Smoked pulled pork can take a while to cook, so it’s common to make it in large batches. If you’ve found yourself with plenty of leftovers, then you’ll need to reheat them at some point. There are a few simple and effective methods for reheating smoked pulled pork and ensuring the quality stays superb.
The main thing you want to avoid is drying your pulled pork out, so you’ll need to store and reheat it properly. You want to store it in such a way that allows the pulled pork to retain some of its moisture.
Some of the best options for reheating your smoked pulled pork are the oven, the stove, the microwave, or the crockpot. They all have pros and cons, but you’ll find one that works well for you.
How to Store Pulled Pork Properly
It’s important to properly store your leftover pulled pork so that you can reheat it well the next day. You can even freeze pulled pork in this way if you don’t think you’ll be able to eat it all.
This method is to vacuum seal portions of smoked pulled pork. This ensures that the liquid stays confined in the pork and keeps it moist. By sealing individual portions, you can also freeze and thaw them conveniently.
However, if you don’t have access to a vacuum sealer, you can always store the pork in another sealed container. You’ll want to make sure to keep any of the remaining cooking juices with the pork. This will be important later on when you’re reheating it.
How to Reheat Smoked Pulled Pork in the Oven
The oven allows a great distribution of heat, which allows the pulled pork to evenly reheat. You can place your pork into the oven, set a timer, and go about your chores until it’s done. The oven is especially handy when you’re reheating meat in large batches.
1. Preheat your oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit. You don’t want high heat, you just want to warm the pork gently.
2. Place your leftover pork and any juice or sauce into an oven-safe dish. You can cover the dish if you have a lid, this keeps moisture in.
3. Bake the pulled pork until it’s been fully reheated.
4. Mix the pulled pork once or twice during the process to ensure every piece is getting warm.
5. Remove from the oven and serve.
This is one of the best ways to reheat your smoked pulled pork while also keeping it tender. If you don’t have time to preheat your oven, however, there are still several other great options.
How to Reheat Smoked Pulled Pork on the Stove
For this method, it’s best to use a heavier bottom pan, such as a cast-iron skillet or a dutch oven. Similar to the oven method, you can add a bit of broth to the meat. This makes up for the cooking juice if you don’t have any left.
1. Place the leftover smoked pulled pork into a pan and cover with a lid.
2. Heat the pork over medium heat (not high – this could burn the meat or dry it out).
3. Gently warm up the pulled pork, stirring it occasionally to distribute the heat evenly.
4. Add more sauce or liquid if you find the pork is drying out while it’s reheating.
5. Once reheated all the way, remove from the stove and serve.
You shouldn’t find yourself needing to add any oil to the pan, as the meat should have enough moisture already. Extra oil could make the meat feel greasy and unpleasant.
How to Reheat Smoked Pulled Pork in the Crockpot
This is arguably one of the easiest methods for reheating your leftover pulled pork. It allows the pulled pork to be gently reheated, which decreases the likelihood of it drying out. This method works best if you plan a few hours before you want to eat.
1. Place the leftover pulled pork and some extra juice or broth into the slow cooker.
2. Make sure to seal the lid onto the crockpot.
3. Turn on the crockpot and set the dial to “warm”
4. Allow the pork to reheat for 2-4 hours, depending on the amount you’re reheating.
5. Once the pulled pork has been properly reheated, remove it from the crockpot before serving.
While it may take a bit longer to heat pulled pork in the crockpot, the results will be worth it. The slow cooker is great at keeping meat incredibly tender and moist. The lid seals in all the moisture and keeps the leftovers delicious.
How to Reheat Smoked Pulled Pork in the Microwave
While the microwave is certainly the quickest and easiest method, it’s not the most ideal choice. However, if you’re in a rush and only want one serving, it’s the best way to reheat your food. You may find that the pulled pork is a bit drier and not as tender with this method.
1. Place your smoked pulled pork into a microwave-safe bowl or dish.
2. Add any extra juice from the pork, to ensure it doesn’t dry out too much.
3. Microwave the pork in increments of 60 seconds, checking it in-between until it’s reheated.
4. Once the pork has been heated through, remove and serve.
Reheating Frozen Smoked Pulled Pork
If you have some leftover frozen pulled pork, vacuum-sealed or not, you can also reheat it. Ideally, you’ll want to thaw it out before attempting to warm it up and consume it. This is best done in the fridge overnight or for several hours.
However, if you don’t have time to wait that long – you can thaw it using cold water. Simply place your bag of frozen pulled pork into a bowl of water. You’ll want to check it frequently and continuously change the water out.
Once your pulled pork is thawed, it’s ready to reheat. You can choose any of the above methods to use and you’ll have a delicious pulled pork sandwich before you know it.
In Conclusion
Leftover smoked pulled pork can be just as delicious in the following days. There are a few tips and tricks to storing it properly or even freezing it. If you follow the above steps, you’ll end up with moist and tender pulled pork that’s ready to be enjoyed.Whether you use the oven, stove, microwave, or crockpot, you’ll have delicious reheated smoked pulled pork. You can eat it by itself or put it on a sandwich. There are a variety of ways to reheat and enjoy it and you can’t go wrong with any of them.
