezing to prevent freezer burn and vacuum pack it.

Brisket is next!
 
The advice above is correct. I can't urge you enough to incest in a Foodsaver. They're not expensive and last a long time. When I make PP I always make a lot, vacuum it and freeze it in dinner size packages. It also works for brisket, left over ribs [if there is such a thing,] and anything else. It's great if you're having a big party and want to prep a couple of butts i advance. I also find dumping the bags is a large pot of boiled water the best ay to defrost.
 
FoodSaver for the win, really.

Pulled pork works phenomenally for this. I freeze 2 sizes, individual for my lunches, and a bigger one for family dinners. You can warm them from frozen with that hot water method. Meat stays perfectly moist and flavorful.

For brisket chopped, I do same basic method for pork with respect to freezing, but typically, instead of thawing it in the hot water, I thaw it in fridge over night. Then I dump it into a sauce pan with some sauce and heat it up that way. If i was going to eat the chopped brisket plain, I would use the hot water bath method.

If I'm not chopping it, I'm freezing 'whole' 1 pound chunks of brisket or so, unsliced. I've never tried the water bath method with the whole piece, but it seems like it should work, just take a little longer. Normally I thaw it in fridge over night, remove from vacuum bag, wrap in foil and place in the oven for a while.

I can't recommend a vacuum sealer enough. We at least get a lot of use out of it.
 
On the FoodSaver topic, I've read the reviews and they have not been stellar.
icon_frown.gif


Having said that, I know a lot of folks on here use them and swear by them.

So, which model(s) are you using and what do you think about the negative reviews on these?

I want to get one too but I'm a bit apprehensive at the moment.
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Thanks!
 
I would not be without my FoodSaver. There are drawbacks, such as freezing shrimp with the tails on which can puncture the bags and lose seal. However, by and large, food is impervious to freezer burn in these bags.
I slice brisket, then freeze individual meals for 2. I take out of freezer and put in sink filled with hot water. When ready to eat, I make sandwiches and the meat is thawed completely and nicely warmed. Other folks drop sealed bags into boiling water for piping hot meats. Pulled pork is wonderful left over and heated this way.
Winner, winner.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Mike_M:
I slice/pull & then freeze individual portions using Foodsaver.

As for reheating many (including myself) use the approach of boiling a pot of water, turning burner off, then dropping one of the aforementioned bags of frozen goodness into said pot of boiling water.

If I'm reheating a lot I usually just toss in an aluminum pan covered with foil, then heat in oven at 250 until desired temp is reached. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Mike of course nailed it.........I like to vacuum pak as soon as it's pulled; this will lock in as much moisture as possible.

If I'm reheating a lot, I will also use an aluminum pan and the oven, adding a very small amount of sauce if moisture is needed.

One thing I've been doing lately with a lot of success is stir frying small amounts. I start with sweating onions and mushrooms and then add the thawed PP toward the end (since it's already cooked) with varying sauces depending on my mood (BBQ, BBQ & Franks, mustard/curry, etc.). We'll eat it over rice and/or on sandwiches or wraps. It is DEELISH!
 
+1 for the foodsaver

I pull in a pan, cover and refridgerate so the fat and juices turn solid, then vacuum pack. for reheating and serving, I throw the bags in a pot of water thats nearly boiling. then I cut open the bag and dump onto steamer pans or crock pots or whatever your going to serve in. I garuntee that when it comes out of the bag hot, its some of the juiciest stuff Ive ever seen.
 
Foodsaver, yes!! Mine is probably 15 years old and still going!

I know I'll have left over so like I did last weekend, I cot the brisket up into the sizes I wanted to freeze and got those out of the way and off the board for eating!

With a small family, I plan to freeze some of most anything I do, so that usually gets done early on to get everything out of the way.

I have pulled pork, piece of brisket flat and a piece of the point (that I took off and went back on the smoker for a total of 23 hours) in the freezer now.

I tried boiling for the first tie recently and it was the best and easiest way to do it. Nothing gets dried out, just warmed up with it's own flavors and that's it. It's like fresh!
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> I would not be without my FoodSaver. There are drawbacks, such as freezing shrimp with the tails on which can puncture the bags and lose seal. However, by and large, food is impervious to freezer burn in these bags. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I solved this problem by putting the shrimp in a smaller food saver bag before vacuum sealing them inside a bigger food saver bag. Works like a charm.

I love my food saver. I read a lot of negative reviews but determined that most of those people were morons.
 
I also use a vac packer.

If you read other forums you will see references to a reheating sauce that is basicly a vinegar based sauce to insure the pulled pork stays moist when its reheated.

What I have started doing is adding a small amount of this to my pork when I pull it prior to sealing it in the bags.

I can then easily reheat in a variety of fashions, inlcuding a microwave (although not my prefered way but quick).

I dont think it alters the flavor profile of them meat, but then again I do like the eastern NC style.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Jeff Bryson:
On the FoodSaver topic, I've read the reviews and they have not been stellar.
icon_frown.gif


Having said that, I know a lot of folks on here use them and swear by them.

So, which model(s) are you using and what do you think about the negative reviews on these?

I want to get one too but I'm a bit apprehensive at the moment.
icon_rolleyes.gif


Thanks! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I have the V3835 and haven't had a problem. I think the biggest complaint is that the Foodsaver brand rolls of plastic are expensive, and people feel like they "waste" a lot of bag material.

The bags are certainly not cheap, and I find that the "wasted" material isn't that big of an issue.

Fact is the Foodsaver, IMO, is simply the best way to freeze and store lots of BBQ conveniently and for long periods of time while maintaining its freshness. So I am just willing to sacrifice the extra expense in favor of superior storage.
 
The key I have learned here to freezing is to chill ASAP, I out the meat in a ziplock bag, opened in an ice water bath, once it is below 40 degrees in the freezer it goes.
 
I'm in the same boat. No food saver. I don't end up with a lot of pulled pork leftovers that aren't finished up, since I can get them cut to order poundage wise. And there's no such thing as left over ribs...lol. But brisket is where I run into waste. Me and my son will eat it for three or four days and what's ever leftover gets tossed.
 
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