Vacuum sealing pulled pork?


 
M

Mark Maral

TVWBB Member
I thought I may have read this in the forum before but can't find it.
I'm in the process of doing two butts and will want to vacuum seal a lot of it. What's the best way? I thought I read to pull the pork, then put in the fridge to chill (not sure how long) and then vacuum the chilled pork. Is this correct or is there a better way?
Thanks, Mark
 
That will work just fine. I wouldn't vacuum pack it hot and I would for sure pull it first. Don't pack an unpulled butt and think you can thaw it out and pull it. That won't work.

Just chill it long enough to get it cold. I generally am tired and full after I cook and pull pork, so I pack the left overs the next day.
 
I throw it back in the fridge after vacusealing to check in an hour or so whether any of the seals failed. I've had several failures that I did not notice until it got freezer burned. Maybe 10% failure rate...I'm not really happy about that.
 
I use the small aluminum drip pans. I pull my pork, pack those pans pour in some sop or the chicken broth/beef broth mix and sprinkle a little left over rub. Next day I take out freezer, the meat cube falls right out of the aluminum pan and then I just vac-pac the cube. Works great and easily stacks in the freezer....

Note the two on top were not done this way, hence the reason they are on top.....
stacked%20pork.jpg
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by David Verba:
I use the small aluminum drip pans....... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Genius, I tell ya, pure genius!!!

Thanks for the idea Dave. I've been fighting the "stacking" thing for years.

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JimT
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Jerry N.:
That will work just fine. I wouldn't vacuum pack it hot and I would for sure pull it first. Don't pack an unpulled butt and think you can thaw it out and pull it. That won't work.

Just chill it long enough to get it cold. I generally am tired and full after I cook and pull pork, so I pack the left overs the next day. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I beg to differ. Can you elaborate on why just freezing the roast didn't work for you?

I've done it both ways, but prefer to pull after thawing. Of course I pull off the pit at temps around 200 and make sure the bone pulls out easily and cleanly. Properly 'qued, the meat practically pulls itself.

..Just curious why it doesn't work for you.
 
I guess I should say that won't work for me. Pulling cold meat seems a lot more difficult than when it's warm.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Dave Russell:
Gotcha, but what you do is pull the meat after you reheat it. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I had to run earlier, but I guess I should elaborate on what I learned from a caterer here in TN. He told me to pull the shoulder bone and lets the roast cool on some towels before vaccuum packing. Keep in mind that you're doing your best to keep the roast together as much as possible. (Moisture and flavor starts getting lost quicker after pulling.)

After thawing the bag out completely, you can heat the bag in a pot of hot water, or you can sort of mash it down into a baking pan and heat in the oven at whatever temp you want to. After it's hot I simply go to it with the Bear Claws and it's done in no time.

I still like 'Q right off the pit when it turns out right because of the bark, but you can sort of bring some of that back by reheating in the oven at 350 before pulling. Obviously, you can foil or add apple juice, etc. to the pan if moisture seems to be lacking, though.
 
Glad I could help Jim - all of you help me so much - trying to "pay it forward".

You probably can't tell, but I have a bunch of bags of Lake Erie Walleye fillets on the shelf below the pork. (yes I caught them) I used the Pan method on those as well.
 
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