How long do you let your pork butt rest after grilling? You can rest it for as long as 1 hour. It’s hard not to love a juicy tender pork butt, but first, you need to be aware of how long you should let it rest, or you will end up with a dry smoked pork butt.
There is nothing worse than getting dry smoked pork after all your grilling efforts.
Successful grilling involves lots of trial and error so don’t fret when you don’t get it right the first time. Also, keep in mind that there are no specific ways of doing things when it comes to grilling or smoking meat. But you do need to learn how long to rest your pork butt after grilling for maximum results.
One of the important steps you need to take when grilling or cooking meat is the resting stage. If you miss this then you are likely to end up with dry meat, although pork might still retain its juicy tender form if you slice it when hot.
Frankly, to get juicier and tender pork, it is recommended that you let it rest. However, not many people know how long their pork butt is meant to rest. But not to worry, this is a guide on how long you should let pork butt rest after grilling.
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How To Rest Pork Butt After Grilling
We already agree you need to rest your pork butt after grilling however many people are confused about how to do this. Grilling involves applying dry heat to the surface of your meat which is why you need to relax the meat before cutting. Resting happens to be a vital aspect of cooking.
You can simply let it rest on your cutting board, but some also hold their pork butt in the cooler to rest.
Another effective way you can let your pork butt rest after grilling is to wrap it in an aluminum foil with a little vent for air. This method has proven to result in tastier and tender pork butt meat.
Here are tips on how to rest your pork after grilling.
- Allow the pork butt to rest for a minimum of 15 minutes or a maximum of 5 hours
- Use a pair of forks for shredding
- To properly rest the pork butt, you must wrap them
- Leave a vent somewhere in the wrap
- Don’t cover small cuts with aluminum foil, find alternatives
- Let the pork butt rest in a warm area like the top of the stove or a warm plate.
How Long to Rest Pork Butt After Grilling
You can rest pork butt after grilling for a minimum of 15 minutes and a maximum of 1 to 5 hours, the longer, the better. The important thing is to rest your pork butt for a while before slicing and serving, so it can relax.
After removing the pork from the grill, simply give it an hour or longer to relax and absorb moisture.
No matter the poultry meat you are grilling or smoking, there are no certain rules you need to follow since everyone often has their recipe. With pork butt, the amount of time it should be rested tends to vary but generally, the minimal amount of time should be an hour.
Your recipe tends to determine how your meat is meant to be grilled or the way it should be marinated. But one thing you want to avoid when it comes to cooking pork is dry-grilled pork. This is why you need to rest it before cutting into it.
Another reason you should let pork butt rest before slicing is that a large piece of the meat will continue to cook after taking it off the grill due to the high heat. So, allowing it to rest will let it relax and let the moisture absorb into it properly as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Resting your pork butt after grilling will be easier to do and understand with answers to these Faqs.
What happens when you slice pork butt too early?
If you slice your pork butt too early, the juices are only going to spill out, and you will end up with dry meat, and it won’t be flavorful. Resting your pork butt before slicing into it gives it enough time to absorb moisture and not end up looking overcooked.
Can you rest a pork butt overnight?
Resting pork butt after grilling has no specific time limit. Research shows many people rest it overnight and still enjoy juicy, tend pork meat, but you will have to use a heating element to hold the pork butt overnight. How long you rest your pork meat depends on how large it is. For a large chunk, it can take 5 hours to 12 hours.
Can you rest pork butt in the oven?
It is recommended that you rest your pork in a warm area and since the oven is warm, you can rest your pork butt in it. Resting your pork butt in the oven for 2 hours until the temperature drops is a great way to keep it cool and get adequate moisture.
Should pork butt rest be covered or uncovered?
Most claim it’s best to cover it due to food bacteria getting into it. However, it is best to leave it uncovered if you want it to cool down faster. Covering can also affect the texture of the pork so best to leave it uncovered and if you must cover it, leave a vent big enough for air to get in.
Wrapping Up
One of the major reasons you will end up with dry grilled pork is because you didn’t give it enough time to rest.
If you are also cooking pork on low slow heat then you need to rest it after that. Everyone has their way of resting pork after grilling, so the best option is to find out what works best for you.
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