Holding cooked meat in a cooler


 
J

John Frailey

TVWBB Fan
As I wander through posts here trying to learn I have seen some references to foiling ribs when done and putting them in an insulated cooler. I have a few questions because after some easy smokes I am doing a multi meat cook for 30 this Friday with BBribs, tri tip , and boneless skinless breasts.
I have figured out already with a mini test run that it is going to be near impossible to time everything to be done at the same time. I can't do that with my Dacor kitchen, let alone a WSM. So I ask you all, how long will BBribs stay presentably hot foiled and placed in a cooler?
Can I do that with tri tip too or will it overcook and get tough like it did last week when it finished 45 minutes before I expected it too and had to hold it in a warm oven. And what about the chicken breasts? Hauling a kettle along for the cook is out of the question..it all has to be on my 22.5 WSM. Any and all comments appreciated.
 
I've had good luck with using a large insulated cooler with a couple of gallons of boiling hot water in the bottom. I made a couple of wooden stands that I put my aluminum pans on so they don't actually sit in the water. You could put wrapped meat in there the same way. The trick is to keep the meat over 140 to keep it safe.

I've been able to hold brisket and butts for 3-4 hours with no problem. I've never tried to hold ribs but I would think that it would be about the same.

Russ
 
The trick is to keep the meat over 140 to keep it safe.
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The key for me is to not let the meat go past my original finish temp. You will be surprised at how much thermal momentum something as small as a rack of ribs have. I'll take them off the cooker at my preferred doneness, stack them in a cooler until dinner, and by the time I'm ready to serve them, they're overdone. My rule is to let anything cool down some before holding it in a cooler, or use the hold time to allow the meat to get to tender (which is harder to plan on).

I suspect your tri continued to cook even in a low over and you took it way past your desired doneness.
 
What J said!!!!!!!

This can't be said enough.

You know what happens if you put three 200 degree butts in a cooler for a couple of hours before a family reunion? Two out of three end up a little dry, that's what.

That's just a plain old styrofoam cooler, and SHAME ON ME, for getting lazy and not using a probe. That's two mistakes, though: no probe, and coolering immediately after the butts were 200 IMT.
 
Originally posted by Russ Sylvester:
I've had good luck with using a large insulated cooler with a couple of gallons of boiling hot water in the bottom. I made a couple of wooden stands that I put my aluminum pans on so they don't actually sit in the water. You could put wrapped meat in there the same way. Russ
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Nothing wrong with this if you know what temp to cooler, but isn't the boiling water a bit much?

It sounds to me like continuing cooking with steaming, because I know that I can keep a few butts plenty hot for up to six hours by just pre-heating a decent cooler with hot tap water.

Again, what J said.
 
Nothing wrong with this if you know what temp to cooler, but isn't the boiling water a bit much?

It sounds to me like continuing cooking with steaming, because I know that I can keep a few butts plenty hot for up to six hours by just pre-heating a decent cooler with hot tap water.
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my thoughts exactly. I use small coolers, I don't have much air mass to pre-warm so I don't see the need.

maybe I'm just reckless, but I don't expect much pathogen outgrowth to occur in a few hours on a piece of meat that has been effectively pasteurized. I'd rather let is vent off some heat and hold it, rather than continuing to cook it.
 
Thanks to all for the input. Much to consider here.
Yes, J, the tri tips became quite done.
Any other options for geting through a multi meat cook like this? I guess I could do the ribs, then break down the WSM, run the heat up and use it as a kettle for the tri's then do the breasts the last 10 minutes.
 
Originally posted by John Frailey:
Thanks to all for the input. Much to consider here.
Yes, J, the tri tips became quite done.
Any other options for geting through a multi meat cook like this? I guess I could do the ribs, then break down the WSM, run the heat up and use it as a kettle for the tri's then do the breasts the last 10 minutes.
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John, welcome to the forum. I think your last idea is good. Most folks cook tri tip over a flame or at least direct heat. Of course Harry Soo will disagree since he won Santa Maria last year with low and slow indirect on a WSM. Anyway I would do just like you said, just take ribs off a bit before done and foil but leave some space for a bit of heat to escape, cook your beef and foloow with birds. Sounds good to me.

Mark
 
Any other options for geting through a multi meat cook like this?
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I've been known cook ribs days ahead of time. Just foil them at the end, take them just shy of tender, drop them in a single layer in a big ziploc and pile some ice on top of them.

that way you can focus your attention on the tri and chicken. While the tri rests you can reheat the ribs over direct heat.

sure there are compromises, but, unless you're a pro, when cooking three proteins, something is going to get compromised.

the tri will be the one that will demand the most attention and have the least room for error. the ribs will be the most forgiving, and longest to cook (so the best to bang out in your free time).
 
Thanks again. Gonna mull on this for a day. Nothing like taking on a challenge for a first full blown cook...I would say wish me luck, but I have already figured out that pretty much goes without saying out here.
 
I have had good results putting smoked pork butts in a cooler to rest. Normally I have one butt double wrapped in foil then wrapped in old towels and rest in the cooler for 2-3 hours before I pull it.

My last pork butt smoke I did 3 9-pound butts. These were to be pulled and frozen and brought by plane to NY on vacation (treat my family to good eats). I started smoking the butts about 10:00am, and the were done about 10:00pm. I triple-wrapped them in heavy duty foil, wrapped them in towels and put them in a cooler. I kept thermometers in 2 of them. I left them in the cooler until the next morning (11 hours). The meat was 160* and pulled great.

One "trick" is to fill the cooler as much as possible; have little air. I stuffed an extra towel or two to fill unused space.
 
Originally posted by Walt Haase:
I have had good results putting smoked pork butts in a cooler to rest. Normally I have one butt double wrapped in foil then wrapped in old towels and rest in the cooler for 2-3 hours before I pull it.

My last pork butt smoke I did 3 9-pound butts. These were to be pulled and frozen and brought by plane to NY on vacation (treat my family to good eats). I started smoking the butts about 10:00am, and the were done about 10:00pm. I triple-wrapped them in heavy duty foil, wrapped them in towels and put them in a cooler. I kept thermometers in 2 of them. I left them in the cooler until the next morning (11 hours). The meat was 160* and pulled great.

One "trick" is to fill the cooler as much as possible; have little air. I stuffed an extra towel or two to fill unused space.
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This is a good example of what you can do, but it needs to be reitterated how the bbq WILL continue to cook for a GOOD WHILE when stored up so hot. I would pull off the pit AS SOON AS the bone got loose, no matter what the temp was, if going to hold for a long time in foil.

Eleven hours IS a long time. I've only done six so far, but yes, it was still plenty hot.
 
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