to pull, or not to pull, that is the question!

[Vibe]

Sunday night I'm going to put a pork shoulder on so it's ready for lunch Monday. I have the week off and thought i'd have pulled pork sammies for lunch each day of the week. Also going to make some home made 'slaw for the first time ever!

Now, I have a vacuum sealer and the bags/rolls.

Should I pull it all and then vac 4 pulled portions for the week or pull enough for lunch Monday then separate the rest into 4 portions then vac them down?

Either way I'm going to reheat in boiling water in the vacc'd bags.

Also, would you recommend freezing maybe Thursdays/Fridays? or fridge totally fine for the week?

~Kev

[Chris__M]

I would pull it all, then bag it up.

If the pork doesn't sit around in the kitchen too long, and is refrigerated once cool enough, I reckon my pulled pork is good for up to 5 days. Longer than that, I would freeze it. So as you are cooking overnight on Sunday, I would say Friday should just about be ok.

[wade]

Pull it all as soon as it is cook enough to handle and then freeze any that you are not going to use in a couple of days. If you are going to reheat in boiling water (which works well and I do often) do you have sous vide vacuum pouches for your vac packer. I have found that regular vac pack bags can sometimes soften and split in the water and you can end up with pulled pork soup.

[Vibe]

Thanks for your input guys! I might just freeze Fridays to be safe.

As for the bags, I'm using the Andrew James ones with the Andrew James machine.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001 ... ge_o00_s00

I have reheated Brisket in boiling water in the pouches and didn't have any splits on the time's I've done it.

The bags are meant to be re-usable though. The 1st time the bag sealed mid bag so that went in the bin. I think this was caused from the bag sticking out of the water leaning on the pot and thus sealing it.

The next time I submerged the whole bag and all seemed fine, no additional seals and no leakage on either time. But washed the bag twice and it still stinks of brisket! So i'll work with the bags are not re-usable going forward!

[Pompey Dinlo]

I've never re-used the Andrew James bags, I can't be bothered with the cleaning and they're not expensive enough to justify the extra faffing about

[Chris__M]

I've never re-used the Andrew James bags, I can't be bothered with the cleaning and they're not expensive enough to justify the extra faffing about

I have the same machine, and I don't reuse bags either - I had the same reaction as I did to the idea of reusable toastie bags - life is too short for that degree of scrubbing.

Off-topic - I have found the machine to be great at re-sealing - without vacuum - open packets of crisps and snacks. If I take a small bowlful out, and then reseal, I'm not tempted to go through the whole pack in one sitting (sad, I know).

[Vibe]

So all went well and vacuum sealed once cooled a little.



I got to say I'm a fan of reheated pulled pork more than fresh! Reheated in boiling water on a simmer for 20 minutes.

Here was my lunch today, double decker pulled pork, coleslaw and Blues Hog 'Tennessee red' BBQ sauce dripped over the top.


Of course with a side of more coleslaw and more pulled pork!

[gavinbbq]

Good work!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Chris__M]

I got to say I'm a fan of reheated pulled pork more than fresh! Reheated in boiling water on a simmer for 20 minutes.

For a long time, I figured my preference for doing it in advance was influenced by it being easier for me; in that when I got to try my own pork, I was less stressed when all I was having to do was reheat it, rather than having to get up early, just to have it ready in time.

Then I did a couple of comparison tests with friends, and they unanimously preferred the pork that had been pulled in advance and had sat in the fridge overnight, before reheating.

[essexsmoker]

I think a lot of food is better the next day. Spagbol is a defo. I think spice and flavours have time to develop and mellow.