Overbought Pork Butt - How to handle extra (raw)

So Costco has very large pork butt, and my wife picked up a boneless 12.8# (still way cheaper than the grocery store one I bought a few weeks ago, and looks better too). It's still stored in cryovac.

This weekend, I'll smoke it up and we'll be eating with the in-laws, which is myself and my wife [and our 6 year old], her parents, and my sister-in-law. My bro-in-law -- the only other gluttonous eater like myself -- will be out of town, which means we've got WAY too much meat. I'd love to send people home with leftovers, but I think I've got too much even to do that.

I'm considering a couple things, like smoking the whole thing and just giving some to the neighbors, or asking another family who lives nearby if they want to join us, etc.

But my question is if I wanted to cut off, say, 7# for dinner with the family and keep the rest (around 6#) raw in the fridge for next weekend, would it work? Will it stay good that long? Is there anything I need to do to help make sure it stays good? Do I need to (or should I anyway) freeze it?

What would you folks recommend?

You should be okay for a week I'd think. Plastic wrap the heck out of it, and I wouldn't be worried. As long as you don't use salt, you could even let it sit with rub on it.

That said, I'd vote to smoke it all and the leftovers will still be awesome next weekend.

Raw pork is dicey, even in a good cold fridge. I've had big packs of fresh pork chops, but the ones that are left over by the end of the week get a slimy coating. And you can taste it. Pork doesn't age well like beef.

Now once smoked it will last and taste better longer. And leftovers are always good, so is inviting a few more people.

Smoke it all. Then, vacuum sealer. Seal into portion sizes, freeze. To prepare place the UNOPENED bag into a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes. Remove, cut open, and it is JUST like the day you put it in there. Delish.

Here's some beef brisket, just bagged. My freezer is full of stuff I've smoked. BTW, do not microwave in those unopened bags.

I think you'll be fine. Provided it has been kept chilled and hasn't come into contact with any dirty surfaces. Just like with brewing, sanitation is paramount.

You can always refreeze as long as it hasn't been brought up to room temp. Personally, I'd marinade it for a day or so and braise that sucker.

passedpawn said:

Smoke it all. Then, vacuum sealer. Seal into portion sizes, freeze. To prepare place the UNOPENED bag into a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes. Remove, cut open, and it is JUST like the day you put it in there. Delish.

Here's some beef brisket, just bagged. My freezer is full of stuff I've smoked. BTW, do not microwave in those unopened bags.

Click to expand...

This is what I have done as well. Works a treat. I've eaten it a year later and it still tastes great. Instead of the microwave I put the bags in water and heat it that way. Works great.

+2 on the vacuum packing, i usually end with at least some going into the freezer for a quick easy smokey treat.
Buying in bulk easily justifies the purchase, meat, hops, ect..

Alright then... Smoke it all and vacuum-seal a bunch is the answer.

BTW, if I bag and vacuum-seal it, do you recommend adding sauce at the time I do this? I've read it can help avoid freezer burn... Or will the vacuum-seal retain enough moisture to avoid this on its own?

I never do but i couldn't hurt, never had an issue with burn on a properly sealed package.

I've found wrapping it up in 7 oz. portions is about perfect. When thawed out, 7 oz is perfect for mixing up into two servings of stir fry, or a skillet fry, or whatever. Or it makes one very, very generous sandwich.

Oh, and I never wrap it up with sauce because I like to use the leftovers for things other than sandwiches.

We've always got left over smoked meat at our house and I freeze for future use as well. One of my favorite ways to use up my freezer full of meat is putting it in the chili pot. On the list for the weekend!

bwarbiany said:

BTW, if I bag and vacuum-seal it, do you recommend adding sauce at the time I do this? I've read it can help avoid freezer burn... Or will the vacuum-seal retain enough moisture to avoid this on its own?

Click to expand...

1. You cannot get freezer burn if it's in the vacuum bag. Freezer burn is actually dehydration.

2. I don't add sauce. The vacuum sealer will suck the sauce out as it vacuums the bag closed and make a mess. You you prefer, you can add a little without an issue, but too much and it can be a mess. If you do want to vacuum something saucy, put it in the bag, then without sealing put the bags in the freezer. Once frozen, you can vacuum them without an issue. I also make large batches of pasta with sauce and seal extra in portion-sized bags this way.

It can't hurt for sure, and the main reason I would do it is to have a ready made meal item when you are done warming it back up. But he's right, I've never had a problem on a properly sealed package either. The trick is not to just willy nilly throw hard foods in the bag. You need to stack it so that you don't make a bunch of holes and deep valleys that are hard to get all of the air out of. One thing to watch for on sauces is that the thin ones will get sucked out by the vacuum pump pretty easily. To prevent this a little you can have a helper ready to close the lid while you hold the bag under the level of the machine. In other words set the machine on the edge of the counter and put the bag up against the counter under the machine so gravity is helping you keep your sauce. Mine has an Instant Seal button on it that can be used whenever all the air is gone and all you are doing is removing sauce.