Weekend Cook Questions! Help a brother out!!

[cwalk4021]

I just got back from the store and bought 3 butts... I was going to cook them Saturday for the small crowd of football fans i've got coming over but the more and more I think about it the more and more I realize I just want to be sitting around the TV and not constandly adjusting the pit...

Im going to go ahead and cook the butts on Friday and re-heat the meat on saturday evening for the crowd. My question is what is the best way to do this?? Should i pull the pork Friday night off the smoker and then refrigerate? Cover it in aluminum foil or cling wrap?? Bring it back up to temp on Saturday in the oven or the smoker??

Another question, I want to do ABT's bad... what do u guys usually fill them with? Regular cream cheese? I'm going to cook these the day of the game so How long do they usually take to cook with the pit running around 225-250??

Thanks so much for the help... I'm only 24 so i'm still learning so much! Roll Tide!!

[SoEzzy]

What are you cooking on?

Have you cooked butts before?

What size are they?

What temperature do you like to cook at?

How long do you have to cook them Friday?

What quarter is the moon in?

Those are the questions that I'd want to know some of the answers to... the last one was just because I'm wondering!

Here's the answer I'll give without knowing all those answers:

Presuming you have the time for the full cook on Friday, before you head to bed for the night.

Cook them Friday, take them off the pit when they are in the low to middle 190's, allow them 1 hour in a cooler, then pull them all and put the meat into a couple of 9 x 13's.

Add back the juice from the foil, and 1/2 a cup of apple juice per butt.

Allow the meat to cool as long as you can in the pans, before you cover with saran wrap, then with foil, then refrigerate over night.

About 1 1/2 hours before you want to serve, put your oven on the lowest setting around 200 - 225 F, put the pans in the oven, there should be no problems with the saran wrap under about 265 F, make up your ABT's and sides, pop open the oven take out the pans and serve your guests.

I'll leave the ABT's for others, I don't get to make them for my family there are too many picky eaters.

Good luck, take pictures, enjoy the whole thing.
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[k.c.hawg]

My best responses on my abt's have been to make a cheese mixture, I usually use a variation of a recipe that alien posted.....creme cheese, shredded chedar (keeps it from getting to runny), mayo, some dry rub and chipotle chile powder. I try to pick larger jalapenos out for more stuffing...use the cheese mixture, top with a lil smokie and wrap with a good smokey bacon. I put mine on the hotter side of my smoker and usually it is 75 to 90 min til the bacon really crisps up. Do a search on Alien and abt's...you'll find something you'll like.

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[cwalk4021]

[quote="SoEzzy"]What are you cooking on?


Have you cooked butts before?

Yes and I feel like i've got them down pretty well... Go for a good bark and let them get to 190-200 internal

What size are they?

7.5 lbs each

What temperature do you like to cook at?

225 - 250

How long do you have to cook them Friday?

All day

What quarter is the moon in?

Wanning Gibbous

Thanks for the advice!!

[OwenStubbs]

I just did this exact thing last weekend - cooked up a shoulder on Saturday, then warmed exactly as SoEzzy mentioned. Once to temp, I transferred to a crock pot.. I did add just a bit more apple juice as I knew the opening and closing of the crock pot would lose moisture. Took it to a friends for an afternoon of Sunday football, together with about 5 different topping sauces, and everyone raved.... and I got to watch too, instead of tending the cooker!

[SoEzzy]

Thanks for the answers... particularly #6!

With all day to cook, I'd roll with Friday to cook and then just reheat on Saturday!

That way you will get to enjoy the pre-game spread, the game and then the post game commotions.
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[charleso]

Here my 2 cents worth. Go ahead and smoke the ABT's while you are doing the butts. I have used whole milk mozzarella to make mine, they turned out awesome. Dont cook them all the way, just long enough to smoke 'em good, then finish them in the oven on Saturday. I think they are even better warmed up than fresh.
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[Andy Reese]

SoEzzy's right on the money man Thats the way I do it Andy

[saltwatercowboy]

I'll give my two cents on cooking the butts ahead of time. I do it all the time. I smoke the butts until done, pull them, put them in 2.5 gal zip bags then drop in ice and water to get the temp down quick. ( Don't want any bacteia to have a chance to grow and poison the guest). then into the fridge if it is less than two days. Or the freezer if more than two days.
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[hldhm]

ABT's -I like to use a cream cheese, white mexican cheese mixture as most yellow cheeses are too runny and leak out. Mix the cream cheese, white cheese and some pepper cheese if you like it hot with some of your favorite rub. When it tastes good, stuff the peppers with it and whatever meat you're using, wrap in bacon and on the smoker. I plan on 11/2-2 hrs at 250.

[cwalk4021]

Thanks for all the advice guys... The cook is underway, will post pics when it's all done.. For the first hour of cooking my pit has never kept such a steady temp! It's very windy today too with rain in the forecast Wish me luck.. Pics of ABT's hopefully tomorrow if Alabama wins and I'm in a good mood