Leftover Pulled Pork Recipes - Cooking With Carlee (2024)

FAQs

What can you do with the juice from pulled pork? ›

If you have reserved juices then pour that evenly over the top of the pulled pork. I often use these juices when I first serve the meat so it's common to now have any juice left when it's time to reheat. No problem!

To reheat leftover pulled pork, spread it into the bottom of the slow cooker or crockpot, add a splash of leftover barbecue sauce, broth, apple juice, or other flavorful liquid, set the crockpot to warm, and allow it to heat for a minimum of two and up to four hours.

Reheating your pulled pork in the oven is easy, simple, and probably the best way to reheat a lot of pre-shredded meat. Place your whole butt or shredded pork in an ovenproof dish and add in a little liquid to replace some of the lost moisture. This can be apple juice, cider vinegar, broth, or a thick BBQ sauce.

USDA recommends using cooked pork within three to four days, kept refrigerated (40 °F or less). Refrigeration slows but does not stop bacterial growth. USDA recommends using cooked leftovers within three to four days.

These “leftover” juices and oils contain major savory flavoring power and can be used just like butter and vegetable oil to sauté a side of leafy greens or add that extra-crisp texture to roasted spuds.

If we're not making gravy, it's used for soup/stew. Pork "juice" is usually made into feijoada. Beef juice for beef & vegetable soup or the occasional chili.

This thin, vinegar-based finishing sauce, which differs from a BBQ sauce, is the secret ingredient to kick up my smoked pulled pork. After you've pulled your pork butt, drizzle over the meat and combine. The vinegar adds contrast to the smoky flavor and cuts through the fat in the meat.

Add as much leftover juice as you can, then cover with a lid. Set the burner to a medium heat and stir occasionally while the meat heats up. Heat the leftover pulled pork until it reaches an internal temperature of about 165 °F (74 °C). Add additional juice, sauce, or apple juice to the pot for more moisture.

2 butts in a steam pan with about 1/2 to 3/4 cup(little more if it does not steam) of a 50/50 mix of apple juice and water covered and sealed with plastic wrap. Reheat at 250-300 degrees depending on how much time you have. Reheat the pork to 165 degrees, the plastic wrap is good up to 350 degrees.

Additionally, spray chicken broth or apple juice on the meat to prevent it from losing more moisture in the crockpot. To add a strong flavor during the process, white wine can also be sprayed.

How do BBQ restaurants keep pulled pork moist? ›

Many competition barbecue teams will wrap briskets and pork butts in aluminum foil during the final stages of cooking and add broth, juice, or other flavorful concoctions to the foil package.

Make ahead of time: The pulled pork can be made ahead of time and refrigerated, covered for a day or two. It can also be frozen for several months. It's easy to reheat, and tends to keep it's flavor and moisture better than other reheated meats.

Trichinellosis, more commonly known as trichinosis, is a parasitic food-borne disease that is caused by eating raw or undercooked meats, particularly pork products infested with the larvae of a type of roundworm called Trichinella.

The Bottom Line

It is OK to store hot foods in the fridge. You do not have to wait for the foods to cool before you put them away.

It's also important to note that pulled pork or carnitas may look, smell, and taste just fine if left out at room temperature for longer than 2 hours. But per the USDA, pathogenic bacteria, which grow in the danger zone and cause food-related infections, don't affect the aesthetics of the food in question.

Bacteria can multiply to an extreme degree after just 20 minutes in the sink, according to Food Safety News, so either dispose of juices in the trash or clean your sink very thoroughly. Residential Waste Systems says to throw meat packaging and trimmings into a bag, tie it well, and throw it away in an outside bin.

If there's a LOT of fat (that layer at the top) pour that carefully off the top before adding the juices back into the meat. If you want a more dry finished pulled pork, you can put the juices into a small pan over a high heat and let them bubble for a few minutes until they reduce. Then add back to the pork.

Pour the juices into a container such as a jar. Put a cover on it and place it into the fridge. Once it gets cold the fat will turn solid at the top and leave the tasty juices at the bottom. Remove and discard the solid fat with a spoon.

But actually that red juice in your meat is not blood. Blood is removed during the slaughter process and afterwards very little blood remains in the muscle tissue. That red liquid is water mixed a protein called myoglobin. See as meat ages, the muscle tissue breaks down – and it doesn't take long.