Whether you’ve cooked your pulled pork in advance to save yourself time on the day of the event, or you’ve got leftovers that you want to reuse, it can be handy to have a foolproof method for reheating pulled pork.
The good news is, we’ve got 5 foolproof methods for you in this article, as well as some advice for how to store it to get the most out of your leftovers.
Cooking a good pulled pork can take up a lot of time and effort, so you want to make the most of everything you’ve cooked. Read on to find out everything you need to know about reheating pulled pork.
Storing Pulled Pork (to get the best taste out of your leftovers)
Many believe that the main way to guarantee tasty leftovers is to store your leftovers correctly.
- After you have finished cooking your pulled pork, allow it to cool to room temperature before placing it in an airtight Tupperware container.
- At this point, you should gather the leftover juices and drippings from the first round of cooking. Store half of these separately in the fridge, and mix the other half in with the leftover meat. Store this all in the fridge.
You can store pulled pork in the fridge for up to four days, but we recommend using them as soon as possible to avoid the meat drying out.
Reheating in the Crockpot
We love crockpot reheating methods as all you have to do is set it up in the morning and forget about it until dinner time. That being said, this is the longest method on our list, so if you are in a hurry, try one of the others. However, if you want juicy, flavorsome pulled pork, then this recipe really is worth the wait.
- Set your crockpot to medium heat, and empty your container of pulled pork into it. Add the second half of the drippings and juices, and mix through thoroughly. After this, add half to a full cup of pork stock (depending on how much meat you have leftover).
- This is a great time to add a small amount of sauce you like. A smokey BBQ sauce would make a great addition here.
- Place the lid on the crockpot and leave to cook for 6-8 hours. Stir again before serving.
Reheating in the Oven
This is the method you want to use if you’re looking to reheat pulled pork in bulk.
- Around half an hour before you want to cook, take the extra juices, and drippings out of the fridge and allow them to melt.
- Preheat your oven to 260F
- Once the juices have become liquid again, take your pulled pork out of the fridge and place it on a baking tray. Mix the extra juices back into the meat, and add 1-2 cups of pork broth (depending on how much meat you want to reheat).
- This is where you will want to add any extra sauces – applesauce works well with this method.
- When your oven has reached the right temperature, cover your pork with tinfoil wrapping, and place it in the oven. Allow the meat to cook for 20-40 minutes (again, depending on how much you’re trying to cook at once).
- Use a kitchen thermometer to check that the meat has reached 165F, and allow it to sit for 5 minutes to settle, then serve.
Reheating in the Steamer
Steamed ham is always a great call, and this method works really well to give you juicy pulled pork.
- Around half an hour before you want to cook, take the extra juices, and drippings out of the fridge and allow them to melt.
- Place your pulled pork in a series of tinfoil wrapping parcels, mixing in the extra juices as you go. If you want to add any extra sauces, now is a good time.
- Seal the parcels tightly at both ends, and place inside the steamer. Leave each one for 15-25 minutes.
- Check that the meat has reached 165F, and serve.
- If you have a larger steaming pot, you can leave the pork loose inside the pot and use apple juice instead of water to steam it – this will take 30 minutes, with regular stirring.
Reheating by Boiling
- Around half an hour before you want to cook, take the extra juices, and drippings out of the fridge and allow them to melt.
- When the drippings have melted, transfer the liquid and the meat into vacuum seal bags. This is the time to add any extra sauces you desire.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and place the bags in the water. Turn off your stovetop and allow the meat to rest in the water for 25-35 minutes.
- Check with a thermometer that the meat has reached 165F and serve.
Reheating in the Microwave
This is the quickest way to reheat your pulled pork; however, this method will give you the lowest quality leftovers, as it is very hard not to dry out pork in a microwave.
- Around half an hour before you want to cook, take the extra juices, and drippings out of the fridge and allow them to melt.
- Mix the melted drippings and the meat together.
- Place the meat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes (depending on how much meat you are trying to cook).
- Check the temperature of the microwaved pulled pork using a thermometer. The meat should be at least 165F.
- You may also want to add sauces to your pulled pork, cook the needed amount separately in the microwave for around 30 seconds, and mix into the hot pork.