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This title may appear contradictory: Keeping pork warm in a cooler?
The truth is that coolers are excellent at keeping meat warm.
Because coolers are made of insulating materials, they are ideal for holding and resting pork shoulder for extended periods of time without losing too much heat.
A pork shoulder can stay warm in a cooler for up to 4 hours, depending on its internal temperature when removed from the smoker.
After that, the internal temperature of the pork will begin to fall below 140 degrees (F), which is below the safety standards in which pork is safe to consume.
However, keeping pork warm in a cooler isn’t as simple as placing it inside. It requires preparation ahead of time.
Why Would You Put Pork Shoulder in A Cooler?
Resting
Cooked meat should rest for at least 45 minutes to an hour on average. Because pork can be left out for up to 2 hours, this is usually done at room temperature.
However, certain cuts, such as pork shoulder, benefit from a longer resting period.
Pork shoulders have a lot of fatty and connective tissues that break down during the smoking process. After they’ve finished smoking, a longer resting period will help emulsify these juices into the meat.
Some smokers will allow pork shoulder or briskets to rest for up to 3 to 4 hours. You’ll need to use an oven or a cooler for to safely rest this long.
Remember that the maximum time for resting pork shoulder in a cooler is 4 hours.
Resting meat in a cooler is an ideal method for the on-the-go smoker. Whether you’re camping or grilling at the tailgate party. If you don’t have an oven available, this is the perfect solution.
Holding/Done Too Early
No matter how much preparation is done ahead of time, there are bound to be a few occasional surprises when smoking meats.
One of them could be that it finishes too soon. It will stay warm and ready to serve in a cooler.
This way, you won’t have to refrigerate it and then reheat it when it’s time to eat.
How to Keep Pork Shoulder Warm in a Cooler
Now that we’ve established why you’d keep pork in a cooler, let’s look at how you do it.
As I previously stated, holding meat in a cooler, especially pork, requires special preparation.
Begin by bringing a large pot of water to a boil and pouring it into the cooler.
Allow it to sit for a few minutes before draining and drying it with towels, then closing the lid immediately. In this way, you “preheat” the cooler to a warmer temperature.
For added insulation, line the cooler with a few dry towels. Remove the pork shoulder from the smoker and wrap it in a dry cloth towel, then place it in the cooler, closing the lid tightly.
(If the pork shoulder hasn’t already been wrapped in tin foil or butcher paper, do so before these steps.)
If you intend to hold or rest the pork for the full 4 hours, make sure you follow these instructions exactly. When you take it out of the cooler, use a thermometer to make sure it’s still safe.
Note: some smokers will even wrap some of the hot coals in tin foil and place them on top of the cooler for added warmth.
How to Keep Pulled Pork Warm?
How do you keep your pork shoulder warm after it has been rested and shredded? The most common method is to use a slow cooker.
You can keep pulled pork warm for hours by turning the heat down low. You can also add extra moisture to the crock pot to keep it juicy.
If you don’t have a slow cooker, you can use the cooler method, which follows the same guidelines.
What Happens to Pork Shoulder if It Isn’t Rested Enough?
Essentially, if cooked meat is not rested, its quality will suffer.
Resting is the process of allowing freshly cooked meat to sit out for a period of time.
It’s one of the most crucial steps in the cooking of pork shoulder. It allows all of the juices and fats that have been rendering for hours to collect and redistribute into the meat.
It is responsible for the perfect creamy texture of pulled pork.
If a pork shoulder isn’t rested long enough, the broken-down tissues won’t be able to dissolve into the meat. For example, when you bite into a hamburger that hasn’t rested, all of its juices spill out and onto your plate or lap.
The same concept applies to pork shoulder. As you tear it, all of the moisture will escape, evaporating and ruining hours of hard work on the smoker. The meat will become dry and difficult to shred, as a result of this.
Essentially, if cooked meat is not rested, its quality will suffer.
Final Thoughts
To summarise, if you intend to hold or rest pork shoulder for more than 2 hours, you should consider using a cooler.
An oven is the best option, but if you don’t have one, a cooler is a great substitute.
You should have no problems as long as you properly prepare the cooler.
Just make sure you find a way to safely rest the meat for an adequate amount of time. It can be heart-breaking to see so much work ruined by such a simple error as not resting enough.
Robert is a certified Pitmaster, with over a decade of experience in smoking the best meats you’ll ever feast upon. He also has a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas at San Antonio. When he’s not researching technical topics, he’s most likely barbecuing in his backyard.