Question on smoking port butts

[hockeybc69]

Is there any benefit to putting it in a pan so that it catches all the juices and kinda steams in its own juices while smoking it??

What about wrapping it in foil at some point. Typically I have wrapped it towards the end. No real reason why I do it at that point, just something I have done.

Or is the ideal method just to plop it on the grates and let er cook till done?

Curious what others do and the reasons why.

[goblueM]

haha you got some on right now, don't you?

I use a smoker that doesn't quite get it up to safe temp, so I wrap it in foil and throw it in the oven for a couple hours at the end. Still keeps the juices that way.

[hockeybc69]

I have 2 going right now. Just got me wondering about the topic after I got things going.

I have done many, and cant say I have ever messed any up. But interested in how to take it to the next level.

[reinhard1]

i usualy keep the seasoned butts in a foil pan covered the first hour. then i take the foil off the pan and start watching the progress as far as the tenderness and wait for the brown crust to appear. i do turn the butt over a couple of times in the juices. when i know it's getting to the point of breaking down i then take the butt out of the pan and drain the juices in the pan. i then put the butt back in the pan and just tent with foil, not fully covering it up so the low heat and smoke can get in there. by the time it's totaly ready i have the sauce ready to add to the pork after i break it up. i then break up the meat [shreded i guess you would say] put it back in the same pan and add the sauce and mix it well let on the grill until i'm ready to serve on buns. now i do let it sit in the pan to let the flavors blend before i serve. that's how i do it but i'm sure there are plenty of great grillers out there with other ideas. good luck.

[thirdeye]

I think ideal is what works best for you, and what your family likes...

Many folks with big smokers cook butts in pans because it makes it really easy to move them around inside the smoker during the cook, and to get them off the smoker without them falling apart. The additional pan juices will insure moistness but a butt will stay pretty moist on it's own. The bad thing about using a pan for the cook is the amount of grease that accumulates in there, you can always suck some out with a turkey baster after 5 or 6 hours of cooking.

Doing just a foil finish (in a pan or triple wrapped in foil) can shorten your cooking time. My butts usually take 16 hours +/-, and a foil finish can shave 2 or 3 hours off of that. I do rest my butts in a foil pouch with some additional juice (apple juice, broth or a pork marinade) added, for at least 2 hours, and have no problem with resting 3 or 4. I put wadded up newspaper in a cooler for insulation, add the foiled butts and put a towel or blanket on top, then close the lid. Since they are usually around 200° internal when coolering, they stay hot a good long time. Here is a butt with the foil juices that developed during the rest. These "resting juices" are nowhere near as fatty as juices from the cooking pan would be, and they are very flavorful.

If you want to cook in pans then rest in the same pan, or just rest in a pan, this cooler shelf is a good idea. A guy named Mike posted it years ago on a cooking forum and I've always been meaning to make one. It would be good for BBQ beans or for carrying cold things too.

Most of my butt cooks are straight forward, right on the grate, followed by the long rest I mentioned. I rub my meat with peanut oil and add the rub. Then start off with a pit temp around 200° for about 2 hours. This gives me some good smoke flavor (and helps the smoke ring... cold meat and low temps are good for the ring), and lets the spices in my rub wake up with the slow rise in heat. Then I ramp up the smoker to 225° to 250° for the next 12 to 14 hours. I'll spray with some apple juice and oil around hour 6, and hour 10 to keep the surface moist and to even out the color of the bark.

After resting I will snip a corner of the foil pouch and drain off the juice into a bowl. This is the liquid I add back into the meat as I'm pulling it. I also add some to the sauce which I serve at the table. Or the juice alone can be used as the table sauce.

[reinhard1]

excelent discription of how a butt is done. thanks for the pictures as well. good luck.