First time smoking a Boston butt. Have a couple ?'s

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kyle1284

Newbie
Original poster
Sep 23, 2014
5
10
Houston,TX
I rubbed the butt last night and let it sit in the fridge, UNCOVERED until around 5 this afternoon when it went into the smoker. Does leaving it uncovered, in the fridge, have and adverse effects?

I want to have a good juicy pulled pork and I have seen a lot of people out the fat side down and not up. I have mine fat cap side up. Should it be down?

Ideal temp for pulling. I have read take it to 190 then wrap for 2 hours in a cooler. Is this the way to go?

Thanks for the replies ahead of time!:)

Kyle
 
I always wrap mine in plastic wrap setting in fridge, I think failing to do so dries the butt out somewhat.  I smoke mine fat cap down, I believe the cap protects the butt keeping in more moisture.  I always take mine to 165 then wrap in foil until 203 - 205, wrap in a towel in ice chest for an hour or two before pulling.
 
No need to let it sit uncovered overnight. That is useful for things on which you want to form a pellicle, or things that have skin you want to dry out so it gets crispy. Neither really applies to a butt. In fact, part of the reason that 78.9% of the posts on this site are about butts (completely unscientific guess on my part as to the actual percentage) is that there really are no hard and fast "rules" when it comes to making pulled pork from a pork butt. Aside from some of the more vocal members who insist on spewing their own opinions on the "right way" to smoke a pork butt, you'll find most folks just just season them and smoke them and don't worry too much about it. High heat, low heat, bark, no bark, wrap, no wrap, just let it happen. You'll have a harder time screwing it up than you think.
Basically all you need do worry about is applying smoke and heat for long enough to let the meat break down. That's it. All the talk about all the other stuff is just folks tweaking their own methods to their own taste.
Let's not forget, this whole method of cooking started off with a bunch of drunk guys throwing hunks of meat in a hole in the ground with a dying fire, passing out and coming back hours later to dig it up and eat it. Come to think of it, I guess it hasn't really changed that much. [emoji]128540[/emoji]
 
I agree with most of the comments above.

As for fat cap up or down???----In my MES, I put the fat up to baste the meat. In some smokers the fat should be put down to protect the meat from high heat from below.

Here's how I like to do them:

Pulled Boston Pork Butt         

Bear
 
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