I was wondering what the procedure was for freezing pulled pork. I'm finishing a cook here pretty soon, then its going in the cambro. Can I bag it and freeze it after the cambro or should I let it cool after the Cambro, then freeze it? Or maybe it really doesn't matter?
Any input is appreciated. Thanks!
I'm not sure whats the best way, but I let mine cool, vacuum seal it, then reheat later in a pot of simmering water. It's almost as good as when we ate it off the smoker.
When I finally pull the PB off the smoker I let cool on the counter for4 20-30 minutes. I haven't used a cambro yet. Then I pull it and put it individual containers and freeze it. For the 2 -4 wks it stays in the freezer I have never had any freezer burn. I take it out of the freezer., let it defrost in the container sitting on the counter and then into a small sauce pan and either add a little water or sauce to heat it. I can see where vacuum bagging and heating in hot/boiling water will help it retain the flavor. I am always amazed how good mine taste when freezing and heating it. I need to consider upping my game to Jon and Deuce's method as I can see ZZI would have a better product.
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Whether you rest it in a cambro for a while or not, don't let it come to room temperature before freezing. Once the internal temp drops below 140 degrees or so, it becomes a perfect environment for bacterial growth. The faster you get it from 140 down to below 40 degrees, the better. A couple hours in the cambro if you want to be sure the job is done, then straight to the freezer (stopping to pull it if you wish).
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Whether you rest it in a cambro for a while or not, don't let it come to room temperature before freezing. Once the internal temp drops below 140 degrees or so, it becomes a perfect environment for bacterial growth. The faster you get it from 140 down to below 40 degrees, the better. A couple hours in the cambro if you want to be sure the job is done, then straight to the freezer (stopping to pull it if you wish).
If you are freezing a large quantity you would want to consider how that quantity of hot meat will impact your freezer and it's contents. It may be a good idea to put in a ziplock and throw in a cooler of ice water to cool it down a bit before you put it in the freezer if you are doing a large amount.
I vacuum seal it up. But -- I'll take the "choice" bits and slice and sauce just like I would if'n I was turning that pork in to judging. I do remove fat and gristle -- don't want to eat that. I'll also mark the date the pork was judged and place at the contest. I like the idea of double vac-ing them. This one looks like it's leaking air a bit.
I'm with Keith on this one. Get it in the freezer sooner rather than later. I always store my pork in regular plastic food containers. When I reheat it I always add 0.5-1 cups of beef broth and "simmer" it warm in a pan or skillet. Much better than a microwave in my opinion.
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