• Cooking a butt, ribs, sausage, etc…..for funeral meals this weekend. (Brother in law/G-1 98 dad)
• All the HEB's butts were 10-12 lbs, and I ain't got time for a 16+ hour cook
• Got a 6# boneless
• It's being consumed late Saturday afternoon, but cooked tomorrow
• Leave whole, warm in the oven, then "pull/shred", or get it done before we leave Friday and warm the finished product?

Pork but is easy!

Coat it liberally with whatever pork rub you want. I use a mustard binder.

Put on the smoker fat side up

I smoke at 275 for 4 hours or so until the fat cap is splitting. Wrap it foil and let it go for another 4 hours. My indicator for doneness is if I can pull the shoulder blade out with almost zero effort

AstroAggie15 said:

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Pork but is easy!

Coat it liberally with whatever pork rub you want. I use a mustard binder.

Put on the smoker fat side up

I smoke at 275 for 4 hours or so until the fat cap is splitting. Wrap it foil and let it go for another 4 hours. My indicator for doneness is if I can pull the shoulder blade out with almost zero effort

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I have no issues cooking it (I prefer bone-in), it's the holding over for a few days before serving that has me scratching my head.

Cook it like you would normally (smoke, rest, etc.).

Vacuum seal, toss in the fridge, then boil-n-bag/sous vide warm it up the day you are going to consume it. You won't notice any difference between right out of the ice chest the day of the cook and reheated this way.

I'm pretty sure you can complete the cook, pull it, cover in foil, and refrigerate for a day or two.. just re-warm the whole pan with foil in the oven the day of the event. It will still be delicious.

I just asked Grok. Is Grok wrong?

Yes, smoked pulled pork reheats beautifully after a couple of days in the fridge and often tastes even better as the flavors meld. Here's how to do it right so it stays moist and delicious:

Storage (first 2-3 days)
1. Cool quickly: Let the pork cool to room temp within 2 hours of smoking.
2. Portion it: Divide into meal-sized amounts (flatter is better for reheating).
3. Add moisture: Mix in a little reserved cooking juices, broth, or BBQ sauce before storing.
4. Airtight container or zip-top bag: Squeeze out air to prevent drying.

Reheating in the oven (best method)
Preheat oven to 250-275F (120-135C) low and slow prevents drying.
Add liquid: Place pork in a covered baking dish with 2-4 tbsp broth, apple juice, or sauce per pound.
Cover tightly with foil (or lid) to steam.
Heat 20-30 minutes, stirring halfway, until internal temp hits 165F.
Optional crisp: Uncover for the last 5 minutes or broil briefly to crisp edges.

How long is it good?
Fridge: 3-4 days max (USDA guideline).
Freezer: 2-3 months (vacuum-seal for best results).

Avoid
Microwaving large batches (dries it out).
Reheating without added liquid.

Pro tip: If it seems dry after reheating, toss with warm BBQ sauce or a splash of apple cider vinegar + brown sugar.
You'll end up with juicy, smoky pulled pork that's arguably better than day one.

oh no said:

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I'm pretty sure you can complete the cook, pull it, cover in foil, and refrigerate for a day or two.. just re-warm the whole pan with foil in the oven the day of the event. It will still be delicious.

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I was leaning towards this, with finishing the last 2 or three hours in a pan. Wrap tight, and the drippings will be useful later when reheating and shredding.

Yes

Add 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar or apple juice when you wrap it in foil. I normally smoke for 5 hours at 250-275, wrap in double layer of foil and cook for at least 3 more hours. Leave wrapped and rest until ready to eat.

I'm 74 and hope that I never stop learning about butts and for that matter, breasts.

Right on my friend! Hope you're still doing that at 94 as well!!

The poster above was correct that you can cook and refrigerate and rewarm in a couple of days. I would recommend cooking hot and fast (I do this all the time with butts and briskets).

1.) Wash, dry, and score the fat cap - 1" squares
2.) Liberally kosher salt and pepper top/bottom/sides
3.) Cook fat side down for 3 hours at 350-425. If it looks good wrap in foil and insert temp probe.
4.) Cook to 195 internal
5.) Throw in cooler and rest 1-2 hrs (or refrigerate).
6.) Pull in a large pan and serve.

My go-to for crowds like this is to just serve pulled pork sandwiches. One pork butt will serve 25ppl doing sandwiches.

I would cook, pull and put in a foil pan with lid. Re-heat in oven to serve. Just the easiest, least mess path for the day of.
And always hot and fast for a pork butt. It's too forgiving of a meat to sit and babysit it.

Just a tip - if you do decide to refrigerate whole, just leave wrapped in foil. Throw it in a 275-300 oven the day you want to serve and warm it back up and pull. It will be just like you took it off the pit.

Maybe it won't matter that much.. but I really think you pull it after the cook as normal- then cool and reheat later rather than letting it cool before pulling and waiting to pull it after reheating later. ---- which i think is really all B1-83 is asking here.

B-1 83 said:

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AstroAggie15 said:

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Pork but is easy!

Coat it liberally with whatever pork rub you want. I use a mustard binder.

Put on the smoker fat side up

I smoke at 275 for 4 hours or so until the fat cap is splitting. Wrap it foil and let it go for another 4 hours. My indicator for doneness is if I can pull the shoulder blade out with almost zero effort

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I have no issues cooking it (I prefer bone-in), it's the holding over for a few days before serving that has me scratching my head.

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Go ahead and shred it and vacuum seal it. To reheat it put the sealed bag in boiling water for 20-30 min. Will come out fresh as it was off the pit

Yeah, shredding and vacuum sealing works well too.

I started cutting the pork butts into 2-3 pieces, more surfaces for seasoning &bark, plus shorter cook times.
Have not been disappointed!

GSS said:

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I started cutting the pork butts into 2-3 pieces,

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around the shoulder blade?

I go hot and fast on pork butt. 350-375 to 160. Wrap in butcher paper and put in oven at 275 until 200 and start probing. Usually 5-6 hr cook time total

Rest in cooler for an hour so then shred.

Reheats great in a crock pot too with a cup or two of water added...

oh no said:

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GSS said:

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I started cutting the pork butts into 2-3 pieces,

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around the shoulder blade?

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Yes, bone length varies, but there is always a significant boneless piece resulting. And sometimes a third chunk, cutting alongside the bone.

I don't think a pork butt should take 16 hours. Maybe your smoking temperature is too low?

I like the four hours uncovered four hours covered mentioned above.