seeking advice - 2 phase preparation

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LarrysBackyard

Assistant Cook
Joined
Jul 5, 2012
Messages
32
I am loving this hobby. Now I really really want to retire so I could do this all the time. But, reality says I must work.

So, with limited time to get dinner done, I am wondering if there is a way to split the work up across days, particularly as it applies to smoke and finishing, or also, to reverse sear.

In other words, can I do the 'low and slow' one day, refrigerate, and then sear it up on day two? What meats will support this? What meats/cuts/methods should I just abandon the idea and leave 'em for the weekend?
 
Yes you can do the cook over 2 days. This is in fact one of the more popular tricks of caterers. This works well for pulled pork. Typically the pork is smoked and shredded in advance then placed in the aluminum chafing pans and covered with foil for refrigeration. Then the meat is reheated prior to serving. There are several threads here in the General Barbecue board which show people using this technique.
 
Dittos..great plan. In fact two weeks work better than two days. Lot of folks believe cooking..freezing and reheating improves the goods. Briskets and butts both do this well. Would not like to try it for chicken and ribs.
 
Excellent. I'll keep looking in other threads like dledmo suggested.

What about reverse searing steaks (I know - Grilling and not bbq) but does bringing the internal temp up for a well done steak (the Wife can't see any red), resting for a day, and then searing day two make sense. Or will I just end up with chewy left overs?
 
You would probably end up with chewy left overs. If you have your grill hot enough to sear the second day why not just cook the steak then? Otherwise you are using 2 days of fuel for one overdone steak.
 
Good point. I'm always exploring ways to balance the cook times between mine and my wife's preferences. But it was just an example of the thoughts around how I can do more during the work week.

How about brining and rubbing? What could I exoect brining and rubbing a day in advance? Say, chicken? Pork?
 
Well unless you want to use my patent pending hot water two hour brine person would need to start the day before anyway. If brined meat is desired best bet is to buy it already brined. First time I bit into a pumped butterball fryer I say..Hmmm they have done swiped by patened chicken brine recipe. Life just aint fair huh? Now pumped pork can still profit from a fancy brine like I have.
 
Rubs typically go on shortly before the meat goes on. Rubs stay on the surface, they don't actually penetrate other than just a tiny bit.
 
How long after the brine can chicken sit in the fridge. For example, let's say I brine one night. And then, once taken out of the brine and rinsed, I put it back in the fridge. Maybe I've even applied the rub, too.

A whole chicken in under an hour is not bad on a weekday, but I want to be able to start out with nothing more to do than heat the coals and start cooking.

So if I can get as much prep done on a Sunday, I can do a cook throughout the week and it won't be so darn painful to get through the work week.
 
Follow proper food safety guidelines, raw chicken can be kept for only few days. Buying chicken on the weekend, brining and rubbing, I would use the chicken no later than Wednesday.
 
No clowning around with dead chickens. Buy em..hold them on ice..cook and eat soonish..preferably the same day. Fit a brine between if your able...if you can find unbrined cluckers to start with. Tyson has a good flavor for a pumped chicken. Sanderson Farms are hard to beat for the DIY types. Butterball factory pumped fryers tastes just like what a person can do to Sanderson Farms on a good day. They have fat old yeller chickens which tastes much mo betta than the white monstrosities. Them birds aint right.
 

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