I have been asked to make pulled pork for a family gathering on Sunday. My only available day for the cook is today, so I am smoking two 7lb pork butts now and plan to pull, cool, vacuum seal and freeze the meat. My question is have any of you ever done something similar, and if so, what temp did you reheat the pulled pork at in the sous vide and were you happy with the results?
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I've done it with good results. I think my temp was about 155/160. After about 1.5 hours I dumped the bags in a crock pot to keep warm. -
I have reheated pulled pork in a crock pot, and roaster.Comment
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My favorite way is the crock pot as @Duanessmokedmeat said. It’s so simple to heat and serve in the same thing. I like to start on low then switch to keep warm as soon as it gets to temp. I don’t want anything I reheat to get actually hot, just nice and warm, about 145 F on pork.Comment
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I’ve sous vide frozen pulled pork at 145 or 150. It worked well.Comment
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if it's chilled and vac sealed well, it should stay fresh without feezing till Sunday. No oxygen no spoilage.Comment
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i like to leave it in big chunks when i freeze it, as it seems to be more like a fresh cook when i pull it.
i do 140 for like 4 hours out of convenience, then open the bags and pull itComment
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Sous vide is probably the best tool for reheating BBQ. and for only a few days I probably wouldn't even bother with the freezer.
You only need to reheat up to the serving temp which is usually around 145-150. If you pack it in relatively flat, it should reheat from fridge temps in ~30 minutes and maybe 60-90 from frozen. If its more brick shaped or thicker, it'll take longer but you can go a few hours without impacting textureComment
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Pulled pork survives bagging, sealing and re-heating as well as any smoked meat. I generally shred my pork shoulder and vac-seal it into serving size bags (some big, some small). I usually reheat the bags in simmering water for 20-30 minutes or reheat in the steam oven, out of the bag, for 20 minutes. This has worked well for me, and two pork shoulders make a lot of good meat for many leftover meals.Comment
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Going to break from the herd here. I'd reheat it in the sous vide to 175F, because if you plate in a large gathering when the meat is only 140, it will be cold by the time people put it in their mouths. Pulled pork can handle almost anything short of global thermonuclear war, so don't be shy!Comment
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Pulled Pork is so versatile, SV reheat sure, 145*F is my guess.
We freeze and reheat pilled pork several times a year.
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Thanks for all the feedback! I'm planning to go with the sous vide since I'm betting kitchen counter space & small appliances such as a crock pot will be in short supply. I like the suggestion from DaveD to go a little hotter unless I have a steam pan set up available.Comment
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Two things to consider when reheating food:
1. Food safety experts recommend reheating leftover food to 165°.
2. The faster you can move food through the "danger zone" (roughly 40° to 140°), the better since time spent in the danger zone is cumulative, according to Modernist Cuisine. Reheated food takes at least 3 trips through the danger zone: cooking, cooling, reheating.
Just FWIW.
KathrynLast edited by fzxdoc; August 1, 2026, 06:37 AM.Comment
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