can i do anything with the drippings (shoulder)?

[Ernest]

When the temp is at a steady 220-240, I don't bother at all with preventing the drippings from burning. You could use some stock or beer but I bet that will just end up evaporating.
I reheat most of my food in the oven, 300-350 degrees. I don't like the microwave coz it alters the texture in a split second.

[Ernest]

Yes, the texture suffers quite a bit.

[Karon Adams]

Ok, I've been busy all weekend and just made it back to find my name taken in no vain, whatsoever! Thanks, Dewesq55! so, yes, your drippings are the perfect base for your sauce. the best thing about them is they carry over the exact same spice mix as the rub on your meat. after the cook, put your catch pan on the eye (or two) of the stove and deglaze with something acidic. I usually use some apple cider vinegar and often, some concentrated frozen pineapple sauce (personal favorite). scrape all the brown bits off the pan. this is called Fond. the Frenchified version of found and is the basis for an entire class of what Escoffier called The Mother Sauces. don't let that intimidate you. it did me for YEARS until I realized that béchamel was sausage gravy or pudding base, both of which I had been making since 4&6 respectively (granny made me wait til my sausage gravy was right before she let me try pudding. sugar scorches too easily)

Anyway, that can form the base of a lovely, perfectly matched BBQ sauce. from there, just use your favorite recipe. the basic sauces in Meathead's KC Classic recipe are the best guide. Vinegar, sweet (several different types make a more complex sauce) tomato, fruit juice, simmer, add some trotter's jelly if you have it. if not, never fear, there is plenty of gelatin in those drippings. You won't be sorry.

Meanwhile, I have to disagree with freezing in sauce, even in vacuum bags. there may be something I'm missing but I MUCH prefer to freeze leftovers in sauce. that way, you are protected from freezer burn in the sauce. reheating in boiling water is nice.

there are a zillion other things you can do with leftovers. one of my new styles (to me) is the Dim Sum (I KNOW) type steamed buns. we made a batch from some leftovers, and this weekend, took some out of the freezer (we had frozen what we hadn't eaten) and THOSE steamed nicely, too. I will be making those again!

Do try the sauce, if it isn't something you like, no problem. you can always collect enough over several cooks, freeze it, boil it down for jelly and spiced lard. that lard can be used for hot water crust to make meat pies with leftover pulled pork or to fry up pig skins or potato chips.

WOW, I'm getting hungry. pardon me while I go pull together a meat pie for lunch.

[Dr ROK]

Thanks for the info Ernest! Do you use anything in the drip pan to prevent the drippings from burning or does it typically fill up fast enough to prevent burning? Also, any tips on reheating smoked beans?

[DeusDingo]

so 22 hours is likely too long. i kind of expected that. should i go out there every 6 hours and collect drippings then if i plan to use them? how long does it take for your butts to get up to the right temp?

the 22 hour smoke was two 10 lb butts. my smoker is an upright cabinet style and it is really leaky through the door so a lot of heat escapes and it is hard to maintain temperature. i have since put grill weatherstripping (or whatever it's called) around the door but i haven't smoked anything since i did that last sunday.

[cdd315]

... just don't vacuum seal it with any acidic bbq sauce.

Please enlighten me Ernest, why would you not vacuum seal it with an acidic sauce? Would the acid break down the meat over time?

[Ernest]

Dr ROK I can tell you this that the pulled pork cooked in advance, vacuum sealed tastes even better than the fresh off the the smoker one.
Pull the meat in a pan, I use hotel pans from restaurant supply store. Pour the drippings all over the meat, taste meat for seasoning, toss well, portion into foodsaver bags, vacuum seal and freeze. If you are going to serve within 2- 3 days, I do not see the need to freeze.

For serving, heat water to about 140 degrees, drop the bags in, give it about 45 - 60 minutes depending on packing thickness and whether the meat was thawed.
You can hold the bagged meat in a cooler with the hot water while you go to the venue. It'd be like a Sous Vide machine.
just don't vacuum seal it with any acidic bbq sauce.

[Dr ROK]

Ernest I'm very interested in your freezing and thawing in hot water process that you've described in recent posts. Do you just catch the drippings in an empty pan or do you have some sort of base in the pan? I'm trying to develop a reliable way to get pulled pork to farmers market and pre-frozen and heated on site would be very doable and meet the requirements of the market. I'm also considering trying to get the timing down to get the shoulders finished up at 6 AM, wrap and use a faux cambro with heated bricks to get them there and pull as needed. While this may be the best tasting way to do it, it would also be the most stressful way and also prone to more problems popping up at the last minute. Any advice you may have and would like to share would be appreciated.

[Ernest]

DeusDingo I just add them to the pulled meat, especially if I am freezing some of it. It will come down to you experimenting. Next time put two pans under there and experiment with adding water to one etc.

The beans is a winner.
How big was the butt that took 22 hours? I bet you if the drippings had any sugar from the rub they'd be inedible at 22 hours.

[JeffJ]

During the cook, depending on your duration - I've never cooked them for more than 3 hours so maybe not a great recommendation as a drip receptor, but still good as a smoky base as outlined above. Also, when doing beef I've thrown in some soup bones slathered in tomato paste, onion, celery, carrot, bay leaf and a little beef base with water underneath a chuck roast or brisket and it made a really nice, smoky au jus.

[DeusDingo]

would the tomatoes go in after the cook or before?

[DeusDingo]

the beans idea sounds like a really great idea!

is it a bad idea to shred the meat and just add the dripping right into that? do i need to "dress up" the drippings a little if i plan to do that by making some kind of sauce? are the drippings too concentrated to add in straight and need to be thinned out since they have been evaporating for the last 20 hours? do i need to add some water to my drippings pan to start or occasionally add water to it? should i take the drippings out every few hours and collect them over time or can i just leave them all together and it will be fine? i feel like a 6 year old who has no idea what to do and i also feel like i am overthinking it. i also feel like there should be a drippings section of AR to help me with all the questions in my head!

[JeffJ]

Try pouring canned tomatoes (including the juice) into your drip pan. You can then puree them and use them as a base for BBQ sauce and a whole slew of other applications. The pureed tomatoes freeze well too.

[Dr ROK]

Put a pan of beans under your meat to catch those drippings. You'll be amazed.

Here's how I do it, (there's a smaller batch and a larger batch) ingredient list:

https://www.evernote.com/l/AEiLOLLtA...wCVinj3am7AaT4

[Dewesq55]

Found the link to Karon Adams post about sauce from drippings:

http://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/forum/the-pit-mastery-program/rubs-pastes-marinades-and-brines/64769-rub-to-sauce