Barbecue 911

I got a call about a week ago from  a friend who wanted to order a smoked brisket and pork butt for family Christmas. I got everything prepared ahead of time and threw them in the freezer. I have found that cooking my brisket and pork just slightly shy of the final temeprature and then freezing them works great. You thaw them for a couple of days, wrap them in foil and finish in the oven. They taste as fresh, smoky and juicy as if you'd just pulled them out of the smoker. So my plan would be perfectly executed in time for their Christmas day lunch. Or so I thought...

My friend called me yesterday morning and asked if she could pick the food up because her guests would be there soon. Imagine my panic when she told me they were celebrating Christmas a week early! I had TOTALLY misunderstood her when she'd orderd it last week! Both the brisket and pork butt were frozen solid in my freezer and her luncheon was starting in an hour and a half. I rushed home, grabbed everything and headed to her house. I had one hour to work with and really wasn't sure what the heck to do. All I could think of was to try and get a good microwave defrost on both and try and speed cook them in the oven at a high temperature. To make a long story short, I manged to have the brisket  hot, sliced, juicy, tender and ready to eat in about 2 hours. The pork butt still needed quite a bit of time and I left, after giving them instructions on how to finish it.

From what they told me today, both the brisket and pork butt were completely devoured by their family and friends. There were no leftovers and everyone absolutely loved them. Thawing slow smoked barbecue in a microwave would never have been my choice, but in an emergency, I'm happy to report that it worked like a charm!