Longest possible FTC and safety

[Payneboy]

Hello, new to the forum and pretty new to smoking. Got an original Bradley 4 rack, and have done ribs multiple times and a pork butt or two. Here's my issue: I smoked a 9 pound butt for 14 hours, IT hit 195.1 and I took it out, FTCed it, and then I had a significant event which took me away from the pork butt for about 10 hours. So it sat FTCed for 10 hours. I unwrapped it 30 minutes ago and it was still warm, but the bark was a little mushy (as I expected it would be). I tasted it and it is excellent and obviously tender as can be. My question involves the safety of the meat, as I plan to serve it to guests tonight.

I immediately refrigerated the whole butt, and dinner is about 8-9 hours away. Is it safe to serve it, and what is the best way to warm it up? I will have a couple of hours to babysit  it in the oven or the Bradley if necessary this afternoon. Thanks in advance for any help I receive!

[watchdog56]

I have FTC them for 3 1/2 hours and not a problem but 10?  As far as reheating you can do it in the oven,microwave or crockpot.

Hopefully someone with more knowledge will come by with a definite answer.

[tskeeter]

Payneboy, the rule of thumb for food safety is no more than a cumulative time of four hours between
40F and 140F.

I have FTCed pork shoulder for over four hours and found it was still too hot to pull with bare hands.  That would mean that it was still above about 140.

That said, I tend to be cautious, and unless I knew exactly how hot "still warm" is, and unless that temp was around 120F, I probably wouldn't take any chances.

My favorite way to reheat pulled pork is to steam the pork with apple juice.   Water can also be used as the heat transfer medium.   I just put about 1/4 inch or so of liquid in a large pot with a steamer basket in the bottom, add the pork, cover the pot,  bring the liquid to a boil (this only takes 3or 4 minutes because of the small amount of liquid), in about 10 - 15 minutes, the pork will be heated through.  Steaming is faster than hot water and sealed plastic pouches because it takes so much less time to bring the small amount of liquid to a boil and because steam contains more BTUs than boiling liquid.

[TMB]

I have gone 11 hrs with two butts foiled in two sheets of foil and rested in a Cambro food locker.  When I pulled it out it was still 180 temperature no kidding

Food stays warm a long time in a Cambro there are just $$$ but worth it

[Grouperman941]

I have gone 11 hrs with two butts foiled in two sheets of foil and rested in a Cambro food locker.  When I pulled it out it was still 180 temperature no kidding

Food stays warm a long time in a Cambro there are just $$$ but worth it

TMB has me beat, but I have had butts double foiled with towel in a plain old Coleman cooler for over 6 hours hold 180 F.

To be safe, keep a thermometer in and take measures if it hits 140.

[beefmann]

agress with the temps and times the others has indicated,,, when the meat cools below 140 f, time to  start thinking of refrigeration.

[TMB]

I have gone 11 hrs with two butts foiled in two sheets of foil and rested in a Cambro food locker.  When I pulled it out it was still 180 temperature no kidding

Food stays warm a long time in a Cambro there are just $$$ but worth it

TMB has me beat, but I have had butts double foiled with towel in a plain old Coleman cooler for over 6 hours hold 180 F.

To be safe, keep a thermometer in and take measures if it hits 140.

I was lucky that my brother in-law had a Cambro and didn't want it so I snatched it up.  Priced one last year, they run $300 +  :o :o :o   My sister found three food holders at a yard sale for $10 each so I told her to snag those up they are not as good as a Cambro but they work better than a cooler   

[Payneboy]

Just an update: I went for it myself and my 24 year old son was also a willing participant...we had a couple of sandwiches and 36 hours later no problems. Tastes as good as I hoped it would. Just fyi though, I cancelled my dinner and smoked another for guests tonight :)