Smoked Pork Butt

[Hd Wtr Hillbilly]

Next weekend I was planning on smokeing a 8lb pork but in my Bradley for the first time. I found a lot of varying ways on how to do it. Anyone have tips or tried it before.

I was thinking of brining it on thursday night until friday. Then putting it in the smoker before I go to bed and smoke it about 12-14 hours. Take it out let it rest and shred it. Any info would be appreciated.

Marinade

Brine/no brine

dry rub

Time/temp

[OnAFly]

I do dry rub only, no brine, no marinade.

For a 4-5lb butt I take about 8-10 hours at 225F. The best ting you can do for yourself is get a probe thermometer. They sell digital ones with timers and alarms at Target for 25$. It's a great investment for smoking.

Go until you reach an internal temp of 210. It takes forever to get those last 10 degrees, but it's worth it. Shred up, apply your favorite sauce and enjoy.

I go for a sweet smokey sauce and lots of slaw on my pulled pork sandwiches.

[hockeybc69]

I do dry rub, let it sit in the fridge for a few hours, then straight to the smoker with exactly the same plan as Onafly said.

I do put mine in a glass pan so it can soak up some of the juices that melt out.

Also, I flip it over half way through so both sides can simmer and soak in the juice.

[thirdeye]

Next weekend I was planning on smokeing a 8lb pork but in my Bradley for the first time. I found a lot of varying ways on how to do it. Anyone have tips or tried it before.

I was thinking of brining it on thursday night until friday. Then putting it in the smoker before I go to bed and smoke it about 12-14 hours. Take it out let it rest and shred it. Any info would be appreciated.

Marinade

Brine/no brine

dry rub

Time/temp

Next to a prime rib, a pork butt is the easiest thing you can smoke. They take most all seasonings & flavor wood well. Pit temp swings are no big deal because a butt is very forgiving. There is no reason to brine it and as far as time goes... I plan on about 16 hours for the 8 pound ones I smoke. Part of this time is resting, and a good plan is to wrap in foil when it's tender and move it into an ice chest and surround it with crumpled up newspaper for insulation. It will stay hot for hours. Be sure to save the juices from the foil as they can be mixed into the pulled pork.

Don't try to set an absolute sit-down time for dinner, all butts are different. As they approach tenderness, a butt will stall about 160° internal and stay there for several hours while the collagen is converted to gelatin. You just can't rush one. I do take temperatures toward the end of the cook, but I let the butt tell me when it's done. I probe with an ice pick to monitor doneness, and I also wiggle the bone. When it feels tender when probing, and when the bone is ready to slip out, it's done. This will be somewheres between 195° and 205°. I will take both hands (in gloves) or two pairs of tongs to get the butt off the cooker in one piece.

Seasonings can be tricky. Salt and pepper is great or your favorite rub will be fine. Be cautious of rubs with high sugar content as they will darken the "bark" during the long cook. Some of the bark should be mixed into the pulled meat for little flavor bombs. I'm not sure if meats need rotated or turned in your smoker, or if you like to baste meats in there. I'm an old baster and I use a spray bottle with apple juice, a little olive oil and a few drops of Wooster. I wait 5 or 6 hours before spraying, then do it every 2 or 3 hours.

The classic combination for pulled pork sandwiches is white bread (I use Texas toast or cheap hamburger buns) a little sauce at the table, and some coleslaw on the sandwich..... or if you want to make sliders get the Hawaiian rolls or Sara Lee white rolls.

So, the real question is, are you sure you only want to smoke one? You will be a hero if you make enough to give away some.

[Coach Dog]

Awesome Thirdeye! Where can I find a pork butt to buy? I always look in my grocery store but they never seam to have one.

[thirdeye]

Awesome Thirdeye! Where can I find a pork butt to buy? I always look in my grocery store but they never seam to have one.

You might have to ask. They cut country spare ribs from butts, so they are not always in the counter. Look for "fresh pork" on the label, this meat has not been injected with any flavor or salt water solutions. If it says something like "Always Tender" or "Moist and Tender" don't buy it. In fact don't buy any pork that has been enhanced. Butts are sometimes called Boston butts, or pork shoulder butt, or a shoulder blade roast. Try to get them bone-in. My Sam's Club has the best value for butts, they are bone-in and come two to a package. This weighs about 15 or 16 pounds. My Safeway has them in the 7 to 8 pound range too.

A butt actually comes from the front shoulder, not the other end of the hog. The hind leg is called a ham. The whole shoulder has a picnic end (the end closer to the hoof) and a butt end, which is the upper end. This photo shows some whole shoulders, a picnic and some butts.

[reinhard1]

third eye, here in the twin cities are as far as i know it's tough to find pork that is not enhanced. now there may be places. i have bought the double bag butts at sam's that were not enhanced. now i dont know if that is consistant for i dont look at the lable anymore exceptt for the weight and price. i love a fresh picnic. i make a german meal called "ice bein". simply roasted with garlic and peppercorns served with krout with bacon and boiled potatoes. i will smoke butts and picnics this year in my char griller with the firebox. i agree with the injection and brining. thats how we cured the fresh hams back when i worked at a meat market years ago. great stuff as always. good luck.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Great picts!!!! and post!

I also just dry rub... and spray with apple juice/ EVOO/Water combination.

[Hd Wtr Hillbilly]

Thanks for all of the info thirdeye, those pictures look amazing! I will let everyone know how it goes this weekend. I really like the idea of basting it with applejuice throughout the cooking process.

[Bigsmitty]

I did thirdeyes recipe a couple years ago for my son's graduation party. I think i smoked eight of them in my Bradley smoker. Followed his recipe to a Tee.

Everyone said it was the best smoked pork they ever had.

[McGurk]

thirdeye is the guru around here, and I am a simpleton compared to his experience. Follow his info to a T and you'll do fine. Don't rush it, allow it to get to temp on its own terms, leave a few hours for resting, and as stated put some of the slurry from the foil back into your pulled pork. Also, let the bark get good and dark; and sample some before shredding. It is insanely good, and impossible to explain. You might even want to keep a small reserve for your self before mixing it in with the rest of the pulled pork. Cheap white buns or sliced bread, fresh coleslaw, a good BBQ sauce, and your PP can be almost orgasmic!

[reinhard1]

the other day at sam's i found myself talking about third eye with some customers asking questions of a worker there who could only point out cuts of meat but had no idea of preperation. i told them about HSO and the cooking forum and told them about all the great contributers we have here and all the good stuff they could find. i dont think anyone can get that personal touch anywhere else. good luck.

[Farley]

Awesome Thirdeye! Where can I find a pork butt to buy? I always look in my grocery store but they never seam to have one.

Makenthuns in St. Bonni is where I get mine.

Yeah the plateu is tough when watching your temp probe, it will steadily climb then it seems like it stops cooking, but like said above thats the colligen breaking down so dont adjust temp, just let it do it's thing. I like to wrap mine in foil for the last few hours, and I spray with apple juice\rum to get that nice bark on the outside. I also use a finishing sauce that I think makes all the difference. It's good without it but the vinegar in the finishing sauce really makes the taste pop. Good Luck and be patient, good food takes time.