Boston butts were on sale last week so I bought a couple in the 3-4 pound range. I'm planing on tossing them on the pit barrel cooker tomorrow. My question is has anyone taken them off the cooker, let them cool and frozen them whole? There is only my wife and I, I normally freeze some after I pull it apart. I was thinking about freezing a whole one, then when we are ready for more thawing it, reheating it and them pulling it apart. Ideas? Thoughts? Good plan? bad plan?
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I don't see issues with your plan but I would want to add some liquids when reheating to get that moisture up. Maybe some apple cider vinegar or apple juice? -
I bought what a thought was a huge pork shoulder from Costco. Obviously it was my first pork butt from Costco. When I opened it I realized it was a double pack. I cooked them both and we ate one. I brought the other home, without shredding it and used my vacuum sealer and froze the other one whole. A few weeks later I used it and it was excellent.Comment
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There's a better option imho, if you want to eat freshly cooked pork butt at a later time: put one in the freezer for later. One of the main advantages I have found is you can start cooking a butt with just a enough notice to start heating up the cooker. Also, you only make one mess while prepping both of them at the same time.Comment
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😳 Woah…that’s nuts. I would never believe you if I didn’t read the story and see the pics. -
Done likewise and the guys are right -- it doesn't take that much more time to cook starting with frozen meat compared with thawed. That said, I'm more inclined to cook both butts, pull or slice them, and portion the meat into meal size packages so I can have dinner on the table in short order -- tacos, chili, nachos, BBQ sandwiches, etc. I cook a large butt or two smaller ones once or twice a year and stock up like this. But it's purely personal preference which way to go.
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When I cook a pork butt and there are left overs, I freeze in quart ziplocks. A quart ziplock holds 6-8 oz of pulled pork. Perfect for the next meal.
However, I have also found (as Steve R. Notes) that you can cook a pork butt from frozen and it works out great. I’ve done it a bunch of times since this cook …. Frozen Pork ButtComment
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Never knew you could cook them frozen. I’ll definitely have to try that. I have one in the freezer, unbrined though, but I have another in the fridge that will end up in the freezer if I don’t use it. Thanks.Comment
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I am not sure if you have a good plan or not. Never tried this. I always pull and vacuum seal. Works great this way and stays very fresh.Comment
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I would take it off the smoker, let it rest for a few hours in a cambro, then vac seal and shock it in ice water. Then you can throw it in the freezer. Always works well when I do this.
You really do not want to throw hot food in your freezer. Shocking in ice water will drop that meat temp safely and quickly.
If you are curious about shocking... Check out this article on the "Big Chill"Comment
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I pull, portion, vac seal and freeze as flat as I can for easy reheating.Comment
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I must be doing something wrong, I find that when freezing already pulled pork, it comes out a little dry. I have had success with smoking the butt to 150deg F, then cutting it into servings for two (the bride and me) and freezing those. I'll braise these portions in stock, as required, until they pull nicely. Our fave is simply pulled pork & apple slaw on a nice soft white bunComment
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