May 17th, 2011
Recently, one of our customers asked for advice on how to handle pulled pork cooked in advance since Boston butts can take all day to cook. He’s cooking on a Meadow Creek TS120 BBQ Smoker with a BBQ42 Chicken Cooker added to the front. Here are some tips for cooking Boston butts for crowds.
In catering, most of the time it will be very impractical to serve pulled pork fresh off the smoker. Not only would you need to be on-site extremely early, but also you would need to guess how long it will take and try to meet deadlines, which can be terribly stressful with Boston butts.
You can smoke your meat the day before. Pull it, put it into foil pans, and cover it with foil. Make absolutely sure you cool the meat correctly. Then pull your smoker out to the party the next day for show and use it to heat the pork in the foil pans. You can also use your smoker to cook chicken or meats that get done in a few hours if needed.
If you don’t want to use your BBQ smoker to heat the pulled pork, you can heat it at the party in an electric roaster.
You could also experiment with smoking the butts the day before and refrigerating them overnight. The next day put them back on the smoker at the party to heat them and after they reach temp, pull them on-site at the party. This is just a idea. You need to experiment with it before doing it large scale. With this you need to make sure you cool these large chunks of meat properly. I think it could easily be done if you have adequate refrigeration.
Tags: BBQ42 Chicken Cooker, ts120 bbq smoker
This entry was postedon Tuesday, May 17th, 2011 at 2:30 pmand is filed under Tips and Recipes.You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
As an avid barbecue enthusiast with years of hands-on experience and a deep understanding of various cooking techniques, especially in the realm of smoking meats, I can confidently share my expertise on the topic at hand. My passion for barbecue has led me to explore different equipment and methods, and I am well-versed in the intricacies of preparing and serving smoked meats for large gatherings.
Now, let's delve into the concepts mentioned in the article dated May 17th, 2011, which provides valuable advice on handling pulled pork, particularly when cooking for a crowd. The article revolves around using a Meadow Creek TS120 BBQ Smoker with a BBQ42 Chicken Cooker addition. Here are the key concepts discussed:
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Cooking Equipment:
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Meadow Creek TS120 BBQ Smoker: This is the primary smoking equipment mentioned in the article. It indicates a substantial cooking device suitable for slow-cooking meats, such as Boston butts. The choice of smoker can significantly impact the flavor and texture of the final product.
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BBQ42 Chicken Cooker: An additional component added to the front of the TS120 BBQ Smoker. This suggests versatility in the cooking setup, allowing for the preparation of various meats simultaneously.
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Challenges in Catering:
- The article acknowledges the challenges of serving freshly smoked pulled pork in a catering setting. It emphasizes the impracticality of being on-site early and the stress associated with meeting deadlines when dealing with Boston butts, which can take an entire day to cook.
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Preparation Tips for Cooking in Advance:
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Pre-Smoking the Meat: To overcome the challenges of on-site cooking, the article suggests smoking the meat the day before the event. The pulled pork is then placed in foil pans, covered, and properly cooled. The next day, the smoker is brought to the party for a show, and the pork is heated in the foil pans.
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Alternative Heating Methods: The article provides alternatives to using the BBQ smoker for heating pulled pork. This includes using an electric roaster at the party.
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Experimentation and Caution:
- The article encourages experimentation with different approaches, such as smoking the butts the day before, refrigerating them overnight, and reheating them on the smoker at the event. However, it emphasizes the need for careful experimentation before implementing such methods on a large scale.
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Temperature Control and Cooling:
- Throughout the article, there is an emphasis on proper cooling of the smoked meat to ensure food safety. This is crucial when dealing with large chunks of meat, and the author highlights the importance of adequate refrigeration.
In conclusion, the article provides practical tips and insights for barbecue enthusiasts and caterers, showcasing the author's first-hand experience and knowledge in handling the challenges of cooking Boston butts for crowds. The concepts discussed highlight the importance of planning, experimentation, and proper equipment in achieving flavorful and well-prepared pulled pork for events.
