About to visit son and DIL and new grandchild. My son has requested I bring pulled pork that he can eat later. This means frozen. How do people do this. In the past I have vacuum packed it (as I do many things) and it kind of destroys the consistency - makes a brick of pulled pork. What do others do?
No, not for me. It's good. I don't really notice any difference in consistency the way I cook mine, and I vac seal it with the liquid and fat, everything all mixed in.
I vacuum seal also. Works well. If I use the sous-vide to reheat or reheat with the pork remaining in the package in boiling water I package with a pat or two of butter and a splash of apple juice with a bit of extra rub. If no sous vide available I have reheated in a pan and add a bit of butter and apple juice in the pan with some more rub. Works well.
Also, I will sometimes thaw and reheat in a skillet when I use for pulled pork nachos.
I vac seal too and I get what you mean about how it is a compressed brick after you thaw and open it. I've had pretty good luck breaking it apart into a glass dish and adding a little bit of water, maybe a tablespoon or two for a pound, before zapping it in the microwave. I don't want it swimming but the idea is I'm trying to steam it back to life. The bark will never be the same but it's quick and won't dry it out.
I vacuum seal it about an inch thick and freeze it. Then when I want to reheat it I either put the sealed bag in the sous vide, or I put the sealed bag is a pot of simmering water until it's heated through.
Similar to the others, no meat consistency issues, but sometimes it eats a little dryer than fresh. Easy fix is to add some pork fat (home rendered lard, bacon drippings) during reheat or just before service. Some folks might recommend more bbq sauce, but that doesn't usually have the same mouth feel.
I reheat the vac-sealed pulled pork "bricks" in the sous vide at 175/80, and when I open it up to serve it is nearly indistinguishable from on the day. Never a consistency issue. Good luck!
Comment