Can I put pulled pork in a warming drawer overnight?

[JCBII]

I'm smoking a pork butt today that's probably going to be done around 9pm tonight. After I shred it into pulled pork, my wife is going to take it to the Senior center she volunteers at tomorrow morning (around 10am). Can I put it into a warming drawer over-night as opposed to throwing in the refrigerator and having to reheat? I know it's no problem for brisket, but I wasn't sure about pulled pork and don't want to dry it out, etc, since it will be the volunteer's lunch tomorrow. If it's fine, then I was planning on setting the drawer's temp at 150°. Is this good or should it be higher/lower? Any information is always appreciated.

Btw, the Senior center has an oven so she'll use that to keep it warm until lunchtime.

 

[smoke ninja]

I've help pork butts for a few hours the same way I do briskets. I would start holding before its 100 percent done. Its longer than I typically would try to do but could work. I would definitely hold whole and pull/chop as late as you can

 

[SMOKE FREAK]

I would go with the reheat.
Pork can get soft/mushy with extended hold times. Just my experience.

 

[Callahan-que]

I would also go with the reheat. Pulled pork is easy to reheat.

 

[Itsdone]

You can absolutely hold at 150F for 18 - 20 hours. I usually pull around 185F and hold at that temp for that many hours.

 

[JCBII]

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate the advice! I'll go with throwing in the refrigerator this time around. Especially since I pulled it at 202° when it finally starting probing tender.

 

[Big George's BBQ]

How did it turn out

 

[jeffshoaf]

Just a quick reminder to not assume the temperature setting is the actual temperature - it's best to use a trusted thermometer to monitor for at least several hours to make sure it's not a lot hotter or cooler than you expect. A good thermometer with graphing works well; I used my Thermoworks Signals.

I have foiled whole butts and held for over 24 hours in an electric smoker set at 155° several times after smoking in an insulated gravity feed smoker and have been very happy with the results.

 

[cayenne]

Just my $0.02,
Like some others....I'd hold it "whole" and wrapped....and then pull the next morning before taking it to serve.

 

[JCBII]

How did it turn out

My wife is there now, and it's lunchtime so I'm sure she'll be calling me in an hour or so to let me know what the volunteers thought. Hopefully good. I pulled it last night and ate a little to see how it turned out. Very tasty but I didn't detect much smoke flavor. I had to cook it on my Traeger due to other things going on yesterday that prevented me from tending a smoker.

This is actually a test run for a charity event that the Senior center will be holding in February. My wife volunteered me to make pulled pork for the event and I'll be smoking anywhere from 4 to 6 pork butts (folks at the Senior center would like me to make enough for at least 100 people). It would be easier for me to just smoke all of the pork butts on my Traeger Timberline 1300, so I wanted to know what the volunteers thought of the pulled pork from this test cook before I decide what to use. If they want more smoke flavor, I'll need to use my WSMs or Hasty Bake. But if they like what came off the Traeger, I'd prefer to go that route just because of the amount of meat I'll be cooking - would just be easier to do with less chance of any screw-ups.

 

[bonz50]

I would go with the reheat.
Pork can get soft/mushy with extended hold times. Just my experience.

it's for a senior center right?? being soft/mushy might be a plus??:thumb:

 

[JCBII]

it's for a senior center right?? being soft/mushy might be a plus??:thumb:

Well it's actually for a charity event the staff are holding to support the Senior center, so I'm guessing young & old will be there. But good point about the seniors. :-D

 

[JCBII]

Ok, feedback from my wife is that the volunteers at the Senior center loved the pulled pork and said to make it the same way for the charity event. So I'm good to go.

As for holding the pulled pork overnight, I do plan to try that method.

 

[SweetHeatBBQnSC]

Glad it went well and good luck with the fundraiser. I'm sure you will enjoy that cook.

 

[PitRow]

As for holding the pulled pork overnight, I do plan to try that method.

FWIW, once I had a couple butts take longer than planned and finished around midnight. I wrapped them both in towels and put them in the cooler (with temp probe still inserted) and went to bed. The next day I didn't get around to them until about 10am and they had just gone from 140 to 139 degrees. Some of the best pulled pork I've made, IMHO. I don't know about holding them in this fashion from 9pm to 10am, but you might try a long hold, until it falls to 150 on it's own then into the warming drawer.

 

[JCBII]

FWIW, once I had a couple butts take longer than planned and finished around midnight. I wrapped them both in towels and put them in the cooler (with temp probe still inserted) and went to bed. The next day I didn't get around to them until about 10am and they had just gone from 140 to 139 degrees. Some of the best pulled pork I've made, IMHO. I don't know about holding them in this fashion from 9pm to 10am, but you might try a long hold, until it falls to 150 on it's own then into the warming drawer.

Thanks! The next time I make pulled pork for the family, I will put the pork butt in the warming drawer overnight, then pull in the morning. If it comes out good (not mushy), then that would be great. If I'm asked to do future cooks for the Senior center, I'd like to use this method because it would be easier than trying to time the cook to finish right when it's needed.