All,
I am a HUGE fan of pulled pork, but have never attempted it myself. I have a large drum shaped charcoal grill and would like to give this a run. What suggestions can you guys/girls give me. All I know if low heat...for long periods, possibly up to 12 hours.
Thanks!
Full Version: BBQ'd Boston Butt
BBQ Source Forums > Recipes, Tips & Tricks, Photos > Barbecuing and Grilling Tips > Cooking Pork Butts, Hams and Shoulders
Try this approach. It is very basic as I wrote it for a first timer.
Rub with your favorite spices, wrap and let sit overnight or for several hours.
How you cook this cut is the most important part to getting a nice moist pulled pork. This cut of pork is loaded with internal fat. It is this fat that we want to "render" away. Scientifically speaking, the connective tissues and collagen will start to break down at temps of around 150-160º. This is exactly what we want to happen. The great secret to allowing this process to occur is to try and keep the meat temp between 150-170º The longer you can hold those temps, the more this fat will render.
So, how do you achieve this? By cooking the meat at very low temps. We cook all of our pork butts at a temp of 225º and plan on taking 2 hours per pound. In the end, we want the meat temp to reach and exceed 190+º. This can be measured with a regular meat thermometer, just be sure you stick it into meat and not fat OR you can stick a fork into the butt and twist it….it should twist easily.
Cook the butt UNCOVERED. The goal is to make that outside bark, nice and crispy (without burning). The only way to do that is to expose the butt to the heat of the oven. If you were to cover the pan in any way, you will produce steam which will prevent the formation of a nice crispy bark.
Let the butt cook for about 4-5 hours before looking at it. At this point, you can open the oven and "mop" the meat. Mopping is applying a liquid to the surface of the meat…this will help to keep it moist and add some flavor. I use a very simple mop of 3 parts apple juice or cider and 1 part cider vinegar and 1 part of olive oil. This can be applied with a brush, a mop, or a spray bottle. You can now mop every couple hours or as often as you would like.
I believe the 2 hour per pound estimate will be accurate 90% of the time. However, one of 2 things will invariably happen when cooking a butt…..it will finish early or it will finish late. What to do? To speed up the cook, wrap as tightly as possible in heavy duty foil and place back in the smoker. It will still take some time to finish so plan accordingly. If it finishes early, remove from smoker. Wrap as tightly as possible in heavy duty foil, then wrap that in a towel and place in a dry cooler with some newspaper on the bottom. You can hold like this for well over 6 hours.
Once the butt is finished you can now "pull" the meat. Let it cool to the point where you can handle it. Then use your hands to pull strands of the meat. A pair of forks will also prove helpful when pulling the meat. There may still be pockets of fat, so remove these as you start pulling. Place this pulled meat into whatever serving vessel you plan on using. Be sure to mix in the nice darkened bark of the outside meat with the inside meat. You should also sprinkle more of your rub on top of the shredded meat. This allows the flavor of that rub and mop to be distributed within the meat.
To make an authentic pulled pork sammich, use a very cheap bun, pile with pork add any sauce you may desire and top with a dollop of your favorite cole slaw! Pure heaven awaits!
Rub with your favorite spices, wrap and let sit overnight or for several hours.
How you cook this cut is the most important part to getting a nice moist pulled pork. This cut of pork is loaded with internal fat. It is this fat that we want to "render" away. Scientifically speaking, the connective tissues and collagen will start to break down at temps of around 150-160º. This is exactly what we want to happen. The great secret to allowing this process to occur is to try and keep the meat temp between 150-170º The longer you can hold those temps, the more this fat will render.
So, how do you achieve this? By cooking the meat at very low temps. We cook all of our pork butts at a temp of 225º and plan on taking 2 hours per pound. In the end, we want the meat temp to reach and exceed 190+º. This can be measured with a regular meat thermometer, just be sure you stick it into meat and not fat OR you can stick a fork into the butt and twist it….it should twist easily.
Cook the butt UNCOVERED. The goal is to make that outside bark, nice and crispy (without burning). The only way to do that is to expose the butt to the heat of the oven. If you were to cover the pan in any way, you will produce steam which will prevent the formation of a nice crispy bark.
Let the butt cook for about 4-5 hours before looking at it. At this point, you can open the oven and "mop" the meat. Mopping is applying a liquid to the surface of the meat…this will help to keep it moist and add some flavor. I use a very simple mop of 3 parts apple juice or cider and 1 part cider vinegar and 1 part of olive oil. This can be applied with a brush, a mop, or a spray bottle. You can now mop every couple hours or as often as you would like.
I believe the 2 hour per pound estimate will be accurate 90% of the time. However, one of 2 things will invariably happen when cooking a butt…..it will finish early or it will finish late. What to do? To speed up the cook, wrap as tightly as possible in heavy duty foil and place back in the smoker. It will still take some time to finish so plan accordingly. If it finishes early, remove from smoker. Wrap as tightly as possible in heavy duty foil, then wrap that in a towel and place in a dry cooler with some newspaper on the bottom. You can hold like this for well over 6 hours.
Once the butt is finished you can now "pull" the meat. Let it cool to the point where you can handle it. Then use your hands to pull strands of the meat. A pair of forks will also prove helpful when pulling the meat. There may still be pockets of fat, so remove these as you start pulling. Place this pulled meat into whatever serving vessel you plan on using. Be sure to mix in the nice darkened bark of the outside meat with the inside meat. You should also sprinkle more of your rub on top of the shredded meat. This allows the flavor of that rub and mop to be distributed within the meat.
To make an authentic pulled pork sammich, use a very cheap bun, pile with pork add any sauce you may desire and top with a dollop of your favorite cole slaw! Pure heaven awaits!
Hey Stogie, I've got a couple of questions for you. I've attempted two "Boston Butts" over the last few weeks with different techniques and different results. First question, if the temperature for the first few hours of smoking is too low, can that cause dryness in the final product? We had some bad weather when I was smoking a 3.5lb butt in a ceramic cooker, and the wind/rain combination caused the temperature of the smoker to hang under 200 degrees for at least two hours before it climbed up to 235 and stayed there. The flavor was great, it had a nice bark, but it wasn't as tender or juicy as the first butt I made a few weeks ago.
This butt was cooked in a homemade ceramic smoker, and here's how it was prepared: I brined the 3.5lb butt for 8 hours (water, salt, molasses brine) before patting dry, adding a rub and resting in the fridge for another 7 hours (no salt, just spices), and then smoking for about 9 hours.
Second question: I used soaked chunks of hickory for the smoke, and they threw a LOT of smoke. I liked the flavor just fine, but my wife complained that it was too smokey and kind of dry. Do you typically smoke throughout the whole cook, or just the first few hours and then heat only? And have you ever had something TOO smokey tasting?
Thanks in advance for any pearls of wisdom!
This butt was cooked in a homemade ceramic smoker, and here's how it was prepared: I brined the 3.5lb butt for 8 hours (water, salt, molasses brine) before patting dry, adding a rub and resting in the fridge for another 7 hours (no salt, just spices), and then smoking for about 9 hours.
Second question: I used soaked chunks of hickory for the smoke, and they threw a LOT of smoke. I liked the flavor just fine, but my wife complained that it was too smokey and kind of dry. Do you typically smoke throughout the whole cook, or just the first few hours and then heat only? And have you ever had something TOO smokey tasting?
Thanks in advance for any pearls of wisdom!
Hi Gearhead and welcome to the board!
A homemade ceramic smoker, eh? Sounds pretty cool!
OK, to answer your questions...
NO, lower temps are actually better and will result in a superior product. Glad to see you held the temp steady around 235º...that is about perfect. If any BBQ meat is not tender, that is a sign of undercooking. With a butt, the meat should literally fall apart just by touching and squeeezing it. If your temps were too low, then the fat did not render enough...even after 9 hrs.......and you would end up with a dry piece of meat. Don't be fooled by the size with a butt! The rendering process still must take place and that is a long process...no matter if the butt is 8 lb. or 3 lbs.
Did you check the temp of the meat when you took it off the cooker?
Save yourself lots of time and effort by skipping the brining! Brining is designed for lean meats that have no fat...poultry and pork loins come to mind. Butt is so full of fat that no brining is needed to keep it moist and tender. If you are looking for more flavor on the inside meat, then try injecting. Much more effective at placing flavor inside the butt.
Smoke taste is very subjective. I have had many friends complain of too much smoke when at a contest with me. That is because the meat was cooked in an off-set that burned logs for the entire cook. I personally use about 3-5 fist-sized chunks of hickory when I smoke anything. This smoke lasts about an hour, maybe 2 if I bury a few chunks in the coals. I don't add any additional wood once my initial batch is used up. This seems to be the rigt amount as I never get any complaints about too smokey. You just need to experiment and take careful notes.
Finally, no need to soak chunks of wood. This whole soaking thing is just a bunch of bull. It doesn't penetrate at all and once the hot fire evaporates the water, it smokes as it normally would. The whole smoldering concept falls apart when you realize that this water doesn't penetrate whatsoever. You would need to soak for months to get any kind of penetration of the water. Your fires should be low enough that flaming is never an issue and like I said, once the water evaporates, the wood smokes as it noramlly would.
Now, you mentioned that your last butt came out great....why not just duplicate that cook? What did you do different?
Hope this helps!
A homemade ceramic smoker, eh? Sounds pretty cool!
OK, to answer your questions...
NO, lower temps are actually better and will result in a superior product. Glad to see you held the temp steady around 235º...that is about perfect. If any BBQ meat is not tender, that is a sign of undercooking. With a butt, the meat should literally fall apart just by touching and squeeezing it. If your temps were too low, then the fat did not render enough...even after 9 hrs.......and you would end up with a dry piece of meat. Don't be fooled by the size with a butt! The rendering process still must take place and that is a long process...no matter if the butt is 8 lb. or 3 lbs.
Did you check the temp of the meat when you took it off the cooker?
Save yourself lots of time and effort by skipping the brining! Brining is designed for lean meats that have no fat...poultry and pork loins come to mind. Butt is so full of fat that no brining is needed to keep it moist and tender. If you are looking for more flavor on the inside meat, then try injecting. Much more effective at placing flavor inside the butt.
Smoke taste is very subjective. I have had many friends complain of too much smoke when at a contest with me. That is because the meat was cooked in an off-set that burned logs for the entire cook. I personally use about 3-5 fist-sized chunks of hickory when I smoke anything. This smoke lasts about an hour, maybe 2 if I bury a few chunks in the coals. I don't add any additional wood once my initial batch is used up. This seems to be the rigt amount as I never get any complaints about too smokey. You just need to experiment and take careful notes.
Finally, no need to soak chunks of wood. This whole soaking thing is just a bunch of bull. It doesn't penetrate at all and once the hot fire evaporates the water, it smokes as it normally would. The whole smoldering concept falls apart when you realize that this water doesn't penetrate whatsoever. You would need to soak for months to get any kind of penetration of the water. Your fires should be low enough that flaming is never an issue and like I said, once the water evaporates, the wood smokes as it noramlly would.
Now, you mentioned that your last butt came out great....why not just duplicate that cook? What did you do different?
Hope this helps!
Thanks for the advice, Stogie! That's great news that I don't need to bother with brining or wood-soaking. What a time saver!
I'm going to try another Butt sometime soon using a rub only, and smoke for just the first part of the cook. Regarding meat-temperature, I'm one of those guys that swears by the electric probe thermometer. For roasts, steaks, and everything, they don't come off of the heat until I know the internal temp. I just wish I could use it with the Rotisserie.
About the "DIY Smoker", here's a link to another guy's page that has pictures of the same type that I made. It was from a design by Alton Brown of the Food Network show "Good Eats":
http://homepage.mac.com/dubmann/PhotoAlbum1.html
For about 50 bucks, it does the job.
I'm going to try another Butt sometime soon using a rub only, and smoke for just the first part of the cook. Regarding meat-temperature, I'm one of those guys that swears by the electric probe thermometer. For roasts, steaks, and everything, they don't come off of the heat until I know the internal temp. I just wish I could use it with the Rotisserie.
About the "DIY Smoker", here's a link to another guy's page that has pictures of the same type that I made. It was from a design by Alton Brown of the Food Network show "Good Eats":
http://homepage.mac.com/dubmann/PhotoAlbum1.html
For about 50 bucks, it does the job.
Gearhead
That smoker is amazing
Thanks for the tip
this tip needs it's own setion
That smoker is amazing
Thanks for the tip
this tip needs it's own setion
That smoker looks easy enough to make, but how do you control the heat? Does the hotplate have a temp dial on it? Very attractive looking smoker too
They actually showed that skomer tonight on the food network. The hot plat they used went to 225. They even had a little temp gauge in the top.
I would probally use a propane stove because I already have one and I use to use it under my water smoker that just rusted away.
I would probally use a propane stove because I already have one and I use to use it under my water smoker that just rusted away.
Thanks for the kudos on the smoker, guys, I'm loving it! I did another Butt this weekend and the crowd was quite pleased.
To answer your question, NWBBQ, the hotplate I bought from Sears has a knob to control the heat output. I've found that for the cold weather we've been having lately, if I keep it at almost max temperature, it maintains something close to 225 degrees in the smoker - just about ideal. On a sunny and warm afternoon when I was still testing it, a setting of roughly medium-high produced a higher temperature, about 245 degrees, but there was no meat or wood in the smoker, which I'm sure affects the temp. The one thing that's a drag about this smoker is the difficulty in adjusting the temp. Thankfully, once you get to know your hotplate, and predict your conditions, you can set it before the cook, and forget it, since the ceramic helps to keep the heat pretty consistent.
This weekend, I started a 4lb boneless Butt at about 11pm on a cold, windy, and rainy night - a real shocker here in Seattle The smoker's temp was about 220 degrees when the Butt went in before I went to bed, with plenty of smoke coming out. I checked the smoker's thermometer from my bedroom window a few times with binoculars during the night (I must have looked like a pervert), and it didn't drop below 200 degrees. When I checked the probe thermometer temp in the meat at about 8am, it read 165 degrees, and the smoker temp was 210 degrees on a chilly morning. By 11 am, the Butt was done, and moist as can be! Thanks again, Stogie.
Regarding propane, Ronald, that's an intriguing idea, as you might be able to control the heat output from outside the cooker, depending on the stove. For long/slow cooks, though, I'd be concerned about running out of gas in the middle of the night. Also, regarding rusting, the burner that I bought from Sears (a Rival, I believe) was only 12 bucks. Even if it only lasts a few months, that's easy enough to replace.
I think I'll take some pics of my smoker, gather all the purchase details, and start a new thread like Ronald suggested. Now, it's time to plan how I'm going to smoke some Babyback Ribs!
To answer your question, NWBBQ, the hotplate I bought from Sears has a knob to control the heat output. I've found that for the cold weather we've been having lately, if I keep it at almost max temperature, it maintains something close to 225 degrees in the smoker - just about ideal. On a sunny and warm afternoon when I was still testing it, a setting of roughly medium-high produced a higher temperature, about 245 degrees, but there was no meat or wood in the smoker, which I'm sure affects the temp. The one thing that's a drag about this smoker is the difficulty in adjusting the temp. Thankfully, once you get to know your hotplate, and predict your conditions, you can set it before the cook, and forget it, since the ceramic helps to keep the heat pretty consistent.
This weekend, I started a 4lb boneless Butt at about 11pm on a cold, windy, and rainy night - a real shocker here in Seattle
The smoker's temp was about 220 degrees when the Butt went in before I went to bed, with plenty of smoke coming out. I checked the smoker's thermometer from my bedroom window a few times with binoculars during the night (I must have looked like a pervert), and it didn't drop below 200 degrees. When I checked the probe thermometer temp in the meat at about 8am, it read 165 degrees, and the smoker temp was 210 degrees on a chilly morning. By 11 am, the Butt was done, and moist as can be! Thanks again, Stogie.Regarding propane, Ronald, that's an intriguing idea, as you might be able to control the heat output from outside the cooker, depending on the stove. For long/slow cooks, though, I'd be concerned about running out of gas in the middle of the night. Also, regarding rusting, the burner that I bought from Sears (a Rival, I believe) was only 12 bucks. Even if it only lasts a few months, that's easy enough to replace.
I think I'll take some pics of my smoker, gather all the purchase details, and start a new thread like Ronald suggested. Now, it's time to plan how I'm going to smoke some Babyback Ribs!
Hey Gearhead!
Congrats on the little smoker! That is indeed a cool little unit. I too saw it on Good Eats and was impressed by its simplicity.
Now, using binocs to check temps is so neat! Why pay big bucks for a remote unit when a simple pair of binocs is at the ready!! Great idea...pervert or not! LOL
Congrats on the little smoker! That is indeed a cool little unit. I too saw it on Good Eats and was impressed by its simplicity.
Now, using binocs to check temps is so neat! Why pay big bucks for a remote unit when a simple pair of binocs is at the ready!! Great idea...pervert or not! LOL
I am in total agreement with Stogie................ thanks for sharing. I also saw the "smoker" on Food TV, but just kind of shrugged it off. NOW, I have to cook a briskit on my gas grill AND a porkbutt in the pottery flowerpots............ I am looking for my hotplate NOW.
Thanks for the info. I hope Dr. Atkins is right, or I will be 400 pounds and have matching cholestrol numbers because of this site
!!!
Best to all,
Jeffro (Jeff)
Thanks for the info. I hope Dr. Atkins is right, or I will be 400 pounds and have matching cholestrol numbers because of this site
!!!Best to all,
Jeffro (Jeff)
Gearhead
The reason i tried propnae for the little smoker was that I already had a coleman single burner camping stove. they last forever. I can get about 3 hours on a 1 pound tank. I got the idea that if I could do that with a 1 pound tank that I could at least get 30 hours on a 20 pound tank. I have actually gotten between 45 and 55 hours a tank . It worked out great because I didn't have to worry about watching the fire. I could just set it and forget it. ( I couldn't resist saying that, and it didn't cost me 4 payments of $29.95 either)
The reason i tried propnae for the little smoker was that I already had a coleman single burner camping stove. they last forever. I can get about 3 hours on a 1 pound tank. I got the idea that if I could do that with a 1 pound tank that I could at least get 30 hours on a 20 pound tank. I have actually gotten between 45 and 55 hours a tank . It worked out great because I didn't have to worry about watching the fire. I could just set it and forget it. ( I couldn't resist saying that, and it didn't cost me 4 payments of $29.95 either)
QUOTE (Ronald @ Jun 15 2004, 03:45 AM)
Gearhead
The reason i tried propnae for the little smoker was that I already had a coleman single burner camping stove. they last forever. I can get about 3 hours on a 1 pound tank. I got the idea that if I could do that with a 1 pound tank that I could at least get 30 hours on a 20 pound tank. I have actually gotten between 45 and 55 hours a tank . It worked out great because I didn't have to worry about watching the fire. I could just set it and forget it. ( I couldn't resist saying that, and it didn't cost me 4 payments of $29.95 either)
The reason i tried propnae for the little smoker was that I already had a coleman single burner camping stove. they last forever. I can get about 3 hours on a 1 pound tank. I got the idea that if I could do that with a 1 pound tank that I could at least get 30 hours on a 20 pound tank. I have actually gotten between 45 and 55 hours a tank . It worked out great because I didn't have to worry about watching the fire. I could just set it and forget it. ( I couldn't resist saying that, and it didn't cost me 4 payments of $29.95 either)
You forgot one word, my friend: 4 "Easy" payments of $29.95.
That Ron Popeil is a classic.
You guys have really started something NOW!!! As I drive around doing my work (I am a real estate appraiser), I find myself longingly looking at clay flower pots on porches, and wondering if I could "get away with it"!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am becoming MORE obsessed!!!!
Jeffro (Jeff)
QUOTE (Jeffro @ Jun 15 2004, 01:54 PM)
You guys have really started something NOW!!! As I drive around doing my work (I am a real estate appraiser), I find myself longingly looking at clay flower pots on porches, and wondering if I could "get away with it"!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am becoming MORE obsessed!!!!
Jeffro (Jeff)
If they're not using those flowerpots for smoking, then they don't deserve to have 'em.
GearHead,
LMAO!!!
Jeffro
LMAO!!!
Jeffro
I did a Boston Butt today. I followed Stogies instructions and it came out pretty darn good. So good, I got the thought of selling pulled pork sandwiches . Thanks for the tips all.
. Thanks for the tips all.
STOGIE,
Followed your +/-2 hours per pound at 225 degrees suggestion on the pork butt. I cooked it (indirect heat of course) on my gas Weber, and added some hickory chunks for a few hours of the cook time. I cooked a 6 pound butt. I made my own rub. Rubbed the butt down with vinegar, then applied the rub quite liberally, plus poked some deep holes in the meat and forced the rub down into the meat.
TURNED OUT ABSOLUTELY GREAT!! THANK YOU. It was so tender I just couldn't believe it, and just as moist and juicy as could be. Flavor was "off the chart"!!!
for anyone interested in the rub I use on pork butt, it is as follows:
2 parts GRANULATED garlic (better than garlic powder or salt)
1 part black pepper
Cayenne pepper to taste (I usually use about 1/2 as much Cayanne as
I do black pepper)
1 part paperika
1 part chili powder
1 part onion powder
1 part Lowery's Seasoning salt
1 part sweet basil
1 part celery salt
REALLY GREAT......... THANKS AGAIN for the tip, Stogie
Best to all,
Jeffro (Jeff)
Followed your +/-2 hours per pound at 225 degrees suggestion on the pork butt. I cooked it (indirect heat of course) on my gas Weber, and added some hickory chunks for a few hours of the cook time. I cooked a 6 pound butt. I made my own rub. Rubbed the butt down with vinegar, then applied the rub quite liberally, plus poked some deep holes in the meat and forced the rub down into the meat.
TURNED OUT ABSOLUTELY GREAT!! THANK YOU. It was so tender I just couldn't believe it, and just as moist and juicy as could be. Flavor was "off the chart"!!!
for anyone interested in the rub I use on pork butt, it is as follows:
2 parts GRANULATED garlic (better than garlic powder or salt)
1 part black pepper
Cayenne pepper to taste (I usually use about 1/2 as much Cayanne as
I do black pepper)
1 part paperika
1 part chili powder
1 part onion powder
1 part Lowery's Seasoning salt
1 part sweet basil
1 part celery salt
REALLY GREAT......... THANKS AGAIN for the tip, Stogie
Best to all,
Jeffro (Jeff)
Hey Jeffro!
Glad to hear that worked out for ya!!
Glad to hear that worked out for ya!!
I'll be starting my first ever shoulder tonight, wish me luck! I'm having about 20 people over, so hopefully it'll come out alright. I've got a couple of chickens and hot dogs as a secondary/reserve.
The funny part was asking people for a "Boston Butt" and watching the responses...turns out a bone-in shoulder is called Boston Butt everywhere...except Boston!
I'll let y'all know how it turns out!
-Ben.
The funny part was asking people for a "Boston Butt" and watching the responses...turns out a bone-in shoulder is called Boston Butt everywhere...except Boston!
I'll let y'all know how it turns out!
-Ben.
Best of luck, Ben! I'm sure it will turn out great.
This reminds me, I need to do another Butt soon.
This reminds me, I need to do another Butt soon.
Read through the whole step by step at the beginning of this thread on Boston Butt
Stogie gives a great lesson for anyone wanting to know how to do a fantastic Boston Butt aditionally he explains the rendering process well and why it is so important!
Stogie gives a great lesson for anyone wanting to know how to do a fantastic Boston Butt aditionally he explains the rendering process well and why it is so important!
QUOTE (bluesin @ Jun 10 2005, 06:52 PM)
Read through the whole step by step at the beginning of this thread on Boston Butt
Stogie gives a great lesson for anyone wanting to know how to do a fantastic Boston Butt aditionally he explains the rendering process well and why it is so important!
Stogie gives a great lesson for anyone wanting to know how to do a fantastic Boston Butt aditionally he explains the rendering process well and why it is so important!
Thanks bluesin...uh, that's the thread we're on!
I used Stogie's 2 hrs/lb rule and came up just a little shy - the thermometer read 180*. After an extra 45 minutes, I decided to use the fork test instead. It passed.
I took it off and immeditately threw on 2 beercan chickens.
The pork came out great - I pulled it, split it into two containers and poured some NC vinegar bbq sauce over one. For the other, I put out some South Carolina-ish mustard bbq on the table. I also supplied some homemade coleslaw that came out great as well.
It was a smash success - a 6 lb shoulder consumed in about 45 minutes by about 14 people. A guy who profesed to eating bbq on the road in NC, SC, Florida, Texas, Lousiana and Alabama claimed that this batch was in his "Top 3" (to which I replied "bullshit.")
So the only thing I failed on was having it ready in a timely manner for guests, especially since pulling it took so long. Do you guys heat it up after its been pulled, or serve it luke warm? I might consider chopping it next time and/or having it ready well in advance.
Thanks for all the tips everyone!
I'm going to add my two cents here: We cook thousands of pounds of pork a year in our festival business. Since we can't regulate the size of the butts when we buy them by the case we use the time and temperature method. Time=12 hours Temp=220 deg. Works great all the time. For those of you with gas grills you'll have to figure out how to regulate to the lower temps.
Reviewing Stogie's notes, I agree that there are going to be times when a large butt, even though cooked thoroughly, might have some fat on the top and inside.
I recommend using a heavy cleaver to coursly chop the meat. You can then visually see any large pockets of fat and separate them. (Won't be necessary with a butt < 6 pound as the fat usually renders out completely using the times above)
Don't cool the butts to low so as to make them easier to pull, separate them hot. If you are using bone in Boston Butt, the bone will pull out eaily.(That's also a good indicator that the meat is done to perfection) Find some heavy rubber gloves to work with the meat.
Reviewing Stogie's notes, I agree that there are going to be times when a large butt, even though cooked thoroughly, might have some fat on the top and inside.
I recommend using a heavy cleaver to coursly chop the meat. You can then visually see any large pockets of fat and separate them. (Won't be necessary with a butt < 6 pound as the fat usually renders out completely using the times above)
Don't cool the butts to low so as to make them easier to pull, separate them hot. If you are using bone in Boston Butt, the bone will pull out eaily.(That's also a good indicator that the meat is done to perfection) Find some heavy rubber gloves to work with the meat.
Yep, dabowsa,thats why I referred to it as,
Because the links from the main pages of the forum take you top the last post of pages I thought for our newer members it would be good to point them back to the beginning of this post, as its easy to miss the first sections because of the way INVBOARD links to the last part by default...
I usually take my butt off and just chop it up with a large knife. I then pour BBQ sauce all over it mix it up and put it into the oven for about 20 minutes and serve.
Also, I have been known to "finish up" a butt or bbq pork in a microwave on high for 2-3 minutes, this would have prevented that last 45 minutes, as the pork is pretty much at 180 already, just a quick microwave works great and does not make any difference whatsoever...
Sounds like it came out fantastic, thanks for the report...
QUOTE
Read through the whole step by step at the beginning of this thread on Boston Butt
Because the links from the main pages of the forum take you top the last post of pages I thought for our newer members it would be good to point them back to the beginning of this post, as its easy to miss the first sections because of the way INVBOARD links to the last part by default...
I usually take my butt off and just chop it up with a large knife. I then pour BBQ sauce all over it mix it up and put it into the oven for about 20 minutes and serve.
Also, I have been known to "finish up" a butt or bbq pork in a microwave on high for 2-3 minutes, this would have prevented that last 45 minutes, as the pork is pretty much at 180 already, just a quick microwave works great and does not make any difference whatsoever...
Sounds like it came out fantastic, thanks for the report...
Click to view attachmentMade my first pork butt on the grill yesterday..mmmmm!!!!
Bluesin, I see where you were going with that. I think I put some extra punctuation in that sentance in my head (...at the beginning of this thread: Boston Butt) or something similar. Please try to be clearer in future posts.
Don, are you saying that you do any size butt at 220* for 12 hours?
Don, are you saying that you do any size butt at 220* for 12 hours?
QUOTE (dabowsa @ Jun 13 2005, 04:47 PM)
Bluesin, I see where you were going with that. I think I put some extra punctuation in that sentance in my head (...at the beginning of this thread: Boston Butt) or something similar. Please try to be clearer in future posts.
Don, are you saying that you do any size butt at 220* for 12 hours?
Don, are you saying that you do any size butt at 220* for 12 hours?
Yes, since we have no control over the range of weights of the individual butts when we cook 200 + lbs of pork. We've had no problem but the butts usually range 6 -8 lbs. I guess if you're doing pork butts or shoulders that are much larger than that my formula would have to be modified.
i have a nice tip for you all to try all do this on every butt i cook and everyone loves it
take 1 cup fruit punch 1/2 cup apple juice and 3/4 - 1 cup bbq sause mix all together inject throughout the butt place butt in a big sealable bag add any left over juice and let sit over night and cook as normal
can we say yummmmmm
take 1 cup fruit punch 1/2 cup apple juice and 3/4 - 1 cup bbq sause mix all together inject throughout the butt place butt in a big sealable bag add any left over juice and let sit over night and cook as normal
can we say yummmmmm
My first attempt at slow cooking – Boston Butt
Click to view attachment
This is about 9 pounds of Boston Butt, Dry rub with Mustard, a little brown sugar, and other seasoning on the warming rack and ready to go. As noted in earlier post, its impossible to get the temp down to 225 degrees. Oh well, lets hope for the better.
Click to view attachment
This is after about 4 hours, Could not get the temp down to 225 with the regular regulator, Hood temp was around 350 even with one burner on low. You can still see smoke coming from the smoker box on the bottom right.
Click to view attachment
This is a stainless steel smoker box, you can see the smoke coming out. Wood would smoke for at least 2 hrs or more
Click to view attachment
While butts are removed and resting, I started the grill corn.
Click to view attachment
This was followed by grilled tomatoes, season with parmesan cheese, roasted garlic, and chopped cilantro.
Click to view attachment
Added some grilled fish that a guest brought over, some tuna and rock cods.
Click to view attachment
The last dish was a roasted lemon potatoes. Left on grill for about two hours - Started out on the grates, then moved to the warming rack when the Butts were done.
Click to view attachment
This is about 9 pounds of Boston Butt, Dry rub with Mustard, a little brown sugar, and other seasoning on the warming rack and ready to go. As noted in earlier post, its impossible to get the temp down to 225 degrees. Oh well, lets hope for the better.
Click to view attachment
This is after about 4 hours, Could not get the temp down to 225 with the regular regulator, Hood temp was around 350 even with one burner on low. You can still see smoke coming from the smoker box on the bottom right.
Click to view attachment
This is a stainless steel smoker box, you can see the smoke coming out. Wood would smoke for at least 2 hrs or more
Click to view attachment
While butts are removed and resting, I started the grill corn.
Click to view attachment
This was followed by grilled tomatoes, season with parmesan cheese, roasted garlic, and chopped cilantro.
Click to view attachment
Added some grilled fish that a guest brought over, some tuna and rock cods.
Click to view attachment
The last dish was a roasted lemon potatoes. Left on grill for about two hours - Started out on the grates, then moved to the warming rack when the Butts were done.
QUOTE (takeahike66 @ Sep 7 2006, 03:27 PM)
My first attempt at slow cooking – Boston Butt
Click to view attachment
This is about 9 pounds of Boston Butt, Dry rub with Mustard, a little brown sugar, and other seasoning on the warming rack and ready to go. As noted in earlier post, its impossible to get the temp down to 225 degrees. Oh well, lets hope for the better.
Click to view attachment
This is after about 4 hours, Could not get the temp down to 225 with the regular regulator, Hood temp was around 350 even with one burner on low. You can still see smoke coming from the smoker box on the bottom right.
Click to view attachment
This is a stainless steel smoker box, you can see the smoke coming out. Wood would smoke for at least 2 hrs or more
Click to view attachment
While butts are removed and resting, I started the grill corn.
Click to view attachment
This was followed by grilled tomatoes, season with parmesan cheese, roasted garlic, and chopped cilantro.
Click to view attachment
Added some grilled fish that a guest brought over, some tuna and rock cods.
Click to view attachment
The last dish was a roasted lemon potatoes. Left on grill for about two hours - Started out on the grates, then moved to the warming rack when the Butts were done.
Click to view attachment
This is about 9 pounds of Boston Butt, Dry rub with Mustard, a little brown sugar, and other seasoning on the warming rack and ready to go. As noted in earlier post, its impossible to get the temp down to 225 degrees. Oh well, lets hope for the better.
Click to view attachment
This is after about 4 hours, Could not get the temp down to 225 with the regular regulator, Hood temp was around 350 even with one burner on low. You can still see smoke coming from the smoker box on the bottom right.
Click to view attachment
This is a stainless steel smoker box, you can see the smoke coming out. Wood would smoke for at least 2 hrs or more
Click to view attachment
While butts are removed and resting, I started the grill corn.
Click to view attachment
This was followed by grilled tomatoes, season with parmesan cheese, roasted garlic, and chopped cilantro.
Click to view attachment
Added some grilled fish that a guest brought over, some tuna and rock cods.
Click to view attachment
The last dish was a roasted lemon potatoes. Left on grill for about two hours - Started out on the grates, then moved to the warming rack when the Butts were done.
Great looking andI'll bet tasting meal Takeahike66!
Sure like to know some of the specifics for those recipes; especially the ingredients for the butt and the roasted lemon potatoes.
Bill B
i like the idea of building my own smoker like you did. but 1 question comes to mind. how did you add more coals or wood to keep it smoking? did you have to remove the meat/grill then add and the replace meat/grill? thanks.
scott
scott
QUOTE (GearHead @ Jun 9 2004, 10:54 AM)
.....
I'm going to try another Butt sometime soon using a rub only, and smoke for just the first part of the cook. Regarding meat-temperature, I'm one of those guys that swears by the electric probe thermometer. For roasts, steaks, and everything, they don't come off of the heat until I know the internal temp. I just wish I could use it with the Rotisserie.
...........
I'm going to try another Butt sometime soon using a rub only, and smoke for just the first part of the cook. Regarding meat-temperature, I'm one of those guys that swears by the electric probe thermometer. For roasts, steaks, and everything, they don't come off of the heat until I know the internal temp. I just wish I could use it with the Rotisserie.
...........
I see that this is an old post above, but we have figured a way to use a wired probe thermometer with a rotisserie. See link below:
Picture of wired probe use with rotisserie
QUOTE
QUOTE(bill b @ Sep 7 2006, 12:34 PM) </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
Great looking andI'll bet tasting meal Takeahike66!
Sure like to know some of the specifics for those recipes; especially the ingredients for the butt and the roasted lemon potatoes.
Bill B
</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Great looking andI'll bet tasting meal Takeahike66!
Sure like to know some of the specifics for those recipes; especially the ingredients for the butt and the roasted lemon potatoes.
Bill B
Lemon Garlic Potaotes
8-10 small potatoes cut in quarters are smaller
1/2 cup EVOO
6 Cloves chopped garlic
1 tps oregano
sea salt or ther croase grain sale & pepper to your taste
2 lemon cut in 1/8
2 TBs butter
2 tps fresh chopped dill
Mix all ingredients in pan
roast over indirect heat for about 1 1/2 hr or until potatoes are tender. Toss a few times while roasting.
Remove lemon rinds and serve
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