problem


 
T

Thomas Franklin

New member
My pork butt is done and tastes great, the bark is awesome, my problem is company is not coming for another 5 1/2 hours. I have it wrapped in foil with fleece wrapped around the foil and sitting in a cooler. How long can I keep it there. Should I pull and reheat or leave as is. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks
 
No problem Thomas, I've already left a nine pound butt (foiled and wrapped in bath towels) in a dry cooler for over four hours. You will not believe how <span class="ev_code_RED">hot</span> it still was, I was shocked myself.
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I believe you're OK with it in there until you're ready to pull it and serve it.
Have a great day!
 
I've gone 5 hours in a well insulated cooler without problems.

I wouldn't go much longer without some kind of monitor....but you should be Ok.
 
Thomas

I'd pull it and reheat it before guests arrive, maybe using a bit of apple juice to keep it moist. I've done it a number of times that way. It should be perfect. Enjoy.

Les Stubby
 
I've kept butts in the cooler double-foiled and wrapped in towels for over 4 hours and they were plenty hot. I've heard of people doing it for 6. You should be OK. If you're worried, put the foiled butt in the oven at about 150 until you're ready to pull.
 
I've held 16lbs. of pork butt for 6 hrs and it was still too hot to handle with bare hands. Wrapped in foil and surrounded it with crumpled newspaper in a cooler. DO NOT open the cooler untill you are ready to pull the meat.
 
If you pull it early or when ever you decide to pull it add a little apple juice AND a bit of the rub you used ! Turns out great .
 
You can always put a probe into it, near the surface, and make sure it's still above 140. That's advice I've read here. That will, at the least, minimize your oven time.
 
As "Canada Mike" said: I placed the probe on the outside of the butt (actually two) and double wrapped in foil, wrapped in a towel and into the cooler... six hours later: 153 degrees surface temp.
I hate when the cook finishes at 2:00 AM ! However, thanks to everyone on this forum I know how to manage the situation and what's safe.
 
Thanks for the advice, I wrapped it in foil and fleece and stored in a cooler, our company showed up later than expected so after 6 hrs. in cooler I put it into a 175 degree oven and sprayed with apple juice till they arrived. Turned out fine, it was one of my better butts. I just used salt and pepper and a little paprika for the rub and it was very good. Thanks for the help, it was greatly appreciated. Tom
 
Glad it turned out. Pulled pork is always a crowd pleaser! I started planning on finishing pork butts a couple hours early. It makes my life a lot easier when guests arive.
 
I'm always amazed how long pork can stay hot in an insulated cooler.
In the future, you can throw in one of the microwave heating packs... if you're paranoid.
 
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