Transporting shoulders mid cook - what to wrap them in?

carnitas · Joined: 22 Jul 2010 Posts: 6

Due to cooking time of pork shoulders...I'm often unable to complete the whole cook at the client's house or venue. So I usually start smoking at the kitchen for 6 hours, wrap in foil, and transport them under temp control to the event. They go back on the pit when the ribs go on for another 6 hrs. With travel time/parking/getting to temp they are usually wrapped in foil for up to 2 hours mid-cook. This seems to work great except for the amount of pork juice I am loosing due to temporary foiling. I thought of a layer of glad wrap to insulate before foiling but the packaging warns against any contact with fatty meats. Does anyone have a method they are happy with that wont bleed the meat?

Thank you.

ckone · Posted: Feb 15 2012 Post subject:

I do not believe there is a solution to your problem. Wrap them in whatever you want, you will still have the liquid come out.

Save the juice for your sauce? or baste with it?
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Deep South · Posted: Feb 15 2012 Post subject:

I used Glad oven bags to transport hams and was really pleased with how they held up.
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Geronimo · Posted: Feb 15 2012 Post subject:

A local butcher shop should be able to get you food safe plastic bags that you could use.

I know I bought a case of them from my butcher a while back...they are not cheap though, over $2 bucks a bag. Shocked

But it would solve your issues with ease. Wink

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PorkQPine · BBQ Fan Joined: 12 Feb 2009 Posts: 234

Have you tried hot and fast?

Harry Nutczak · Posted: Feb 16 2012 Post subject:

as long as you get your internal temperature over 140, you have 4 hours at an uncontrolled temperature to work with.

So if you cook them to at least 160 or more, that 4 hours countdown doesn't begin until the get down to 140, so a 2-hour transport in the cooker I see no problems.
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carnitas · Joined: 22 Jul 2010 Posts: 6

Nice! Food safe bags. Of course...

Thanks everyone for the tips.

Hey PorkQPine. Whats ideal "hot n fast" when you have butts, brisket, ribs and chicken all sitting together in the pit with the same pull time? I'm always interested in ideas that might take a few hours off an 18 hour catering day...

PorkQPine · BBQ Fan Joined: 12 Feb 2009 Posts: 234

Pork and Brisket take about the same time so you can do them hot n' fast and let them rest in a Cambro while you put on the ribs and later the chicken. As long as you keep temp. up on the pork and brisket while resting you will have plenty of time to cook the ribs and chicken.

I've cooked pork, put them in an insulated carrier, driven to the airport and flew from N. Cal to L.A. for a luncheon. They were still hot and the rest time really helped develop the flavor.