Pork Butt - Just relax and let the smoker and pork butt do its thang

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noboundaries

Epic Pitmaster
Original poster
OTBS Member
SMF Premier Member
Sep 7, 2013
10,245
5,351
Roseville, CA, a suburb of Sacramento
Pork butt has got to be one of the EASIEST hunks of meat to smoke in the world.  Folks get all bent out of shape if their smoker temp is not constant.  I tell people its no big deal if your smoker decides to climb 100F, drop 50F, climb again.  The butt don't care!  It's gonna get done when its done, just give yourself plenty of time and you'll have a juicy, delicious hunk of meat to serve folks.

1.  First, know your butts.  All it takes is a little thing to cause confusion on buying butts.  Most often it is the store label.  Below is an example.  I needed a 9 to 10 lb butt for a party.  All I found at my favorite grocer was 7 and 8 lb butts.  In the back of the bin though was a 10.09 lb beauty.  The maker's label says "Pork Butt Roast."  The store's label said "Pork Sirloin Roast Boneless in the Bag."  A closer inspection was in order.  First thing I look for on a butt is the money muscle (see pic).  Check!  Next thing was the bone (see pic).  Check!  The rest of the pork butts were $1.98 / lb.  This one was $1.58/lb.  Know your butts!

Conflicting labels:


Money Muscle


End of blade bone, not boneless.


2. Marinating the meat: I marinated the meat for 24 hours in tart cherry juice, teriyaki sauce, minced onion and garlic.  Washed off the marinade, patted it dry, sprayed it with olive oil, then liberally applied my rub, and sprayed again.  Simple and easy. 




Rubbed in a 15" paella pan.  I use this pan for smoking the butt, fat side down. 


3. Know your thermometers, but don't sweat constant temps..  I set this smoke up for an overnight smoke, low n slow to hot n fast, no wrapping.  For those familiar with the WSM, there's an access port in the side of the smoker just below the top grate.  That's where I have my Maverick chamber probe.  On the top grate I have my BBQ Guru Blower probe, used to stoke the fire.  There's the lid thermometer, that is useless, and just for grins and giggles I put an oven shelf temperature gauge on the top rack at the end of the smoke.  My intentions were 225F overnight, then start cranking the chamber temp up the next morning.  It didn't work out that way and I still got amazing tasting pulled pork.

Here's what the lid, Maverick, and Guru temp probes read just before I loaded the meat after a one hour pre-heat and the appearance of TBS. Time was 5:25 PM.   



An hour after loading the meat, here's what the Maverick and Guru said, the lid basically didn't change.  235F is where I set the Guru. 


Now, I didn't get any pictures of the Maverick and Guru once it got dark, but the chamber temp climbed to 275F on the Guru, 252F on the Maverick.  I fell asleep about 9:30 PM and that's where the temperature was locked. 

Midnight: woke up and temp was still 252F (Mav) / 275F (Guru).  Went back to sleep.

2:30 AM.  Woke up to do my 62 year old man stuff, 217F (Mav), 228F (Guru) and climbing.

4:30 AM.  Woke up, same routine, 225F (Mav), 235F (Guru). 

6:30 AM. Up for the day.  230F (Mav), 235F (Guru).  Inserted the Maverick meat probe, 165F Internal temp on the roast.

7:00 AM.  After eating and stuff, reset the Guru to 275F.  In 20 minutes the Maverick read 262F and the Guru 275F.  The Guru stayed there and the Maverick dropped to 252F ten minutes later.  I threw another half chimney of cold charcoal in the smoker for insurance, then departed at 7:30 AM for 4 hours of errands.  IT was still 165F on the meat. 

11:30 AM: Got back from errands.  257F (Mav), 275F (Guru).  IT was 178F.  Knocked all the heavy Kingsford Blue Bag ash off the coals and cranked the temp on the Guru up to 300F.  15 minutes later, 275F (Mav), 300F (Guru).  Put the Oven Shelf thermometer next to the Guru probe alligator clip.  305F.


Stalls took place while I was sleeping at 165F IT, then again at 180F IT and 191F IT. 

3:00 PM, 21.5 hours after loading meat, IT was 201F to 203F throughout the roast.  Took it off, covered with foil and clean, old bath towels on the kitchen countertop.  Let it rest for three hours.




Ready to pull and eat: 





Bottom line, just relax.  Let it happen.  Juicy goodness awaits.  And don't sweat constant temps.  The pork butt doesn't care. 
 
A nice Step X Step and.... It even has plenty of great pics.

POINT!

That is a thing of beauty and is inspiring a gluttonous lust for some BBQ.
I'll have to feed my craving tomorrow with some chicken I have waiting.
Thanks Chili, for the comments and the point.  Always fun to make people's mouth water.
 
 
Nice job on the PP!

It looks fantastic!

Point!

Al
Al, always a pleasure to hear your comments.  Thanks for the exclamations and points!
Best write up I've seen in a while! Great info and should help some folks out.

Good looking PP as well!

Point!
Cranky, glad you liked the write up.  Thanks for the point! 

As we move into the thick of smoking season, I just wanted the newbies to know how to relax and let the meat and smoker do their thing.  It is so easy to watch a long smoke like a hawk.  All it takes is a quick glance every once in a while.  It's like I used to tell my flight students, the plane wants to fly all by itself.  Once you have it trimmed up, relax, stop trying to squeeze black juice out of the stick, and let the plane fly itself.  Just be there if it starts flying out of trim.  Pork butts stay within trim no matter what you do to them.   

Everyone have a GREAT Saturday!

Ray
 
Great post.  Great pics.  Great PP.  I think that just about covers it.  Glad to see somebody bringing the new-to-smoking folk some great info on the joys and simplicity of pork butt.

There's no question about it--pork butt is the most forgiving hunk of meat anybody can throw on a smoker.  If they pay attention to your advice about not stressing over temp swings and spikes, they'll have the most stress free smoking meat experience of their lives.  AND some fantastic pulled pork.

points.gif


Gary
 
Great post.  Great pics.  Great PP.  I think that just about covers it.  Glad to see somebody bringing the new-to-smoking folk some great info on the joys and simplicity of pork butt.

There's no question about it--pork butt is the most forgiving hunk of meat anybody can throw on a smoker.  If they pay attention to your advice about not stressing over temp swings and spikes, they'll have the most stress free smoking meat experience of their lives.  AND some fantastic pulled pork.

:points:

Gary

Thanks Gary for great words and the point! Every new smoker should easily master the butt. I hope this helps.
 
Nice thread & cook Ray !
icon14.gif
Thats some good lookin pork! Excellent write up mate, nothin like a set n forget pork butt!!
Thanks all!  Just got back in town.  Kids confiscated the leftover pulled pork and finishing sauce.  I didn't put up much of a fight as there's nothing better than the mmmmm MMMMM of your kids gobbling down your smoked offerings. 
 
Man that looks good. I think some people freak out when they give themselves exactly 1.5 hours/lb. Cutting it close. I've got one going today that is gonna sit nice and slow. Cold and rainy here today, but that won't stop me [emoji]128522[/emoji]
 
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