Recipe Smoking butt!

Preparedness Depot in Acworth, GA

karlvv

The LEGEND
Kalash Klub
Lifetime Supporter
Apr 3, 2015
3,784
12,415
113
Harlem, GA
Zip code
30814
View attachment 32402
Ok, now that that's out of the way!!!

My family is coming over in a couple weeks and I'd like to smoke my first pork butt! Tips, tricks, advice? I think @Laufen said Butt Rub was really good to use. @SouthernSlammed @karlvv ? I'm using an offset smoker. View attachment 32403

Plan for 9-10 hours. I liked cherry and apple a whole lot more than hickory. Rub it in mustard and then put your dry rub on there. If you are going to shred it, get the internal temp up to 203. At 170 internal, wrap it in foil until it is done and the bark will be perfect.
 

karlvv

The LEGEND
Kalash Klub
Lifetime Supporter
Apr 3, 2015
3,784
12,415
113
Harlem, GA
Zip code
30814
Any suggestions on which one?

I have a redi check dual probe that I got from academy. You put one probe in the smoker and one in the meat. It works from a decent distance too so you can do other stuff while smoking.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rwjeter

SouthernSlammed

Gingerbeard Operator
Lifetime Supporter
Aug 29, 2015
3,107
2,616
113
Fapville
Zip code
31061
Any suggestions on which one?

Metal oven thermometer is what I go with inside the smoker.

If you wrap it in foil after 6 hours, smoke another 4-5hrs wrapped it will shred itself! Completely uncovered you may be going 13-14 hrs @ 250*, maybe a little longer if more than one on there!
 

Huddy

Tracker
Lifetime Supporter
Jan 5, 2016
564
1,499
113
Cumming, GA
Zip code
30040
I generally estimate at an hour/pound and keep the temperature around 230F in the egg. I use a dual-probe no-name thermometer I picked up at Sur La Table for $30. There are several great rubs out there, including the ones mentioned above. Dry the surface of the butt then wipe it down with plain yellow mustard then liberally add the rub. I usually wrap it in plastic wrap, and let it sit on the counter for several hours to bring it up to room temp prior to putting it on the smoker. The mustard helps adhere the rub and wrapping it allows the mustard/rub combo to turn into a sort of glaze that crusts well during smoking. At 160F internal (meat) I wrap the butt in foil, and at 195-200F I remove the butt and place it in a cooler and cover it with a heavy (beach) towel. After an hour of resting, remove the butt, drain the liquid from the foil, shred the butt, add the liquid back to the meat. That liquid is the sign that the fats and connective tissue have broken down and the meat should just fall apart. Without the foil wrap for the last few hours, I've found that the meat dries out considerably more as the fat breaks down and falls into the smoker.
I stick with pecan or apple wood. I've had a few bad experiences with Hickory leaving a bitter and acrid taste on the meat, same with mesquite.
PS. The mustard is just a binder, there is no real mustard flavor left on the meat. I say this bc I generally despise yellow mustard and greatly questioned how it would affect the flavor when I was advised of this method.
 

Rwjeter

Space Force General Freeze.
Kalash Klub
Lifetime Supporter
Nov 16, 2016
5,354
10,815
113
Temple
Zip code
30179
I generally estimate at an hour/pound and keep the temperature around 230F in the egg. I use a dual-probe no-name thermometer I picked up at Sur La Table for $30. There are several great rubs out there, including the ones mentioned above. Dry the surface of the butt then wipe it down with plain yellow mustard then liberally add the rub. I usually wrap it in plastic wrap, and let it sit on the counter for several hours to bring it up to room temp prior to putting it on the smoker. The mustard helps adhere the rub and wrapping it allows the mustard/rub combo to turn into a sort of glaze that crusts well during smoking. At 160F internal (meat) I wrap the butt in foil, and at 195-200F I remove the butt and place it in a cooler and cover it with a heavy (beach) towel. After an hour of resting, remove the butt, drain the liquid from the foil, shred the butt, add the liquid back to the meat. That liquid is the sign that the fats and connective tissue have broken down and the meat should just fall apart. Without the foil wrap for the last few hours, I've found that the meat dries out considerably more as the fat breaks down and falls into the smoker.
I stick with pecan or apple wood. I've had a few bad experiences with Hickory leaving a bitter and acrid taste on the meat, same with mesquite.
PS. The mustard is just a binder, there is no real mustard flavor left on the meat. I say this bc I generally despise yellow mustard and greatly questioned how it would affect the flavor when I was advised of this method.
Damn good advise! I think this will be the method I try. How tight do you wrap the foil to still allow the smoke to get to the meat?
 

Huddy

Tracker
Lifetime Supporter
Jan 5, 2016
564
1,499
113
Cumming, GA
Zip code
30040
Like mentioned, by the time you get 6 hours in all the smoke flavor you'll get is there. I generally use a double layer of foil, wrapped around thermometer (so not truly sealed tight), and I leave the wrap a little loose so there's room for the fats and juices to gather. I quit trying to go by a specific time a while back, it's all about the temperatures...so start early if you're doing a big butt. My last one was 12+ lbs...Fired up the smoker at about 10 pm, meat on at 1130, off at 2pm the following afternoon for a party at 5
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rwjeter