During parties or large gatherings, people often prefer the food to be made ahead of time so that they can enjoy the party and also eliminate the need for choosing and ticking off the menu. While smoking pork ahead of serving, people experience a common nightmare: that the pork becomes dry while serving and the guests eating the meat with a forced smile on their faces. Nobody wants to be there. So, we are sharing some hacks to store and reheat the pork to keep it tender and succulent while serving.
Smoking pulled pork
It is important to take care of some things while smoking pulled pork to cook it with a perfect tenderness. Here are a few points to take note of.
Choose the right cut: Pitmasters suggest that pork butt, also known as Boston butt makes the best-pulled pork after smoking. As the muscle has a good amount of fat, it stays tender and succulent even after prolonged cooking.
Don’t forget to moisturize: Brining or curing the meat is important to prevent it from drying out in the smoker. As hot smoke tends to rip off the moisture from the meat, adding extra moisture will balance it.
Cook at the right temperature: Generally, we cook pork butt at a temperature range between 225 and 240 degrees Fahrenheit (or 107 to 118 Celsius) for at least 1.5 hours per pound. It obviously depends on the thickness of the cut and the doneness you desire.
Want to learn some real juicy pulled pork recipes? This is our entire pulled pork recipe catalogue straight from the pitmasters!
Storing pulled pork
The process of storing the pulled pork also determines its tenderness. If it is expected to be served within a few hours after smoking, it is better to store it in a crockpot set at the lowest possible temperature. Additionally, spray chicken broth or apple juice on the meat to prevent it from losing more moisture in the crockpot. To add a strong flavor during the process, white wine can also be sprayed. You can shred the pork during smoking or in the crockpot.
If you smoke the pork days ahead of the party then it is better not to shred it. Smoke the whole cut of pork and store it inside zip lock bags or any airtight container and refrigerate it. Make sure to store it when hot and put it in the refrigerator only when it has cooled down.
Reheating pulled pork
For reheating the pulled pork that has been refrigerated, it is important to re-moisturize it. This is because heating will again absorb moisture from the heat and cause it to dry out. Try reheating it on the grill, smoker, or oven at the minimum temperature. Wrap the meat in foil before reheating it to further prevent it from drying out. Shred the pork before serving.
Tips to smoke perfectly tender and succulent pulled pork
Now that we have shared the necessary steps of keeping the pulled pork moist after smoking, here are a few food smoking tips to get delectable succulent pulled pork.
Try brine: Choose a wet marinade rather than a dry one. Dry rubs may work fine but brine or a wet rub will add that extra moisture along with the flavor that will penetrate deep inside the meat.
Keep a spray bottle handy: Keep spraying the meat during smoking or reheating to replace the lost moisture. This will save a lot of hard work afterward and give perfect juicy pork right after it is smoked.
Use low heat: As heat tends to absorb some moisture from the meat, it is better to cook the meat at low temperatures. This will allow the meat to cook slowly and will also reduce the rate of moisture loss due to heat.
Go for a pro smoker: A professional smoker can perform most of the chores automatically while the user can relax and enjoy the party with minimum supervision. design with magnetic doors, removable racks, and an insulated body for user safety and convenient cleaning.
Use Bradley Bisquettes: Bradley Bisquettes are available in 17 different flavors, such as hickory, oak, maple, cherry, apple, etc. to suit all types of recipes!
Final Thoughts
Serving perfectly smoked succulent pulled pork to the guests always gives a sense of victory to the host, but victory doesn’t come easily. It requires a lot of hard work and experience to achieve perfection. We have shared some basic Bradley tips & tricks on moistening pulled pork and smoking it to perfect tenderness to help amateurs achieve perfect food smoking. For more great ideas on how to get the most of your Bradley Smoker, check out the awesome articles on our Bradley Smoker Food Smoking Blog for more tips & tricks.
