By Dylan Clay
Last Updated:
October 26, 2023
If your intention is to keep pulled pork moist for the next day - I'd strongly suggest leaving the muscle whole and then holding it overnight. I'd also suggest not smoking the meat to absolute probe tenderness, rather, smoke the pork butt to around 190F. Then put the pork butt in your kitchen oven or smoker set to around 165F without a rest. This way your pork butt will continue to carry over cook and render collagen - resulting in moist meat in the afternoon. Contents Show First things first, the reason I said to leave the muscle whole and not to pull it is because as soon as you shred the meat, it will start oxidizing and drying out - as it's exposed to air. This is especially true for pulled pork where you're pulling 12-ish muscles together that comprise the shoulder and then you're mixing them together into small shredded bits of meat, fat, and bark. By leaving the muscle whole, you don't expose the inside of the meat to the effects of oxygen; Meaning, the meat won't dry out or discolor. If you've ever smoked brisket, you know that as soon as you slice it, it starts to oxidize (loses moisture and turns grey). Meat and Oxidation
If you've ever been to a barbecue restaurant where they slice meats in front of you, you'll notice that purposely lay the slices in tallow on the cutting board (rendered beef fat).
This is done to prevent oxidation and so that when you go to sit down to eat, the meat resembles the color and moisture of when you saw them slice it.
In short: Leave the pork butt whole when you hold it overnight. This will help to combat auto-oxidation.
Take the Meat Off the Smoker Before Probe Tenderness
When smoking pork butt, there are really two thought processes with regards to holding:
- The Traditional Method: Smoke to probe tenderness, rest for 1-2 hours down to 160F, set oven/smoker to 145-165F and then hold overnight.
- The Restaurant Method: Smoke to near probe tenderness (~190F), then drop the temperature of your smoker or kitchen oven to 165F, and then leave your pork butt wrapped without a rest.
The "traditional" method is what most people will do when they're smoking pork butt. They smoke to tenderness, rest for 1-2 hours, and then pull the muscles.
However, the difference here is after they rest, they're holding the internal temperature at a food safe temperature.
In the "restaurant" method you're smoking to near tenderness, you're not resting, and then you're holding overnight (which is technically an extended rest).
The second method will rectify any tight spots via carry over cooking over the 12+ hour hold/rest.
I've personally tested both of these methods and find the second method produces better pulled pork when you're smoking a day in advance.
At the end of the day though - both work - and both will still result in spots that still have dryness.
With pulled pork this is less of an issue simply because you're pulling all the musculature together. In most cases people also mix the pull with some of the au jus from the pan drippings, with a barbecue sauce, or with a vinegar or mustard-based finishing sauce.
Meaning, the "dryness" isn't necessarily perceivable.
How to Hot Hold Pork Butt
There are a few methods people use to hot hold - I'll cover the way I do it and then provide how others do it.
To preface: The main thing we're doing here is we're "hot" holding at a food safe internal temperature.
At temperatures between 40 - 140F, bacteria multiply quite rapidly; This range is referred to as the "food safety danger zone."
Meaning, our goal is to be above 140F internal. As you might expect, in a commercial setting, this is incredibly important. In most cases BBQ restaurants will use warming cabinets to hold food at specific temperatures and humidities.
At home, there are really three practical options:
- In your smoker set to 165F.
- In your kitchen oven set to 170F.
- In a Cambro or Faux Cambro.
Of these methods, the one I use is the first - in my electric smoker set to 165F.
For starters, the way I wrap is different than most - I have a more detailed break down in another article but essentially this is how I wrap pork butt:
1. Fill an aluminum pan with enough liquid to cover the bottom (water, apple juice, sugar water, etc.).
2. Place an oven safe cooling rack in the center. This is to elevate the pork butt so that it's steaming, not braising in the liquid.
This method helps to preserve the bark far better than simply aluminum foil wrapping.
3. Place the pork butt on the oven safe cooling rack.
4. Loosely cover the pork butt in butcher paper.
The butcher paper is used to help prevent the aluminum foil from "eating" the bark of the pork butt.
Just to prove this phenomenon of the aluminum foil "eating" the pork butt. Here's the butcher paper later on:
5. Cover the aluminum pan and butcher paper tightly with aluminum foil.
6. Return back to your smoker or oven until it reaches near tenderness:
At this stage, all you're waiting for is for the pork butt to reach ~190F. This is usually near probe tenderness but not entirely probe tender.
Once it reaches 190F, I drop the temperature of the electric smoker down to 165F.
I personally don't "burp" the door (open the door to let heat out) and simply let the temperature come down.
After doing this, I walk away, go to sleep and then pull the pork butt the next day. The result, moist pulled pork:
Hot Holding with a Kitchen Oven
Similarly, you could hot hold in your electric oven set to 170F.
Keep in mind: Most kitchen ovens are pretty inaccurate and I'd suggest calibrating yours with a probe thermometer; Test to see if the temperatures it states are the temperatures your ambient probe is reading.
Usually ~170F is the lowest setting on most kitchen ovens.
Personally, I have a propane range and don't feel super comfortable leaving it on overnight as the pilot could go out and fill the entire house with gas, which is pretty concerning.
If this was my only option, I'd likely use a faux cambro.
Hot Holding with a Cambro or Faux Cambro
Cambro is a brand that creates insulated food carrying boxes. While they are incredibly efficient at holding food, they are also incredibly expensive - with basic models starting at $250+ (most electric smokers are around the same price).
Rather, Home Barbecuers coined the "Faux cambro" to refer to a basic cooler (a $25-50 Coleman cooler) that you insulate with old towels and place your meat inside.
I've done this method in the past and it does work.
To use a faux cambro, do the following:
1. Heat-treat the cooler by first bringing water to a near boil and then letting it cool for 10-15 minutes. Then put the water in the cooler and close the lid. Allow the cooler to heat up for 5 minutes.
The reason for pre-heating the cooler is to help prevent the cooler from wicking heat away from the wrapped pork butt.
2. Wrap your wrapped pork butt with old towels.
3. Dump the water from the cooler.
4. Place the towel wrapped pork butt in the cooler and close the lid.
As a seasoned barbecue enthusiast and someone deeply entrenched in the art of smoking meats, I can confidently delve into the intricacies discussed in Dylan Clay's article dated October 26, 2023. My extensive experience in smoking and preserving meats has not only honed my skills but also allowed me to experiment with various methods, gaining insights into the science behind meat preparation and preservation.
Clay's article revolves around the meticulous process of keeping pulled pork moist for the next day, a culinary challenge that requires a nuanced approach. One key concept emphasized is the impact of oxidation on the meat. When the meat is shredded, it is exposed to air, leading to oxidation and subsequent drying out. This is particularly true for pulled pork, where multiple muscles are combined, and exposure to oxygen can result in dryness and discoloration.
Drawing parallels to the behavior of sliced brisket, Clay highlights the oxidation process that begins as soon as the meat is cut. The use of rendered beef fat (tallow) in barbecue restaurants to prevent oxidation further underscores the importance of minimizing air exposure to maintain color and moisture. In essence, the recommendation is to leave the pork butt whole when holding it overnight to mitigate auto-oxidation.
Another critical point discussed is the approach to achieving optimal tenderness when smoking pork butt. The traditional method involves smoking to probe tenderness, followed by a rest period before holding at a food-safe temperature. In contrast, the restaurant method, which Clay personally favors, advocates smoking to near probe tenderness (~190F) without a rest, and then holding overnight. This extended rest helps rectify any tight spots through carry-over cooking.
The article also provides insights into hot holding methods to ensure food safety. Clay outlines three practical options: using a smoker set to 165F, a kitchen oven set to 170F, or a Cambro (insulated food carrying box). The author's preference is the first method, using an electric smoker with a unique wrapping technique involving an aluminum pan, a cooling rack, butcher paper, and aluminum foil. This method aims to preserve the bark and moisture of the pork butt during the holding process.
For those opting for a kitchen oven, Clay advises caution due to potential temperature inaccuracies. The use of a probe thermometer for calibration is recommended. Additionally, he briefly mentions the use of a faux Cambro, a cost-effective alternative to the expensive commercial Cambro. The faux Cambro involves insulating a basic cooler with old towels to maintain temperature and preserve the quality of the meat.
In conclusion, Clay's article combines practical experience, scientific understanding, and a discerning palate to provide valuable insights into the nuanced world of smoking and preserving pulled pork. The emphasis on minimizing oxidation, choosing the right tenderness approach, and adopting effective hot holding methods contributes to achieving the ultimate goal—a perfectly moist and flavorful pulled pork, even when prepared a day in advance.
