Pull and refrigerate or Refrigerate then pull?
- Thread starter Clay Cope
- Start date
Jason Pedu
TVWBB Member
Yup...pull then refrigerate. If you are going to keep it for any length of time then get yourself a food saver. Pull, put serving size amounts in the food saver bags, and freeze. That way it cools through the danger zone quicker. Then you can heat one or two servings just buy putting in boiling water for about 4 min.. Or open all the bags and put the meat in a crockpot.
K Kruger
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">The method I use for cooling pp is I put cookie sheets in the freezer then spread the pulled on the frozen sheet and put back in freezer. When cooled I bag. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
In terms of safety this is one of the best ways.
If food takes too long to cool, if it is large and dense, like a roast, or is densely/thickly packed into containers or bags while still warm or hot, the door is opened for food safety problems. This is true for any cooked item but especially meats, or foods thatare handled after cooking (like pork that is pulled). See here, an earlier post from today, for why this is so.
In terms of safety this is one of the best ways.
If food takes too long to cool, if it is large and dense, like a roast, or is densely/thickly packed into containers or bags while still warm or hot, the door is opened for food safety problems. This is true for any cooked item but especially meats, or foods thatare handled after cooking (like pork that is pulled). See here, an earlier post from today, for why this is so.
So I pulled one, refrigerated, then reheated. The other one I refrigerated, reheated on the WSM, then pulled.
I must say that reheating then pulling is definitely my preferred method. you couldn't tell it had been warmed up and everyone thought if was fresh off the smoker. Much more moist than the pork I had previously pulled. I did use apple juice on the pulled pork for reheating, but it wasn't the same as freshly pulled pork.
I must say that reheating then pulling is definitely my preferred method. you couldn't tell it had been warmed up and everyone thought if was fresh off the smoker. Much more moist than the pork I had previously pulled. I did use apple juice on the pulled pork for reheating, but it wasn't the same as freshly pulled pork.
K Kruger
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">The other one I refrigerated, reheated on the WSM, then pulled. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Just make sure you cool it quickly if you want to do this. Staph poisoning is nasty.
Just make sure you cool it quickly if you want to do this. Staph poisoning is nasty.
K Kruger
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
You can do the chill-then-pull-later thing, it's just that you want to cool quickly.
Rest the brisket after cooking but don't bother wrapping it. Toss something lightly over it (like tent with foil) to keep off flying critters. (Separating into large muscles along the natural fat seams will allow for quicker cooling, so consider this. Not crucial but reheating will be quicker as well. If you want to do this, do so after the butt has cooled a while on the counter.)
After 60-90 min fill a tall narrow pot with ice water. Place the butt (or butt sections) into a couple Ziplocs or vac bags then, being careful to keep the bag opening above the surface, plunge the bag(s) into the ice water and allow to sit till chilled, replacing ice as necessary. When chilled well, seal and frisge.
Rest the brisket after cooking but don't bother wrapping it. Toss something lightly over it (like tent with foil) to keep off flying critters. (Separating into large muscles along the natural fat seams will allow for quicker cooling, so consider this. Not crucial but reheating will be quicker as well. If you want to do this, do so after the butt has cooled a while on the counter.)
After 60-90 min fill a tall narrow pot with ice water. Place the butt (or butt sections) into a couple Ziplocs or vac bags then, being careful to keep the bag opening above the surface, plunge the bag(s) into the ice water and allow to sit till chilled, replacing ice as necessary. When chilled well, seal and frisge.