re: Best strategy for BBQ that is being smoked Saturday, but eaten Sunday

From a BBQ forum:

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On Sunday, August 10th at 4:30 pm everything was finished (the 4 briskets cooked for anywhere from 20-23 hours. I removed everything from the pit, triple-wrapped everything in foil and placed the fare into the bottoms of my two Igloo coolers. I then placed cotton towels on top of the meats followed by layers of newspapers right to the top of the cooler.

The lids were closed and just to make sure NO heat seeped out I wrapped the area of the cooler where the lid meets the cooler with cellophane.

I loaded the two coolers into my truck the following morning of August 11th at 5:00 am and carried them with me to work for a BBQ lunch at noon.

The meats were coolered for approximately 18 hours yet when I removed the meats at 11:00 am on "Feeding Day" to slice, pull, cut, etc., the briskets were still hot enough to make holding them with ungloved hands quite uncomfortable. The pork butts were still hot while being pulled and shredded and even the smaller cuts (ribs and chickens) were still hot.

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This is what I do for 8+ hour holds meat stays solidly above 140 the entire time.

Double wrap everything in heavy duty foil. Do not allow for much time outside of the cooker or cooler. Pretty much you want to (double) wrap it and get it right into the cooler.

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We need to know if OP is using a yeti

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I wish

Im kind of leaning towards pulling when it comes out of the smoker. Im a bit worried about the food poisoning issue. I also want less work at the tailgate especially because I will be quite drunk by the time comes to eat.

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Depends on the temperature of the meat, the amount of meat, whether you preheat the cooler, what type of cooler used...etc., but 12+ hours is dangerous.

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everyone knows i'm not exactly known on here for my safe meat cooking techniques

but just speaking from personal experience, i take the butt right off the smoker at 200ish degrees and into foil and towels immediately into the cooler to rest and don't open it again until time to serve.

its a 'normal' sized coleman or igloo (not sure which) that is larger than a 6-pack cooler and smaller than the one with wheels on the bottom if that helps.

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I also want less work at the tailgate especially because I will be quite drunk by the time comes to eat.

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Exactly. There's just no point in pulling it the day of for an 11 am feed. Pull the night before and get that behind you. Either add the sauce, then (my preference), for moisture, or add it in the morning before you put it on the grill to warm up. DONE. You can enjoy the tailgate.

I just did this for someone this past weekend. Smoked two pork butts and shredded both of them. The one I was taking to someone else I put a little apple cider vinegar over the meat and placed in the oven to warm up. Worked perfectly.

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Exactly. There's just no point in pulling it the day of for an 11 am feed. Pull the night before and get that behind you.

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i dont get this to be honest. the butt will hold its temp MUCH better if you dont pull it until you're ready to serve.

in my experience, it takes all of 5 minutes to pull with a couple of forks so thats not exactly difficult to do..plus you get to slide that bone out and give your best buddy that delicious piece of pork that lives under it

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i dont get this to be honest. the butt will hold its temp MUCH better if you dont pull it until you're ready to serve.

in my experience, it takes all of 5 minutes to pull with a couple of forks so thats not exactly difficult to do..plus you get to slide that bone out and give your best buddy that delicious piece of pork that lives under it

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Because it's too easy to pull the night before and rewarm. Tastes great.Quality is fine and I can pull out the bones and keep them for myself!

No need to wrap meat in foil and towels and then have to pull it and sauce it the next day. Takes me longer to pull because I like to pick out big old fat blobs when using it for sandwiches. Don't know how he's serving it.

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Takes me longer to pull because I like to pick out big old fat blobs when using it for sandwiches.

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oh no you didnt. that all gets mixed into the deliciousness that is pulled pork.

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I can pull out the bones and keep them for myself!

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you want to show off how easily that bone slides out clean as a whistle and that 'thumb' piece of pork that is under the bone gets to go to the guest of honor.

Sometimes my husband will put the shoulder on the smoker the night before at about 6:00pm, pull it from the smoker about midnight, then finish it in the oven on low for about 6 hours while we sleep. According to some book he read, the pork will only accept the smoke flavor up to a certain temperature. Turns out great every time.

I wouldn't do this in a competition, but might work for your situation.

When it is done, pull it but leave it in chunks as much as possible to keep it from getting mealy. The more you handle it, the more likely it ends up looking like cat food.

On Sunday, finish pulling the meat and heat it up in the oven covered with foil. When you are ready to serve, heat up some sauce over the stove and then mix the warm sauce with the meat for the final touches.