Smokin a Boston Butt

[autigersmoker]

I am going to attempt to smoke my first boston butt this weekend and wanted some pointers. Any of you give me any advice, from beginning to end? You know prep, temp, time, etc...

Thanks in advance!!

[1044]

Welcome to the family.

After my pit is up to temp and stablized @ 225-230°, I take the butt from the fridge, put rub all over it. I trim NO fat. I put a remote thermometer probe (Polder, Pyrex, or Taylor) in the butt (be sure it isn't in fat or touching the bone) and put it on the pit.

I don't look at it till it's close time to take it off. I cook to 190-200° internal, for pulled pork. I never slice them. It usually takes about an hour and a half per pound. Maybe a little more on my WSM, a little less on my Klose. Go figure.

[Michael]

I'm relatively new here, myself, but allow me ot welcome you to the site!

I don't claim to be expert like a lot of the folks here, but I figure at least I'm a good student! :lol: Here are some links that helped me when I was attempting my first butt. I love pulled pork, and will likely be doing a couple this weekend, as well. My first suggestion is if you're gonna do one, might as well do a couple! (if you have room, of course!)

Start Here: http://www.cookshackamerica.com/porkbutt101.aspx

I've tried each of the mops, bastes and sauces that are listed at the bottom of that link, but my favorite, by far, is the Smokin's Pulled Pork Baste and Serving Sauce. I'll copy and paste that recipe here...

This is a GREAT basic mop for pork.

Feel free to doctor it up, but you have to post your recipe here I have no idea where this originated, I got it and modified it after someone else modified it... so here it is to enjoy for all.

I use this on pulled pork starting about 1/2 way through cooking (after the smoke stops).

Mop this on the pork warm. I've also used this on the meat when it's done -- I just spoon some sauce over pulled pork right on the bun.

Smokin Okie's Pulled Pork Baste & Serving Sauce

(makes about 5 cups)
[list]

4 cups apple juice
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
4 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoon dry mustard
4 tablespoon brown sugar
3 bay leaf
6 cloves of garlic
2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cayenne (I sometimes use Hungarian Paprika)
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves (the secret ingredient)
Heat all of the ingredients in a nonreactive pan (the acid in the vinegar will react with some pans be careful) Bring it to a boil, reduce and simmer for 15 min.

I make extra and put it in the fridge and it should last for a couple of months. But it's never around that long.

When I put some pork in food saver bags, I'll put some of this sauce in there with it -- when I reheat the pork it taste just like the first time.

A couple of other tips based on my limited experience

1. Allow plenty of time for it to get done. A lot of what I read said to expect 1.5-2 hours per pound. I haven't cooked a butt, yet, that didn't take at least 20 hours. Part of that is likely that it was difficult to control temps on my old smoker (the standard New Braunfels knockoff offset) and I had wide variences in my cook temps. Anyway, if you're having company that's expecting pulled pork, make sure you allow plenty of time to get it done so you don't end up eating pizza! It's easy to keep it warm wrapped in foil/towels/ice chest if it's done too early.

2. I have, in the past, "scored" the butt before smoking to both decrease cook time and increase the amount of "bark" (and surface area for rub). Simply slice about 1" deep in 1" squares around the butt. Though I've only done this once, I'm a big fan of bark, so I may try it again on my next one!

3. Don't forget about the plateau. Somewhere around 160 degrees, your butt will hit a plateau and it will seemingly take forever for it to increase more than a degree or two in temp. Just plow on through!

4. Don't peek! You add considerable cooking time every time you open the lid! Leave it closed. If you don't have one, consider investing in a remote probe thermometer. Lots of people have had bad luck with them, but I've got a Polder Dual Sensor thermometer that digitally measures both the meat temp and chamber temp, and I've had good luck with it. Again, I seem to be the only one that has had luck with a dual sensor, so i might suggest just the single sensor that measures meat temps.

5. Take notes on temps, time, prep, etc. so you'll learn what worked and what didn't for the next time.

6. Have fun!

Michael

[Mic]

I am going to attempt to smoke my first boston butt this weekend and wanted some pointers. Any of you give me any advice, from beginning to end? You know prep, temp, time, etc...

Thanks in advance!!

Welcome to the asylum, autigersmoker! You will certainly get all the info you will need here to smoke them butts so all I'll add to the equation is that butts are very forgiving so you shouldn't have a problem. Internal temp is important so you should have some means to monitor it. 190*-200* is the target to pull em off. You may even consider takin em to 160* and then wrap tight in foil with some apple juice, put em back on the pit, and bring the temp to 190*-200* Good luck!

Mic

[BigDave]

Welcome to the madhouse!! Now all the things listed so far is real good. But we do one other step.

We like to make cuts in a criss cross design on top & bottom of the butt. Then take yer favorite rub and work it into those cuts real good. This will allow for additional bark to form and will get the rub flavor deep into the meat. Werks fer us! Your mileage may vary!!

BigDave

[TexLaw]

Autiger,

If you foil your butt when it hits 160*, you can also just put it in your oven at 225-230*, if you like. By the time you get there, you'll have just about all the smoke flavor you're going to get. Getting the butt off the pit also gives you some time to play around with temperature control or find hot and cool spots.

If you ever want to hold that butt for more than 7 or 8 hours, you can also keep it foiled in that oven at 145* for as long as you want. If you have a oven that does pure convection, that's the best way to keep it.

As the others have indicated, cooking time may vary some with what you're cooking on. I do hear a lot of WSM users talk about butts going 20 hours or more. I typical butt for me (approx. 8 lbs.) goes from 8-12 hours for me. However, the last one I did took 16, for some reason.

To mix things up, I sometimes make a number of small, deep cuts in the butt with a small, sharp knife. I stuff garlic cloves (or halved cloves, depending on the size) in the cuts. While the butts cook, they roast and soften. Not only does it add flavor to the meat, but they also mix in when I pull it.

Good luck, and have fun! Butts are very forgiving, so don't worry too much if things get out of control for a little while.


TL

[windracer24]

thx for the tip...gonna try stuffin garlic cloves in my butt this weekend.

[TexLaw]

:shock:

[TexasBorn]

thx for the tip...gonna try stuffin garlic cloves in my butt this weekend.

Oh yeah. Now THAT'S funny!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

TB

[Buckeye]

thx for the tip...gonna try stuffin garlic cloves in my butt this weekend.

Have fun 24....I think?
Jus hope everthin comes out ok..... :twisted:

[Buckeye]

24.......if this gits out.......u may have started a nashunal craze fer sum peeple! :shock: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[windracer24]

LMAO....left out the word PORK.....makes a big difference....

[jshively]

LMAO....left out the word PORK.....makes a big difference....

Pork the noun not the verb.

Pork 2 religons have banned it so it has to be good.

[TexasBorn]

Pork the noun not the verb.


Oh yeah. Now THAT'S funny!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

TB

[TexLaw]

LMAO....left out the word PORK.....makes a big difference....

Yeah, I'd say. I was wondering just what I had started!


TL

[Greg in Jersey]

thx for the tip...gonna try stuffin garlic cloves in my butt this weekend.

Be careful, they might burn ya! :D :D :D :D :D

[Zeeman]

:shock: Is that garlic whole or will you break it apart?

[BBQ101]

Zeeman you beat me to it I was going to ask Bulbs or Cloves :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: ROTFLMAO

[BBQ101]

8) Welcome to the Forum Autigersmoker. You got some good advice before 24 de-railed this thread. Ya can't blame us.

[Fire-it-Up]

I was going to comment on this subject.........but how do you say what 's already been said. I have to say this thread went to the dogs.



Funny stuff :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[PhotoKirk]

Go to Woody's Smokehouse in Centerville and pick up the Habanero Garlic. Very tasty. I wouldn't recommended stuffing it in yer butt, but hey, whatever floats yer boat.

[Michael]

Photokirk, in what form is this Habenero Garlic?

Michael

[PhotoKirk]

Photokirk, in what form is this Habenero Garlic?

Michael

Peeled cloves. It's good as a snack too.

I don't see it on their site, but I've bought it at the storefront.
http://woodys-smokehouse.com/cgi-bin/merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=WS&Category_Code=Jars

Hosgood's also has habanero garlic. http://www.4garlic.com/habaner.html

Hosgood's has all kinds of yummy garlic treats. Garlic salsa is really good.