Pulled pork is a classic barbecue dish that is loved by many. Its tender, juicy meat soaked in a sweet and tangy barbecue sauce is simply delicious. But like any leftover, pulled pork doesn’t keep forever. So what do you do if you have leftover pulled pork that you want to preserve and enjoy later? One great option is dehydrating it!
In this complete guide, we will walk through everything you need to know about dehydrating pulled pork, from why you should do it to how to store and rehydrate it. Let’s dive in!
Why Dehydrate Pulled Pork?
There are several benefits to dehydrating pulled pork:
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Longer shelf life – Dehydrating pulled pork removes most of the moisture, which allows it to last much longer than fresh pulled pork. Properly stored dried pulled pork can keep for months
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Lower weight and volume – Removing the moisture also significantly reduces the weight and volume of the pork, making it easier to store and transport Perfect if you are backpacking or camping.
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Versatile – Rehydrated pulled pork can be used in many dishes like soups, stews, sandwiches, tacos, and more. It’s a handy ingredients to have on hand.
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Preserved nutrients – Dehydration preserves most of the nutrients in pulled pork, unlike canning which can destroy some vitamins.
So if you find yourself with leftover pulled pork, dehydrating is a great way to extend its life and get more use out of it.
How to Prepare Pulled Pork for Dehydrating
Proper preparation is key to successful dehydrated pulled pork:
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Use lean cuts – Choose a leaner pork shoulder with minimal fat to prevent the dehydrated pork from spoiling quickly.
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Trim fat – Trim off any excess visible fat from the pork before cooking it.
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Cook thoroughly – Slow cook the pork until very tender and cooked through. Allow to cool.
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Shred well – Use two forks to shred the cooked pork into smaller pieces.
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Remove excess fat – Pick out any remaining pieces of fat after shredding. Fat makes the pork spoil faster.
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Spread evenly – Spread the shredded pork evenly on dehydrator trays in a thin layer.
Proper cooking and shredding gives you the ideal starting point for dehydration.
How to Dehydrate Pulled Pork
Follow these steps for dehydrating pulled pork:
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Set dehydrator temperature between 140-160°F. This provides enough heat to safely dry the pork.
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Place shredded pork in a single layer on dehydrator trays lined with parchment paper.
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Dehydrate for 5-12 hours. Time will vary based on thickness of pork pieces.
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Check pork every 2-3 hours, shuffling pieces around to promote even drying.
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Pork is fully dehydrated when pieces are dry and leathery with no moisture inside when cut.
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If needed, continue dehydrating in 1-2 hour increments until pork reaches desired dryness.
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Allow pulled pork to cool completely before storage and packaging.
The low consistent heat of a dehydrator works perfectly to remove moisture from the pork safely. Keep a close eye on doneness.
How to Store Dehydrated Pulled Pork
Storing dehydrated pulled pork properly is key to preserving freshness and shelf life. Here are some tips:
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Allow pulled pork to cool fully before packing.
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Store in an airtight container like a mason jar or vacuum sealed bags.
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Exclude as much air as possible from storage container.
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Keep stored in a cool, dark, dry place like the pantry.
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Refrigerate or freeze for longer term storage of several months.
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Label containers with date of preparation.
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Use within 2 weeks for pantry storage, 6 months for refrigerated, 1 year for frozen.
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Check periodically for moisture buildup or spoilage.
Proper storage keeps dehydrated pork fresh and usable for many months. Keep oxygen out and don’t allow condensation to form.
How to Rehydrate Pulled Pork
When you’re ready to eat your pulled pork, you’ll need to rehydrate it. Here are a few simple methods:
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Hot water – Cover pulled pork with hot water and let sit 15-30 minutes.
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Broth – For more flavor, rehydrate in chicken or vegetable broth instead of water.
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Slow cooker – Add pork and liquid to a slow cooker on low for several hours.
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Pressure cooker – Quickly rehydrate pork in a pressure cooker with liquid on high pressure.
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Simmer – For best results, simmer rehydrated pork in a sauce for enhanced flavor and tenderization.
Rehydrate until pork is tender and has absorbed the liquid fully. Season and add sauce as desired after rehydrating.
Tips for Delicious Dehydrated Pulled Pork
Follow these tips for the best results when making dehydrated pulled pork:
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Use a dry rub or spice blend on the pork before cooking for extra flavor. The spices will concentrate as it dehydrates.
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Mix some of the original barbecue sauce or liquid into the pork before dehydrating to impart more flavor.
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Look for pork shoulder labeled “boneless” or “butt roast” for the leanest option.
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Cut pork shoulder into smaller chunks before cooking to shorten cooking time.
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Refrigerate overnight after cooking and before shredding. This allows the meat to firm up for easier shredding.
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Pat pork pieces very dry with paper towels before placing in dehydrator. Less moisture means faster drying.
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Write the dried weight on the storage bag so you know how much liquid to add when rehydrating.
As you can see, dehydrating pulled pork is totally doable with the right techniques. It is an easy way to preserve the meat longer and have delicious pulled pork ready when you need it. Just be sure to start with lean pork, trim fat, cook and shred thoroughly, dehydrate at the right temp, and store properly. In no time, you’ll be enjoying tender rehydrated pulled pork in your favorite meals and dishes. Happy dehydrating!
Instructions for Dehydrating Pork Tenderloin:
Step 1:
Use your favourite BBQ dry rub and season the pork the night before, if you have the time.
Step 2:
Clean the work area, your hands, and make sure the Insta-Pot is clean and dry.
My twelve inch by twelve inch, four tray, Excalibur dehydrator can dehydrate two pork tenderloin in one go.
Lift the meat off the bottom of the Insta-Pot with the metal grill. This way, the meat won’t sit in its own fat while it cooks.
Note: Removing the fat is an important step for the overall safety and quality of the dehydrated food. If you leave fats on the meat, it could go bad, especially if it doesn’t get cooled for a long time, like on long, hot canoe trips.
Step 3:
Start with a clean and dry dehydrator.
Turn on your dehydrator and set it to 165 degrees F so that it gets hot before you need it. This should take 10 to 20 minutes.
Step 4:
Follow the Insta-Pot instructions for cooking pork.
The meat setting on mine is what I usually use. I cook it for 30 minutes and then let it vent naturally for another 10 minutes.
This seems to make the meat nice and moist, as well as tender and easy to pull apart.
Note: Use an instant thermometer to make sure the meat is cooked to a safe temperature every time.
Step 5:
Once cooked, remove the meat from the Insta-pot and allow to slightly cool, until you can handle it.
Cut the pork into three to four smaller pieces. Then, shred it with forks or cut it up with a knife along the grain until the texture is pretty even.
Note: If you shred the pork too finely, it will dry out into fine hairs that are easy to crush and turn into dust.
I have found its best to shred into small chunks about the size of spaghetti, for best results.
Step 6:
Spread the pork tenderloin that has been shreds out evenly on all four dehydrator trays. Leave a lot of space between each piece to help it dry evenly.
Insert the trays in to the pre-warmed food dehydrator – set to 165 Degrees F.
Note: Silicone liners keep small crumbs from getting through regular grated liners as the pork dries out.
Step 7:
I move all of the trays up one level after three hours of drying, while the tray on top moves to the level below.
I move the trays every 1.5 hours, after the first 3 hours, so the meat dries evenly.
When the pork tenderloin feels dry to the touch and can be broken up into pieces that can be “snapped,” it’s done.
This normally takes about 4-6 hours.
Note: The interior temperature and humidity of your home will greatly affect this process.
Step 8:
Clean and dry the Insta-Pot and store for next use.
Step 9:
Once the ground beef is no longer wet, let it cool down and then put it in freezer bags for short-term storage or a vacuum seal for long-term storage.
I usually vacuum seal in bulk until my trip gets near. A few days before my trip, I’ll take the meat out of the freezer, mix it with other foods, and vacuum seal it in pre-measured bags. I’ll also either portion the pork out on its own and vacuum seal it in separate bags.
There is no information I have read that says vacuum-sealed and frozen meat can be kept for more than two years before it goes bad. It is not recommended to store in air tight containers at room temperature for more than two weeks. The meat should last between one and two months if you can keep it cool, dry, and vacuum-sealed. If you know more about shelf life or want to correct me, please leave a message in the comments.
Portion: You may need to change this to suit your tastes, but I think 50 grams of dehydrated pork, chicken, or beef is enough for one serving for one person. I will use this amount for adding to meals like Shepards Pie, Pasta and Meat Sauce, etc….
Step 10:
Clean and dry your dehydrator, shelves and other parts and store for next use.
Instructions For Dehydrating Black Beans:
Step 1:
Set dehydrator to 125 Degrees F and let heat up – give it 10 to 20 minutes.
Step 2:
Drain and rinse three cans of Black beans.
Spread evenly over the 4 dehydrator trays, while the dehydrator heats up.
I use the regular grated racks for this job.
Step 3:
Put the trays of black beans in the dehydrator.
Same as the pork. I move all of the trays up one level after three hours of drying, and the tray on top moves to the level below.
I move the trays every 1.5 hours, after the first 3 hours, so the meat dries evenly.
The black beans are complete, when they are dry to the touch and the pieces are brittle.
This normally takes about 5-8 hours.
Note: The interior temperature and humidity of your home will greatly affect this process.
Step 4:
Once complete remove the trays of black beans from the dehydrator and let sit to cool.
Step 5:
For short-term storage in the freezer, put the dried black beans in freezer bags. For long-term storage in the freezer, vacuum seal the bags and put them in the freezer.
Instructions For Dehydrating Corn:
Step 1:
Set the dehydrator to 125 degrees F and let it heat up for 10 to 20 minutes. Do the same thing you did with the beans.
Step 2:
Spread one bag of frozen corn evenly over the 4 dehydrator trays.
The corn will mostly thaw, while the dehydrator is heating up.
I use the regular grated racks for this job.
Step 3:
Put the trays of corn in the dehydrator.
Same as the beans and pork. I move all of the trays up one level after three hours of drying, and the tray on top moves to the level below.
I move the trays every 1.5 hours, after the first 3 hours, so the meat dries evenly.
The corn is complete, when it’s dry to the touch and the pieces are brittle.
This normally takes about 6-10 hours.
Note: The interior temperature and humidity of your home will greatly affect this process.
Step 4:
Once complete remove the trays of corn from the dehydrator and let sit to cool.
Step 5:
Put the dried corn into freezer bags to store it in the freezer for a short time, or vacuum seal it to store it in the freezer for a longer time.
Pulled Pork Taco Mix:
Now that you have the three ingredients dehydrated and ready, its time to make the mix.
The Mix:
I find this amount usually uses up all of the ingredients that I dehydrated previously.
Portioning:
Weight into 50g portions
Now I add 1/2 teaspoon (or more if needed) of homemade or store-bought taco seasoning.
Vacuum seal and freeze until your next trip.
Makes approximately 6 lunches of 2 small wraps or 1 large wrap each.
Dehydrated Pulled Pork Tacos
A comfort meal that will end your town food cravings, while adventuring deep in the wilderness.
When you’re in the middle of nowhere and someone in your adventure group starts talking about their favorite home-cooked meal, the “moons over my hammy” at Denny’s, or their favorite pizza toppings, do you ever feel like you could go for a greasy cheeseburger and poutine? If so, remember that you are six days’ walk from the next town you can reach. Anyone who has spent enough time in the backcountry, high country, river valleys, or paddling along lake shores knows that you get tired of the same old dehydrated meals after a while. For a warm lunch on days when I need a little extra boost, I wanted something simple and easy. “Pulled Pork Tacos” was an idea I found in an old canoe trip cook book I was given. The original recipe wasn’t for a dehydrated meal.
I first learned how to dehydrate pork, with some trial and error as well as some online research. It turns out it’s a lot like dehydrating chicken. The dehydrator recipes and articles I read all seemed to use pressure-cooked chicken, which was usually canned chicken because most people don’t have pressure cookers these days. Or do they? As I thought about it, I remembered that my parents had an “Insta-Pot,” which many homes seem to have these days (but not mine), so I thought I’d give that a try since it’s basically a modern-day presser cooker. With the best chance of success, it is best to use as little fat as possible when drying meat. I chose Pork Tenderloin, being one of the least fatty cuts. The meat was perfectly cooked, juicy, and falling apart when it came out of the Instant Pot. This made it very easy to finish with a fork. It was a surprise to me how well it rehydrated after being cooked, shredded, and dried that the meat felt and tasted like it had been home cooked. As with the original recipe, I wanted to keep the rest of this one simple. You can use store-bought or homemade taco seasoning. The only other things you need are corn and black beans, which are both very easy to make yourself. If I have any on hand, some good (expensive) aged cheddar is really nice on top. Either a traditional flour tortilla or, if you can’t eat gluten like I can, a nice warm corn tortilla will work as the outside wrap. You can be sure that this is one of the best light meals you will eat on your trips. Keep reading below to learn how to make it for yourself.
Important: If you don’t have an Instant Pot or a pressure cooker, I think the next best thing is to cook the meat in a way that gets rid of as much fat as possible while keeping the meat moist. A few things come to mind right away, such as an electric crock pot or a roasting pan in the oven. In either case, make sure the meat is kept away from any fats that might be present. I can’t say this will work for sure, but it was originally what I was going to try.
Dehydrated BBQ Pork Sandwich – easiest way
FAQ
Is it safe to dehydrate pork?
Can you dry out pulled pork?
How to make dried shredded pork?
What is the best way to keep pulled pork moist?
How do you dehydrate pork jerky?
Preheat the food dehydrator to 165°F and place the pork strips on the dehydrator trays, leaving adequate space for air to circulate between each piece. Dehydrate your pork for 4 to 6 hours until fully dry. What’s the Best Way to Dehydrate Pork? Can You Dehydrate Raw Pork? What is the Difference Between Pork Jerky and Beef Jerky?
Can You dehydrate pork?
Yes, you can definitely dehydrate pork! Dehydrating pork is a great way to preserve it for long periods of time, making it convenient to take on hiking trips, camping adventures, or just for a tasty snack at home.
Which pork is best for dehydrating?
Pork loin and pork tenderloin are the best cuts of pork for dehydrating. These lean meats have a low fat content, which helps to reduce dehydrating time during the drying process. Lean pork meat also will have a longer shelf-life as fat can cause dehydrated products to go rancid quickly. To make dehydrated pork, follow these steps:
Why is my pulled pork too dry?
The truth is, if your pulled pork is too dry when you serve it, there’s a good chance that it’s overcooked. Here’s why: As the pork cooks, the natural moisture in the meat slowly evaporates, which is what leads to the dreaded “stall” (the point at which the meat holds its temperature for hours on end).