1st Pork Butt Coming Up- Is it OK in a Pan

[RickMN]

I'm planning on trying my first pork butt this week (go away rain) and I'll be doing it in a Pit Boss 700. It does not have a place underneath the grill for a drip pan (it has a rounded plate that allows the fluids to drain into a bucket) and I've read that I should save the drippings for once the meat is "pulled". My question is whether or not it will be just fine smoking the entire time in a disposable aluminum pan. Thank you for your help.

 

[radio]

Put it directly on the grates for the first 2-3 hours, then put a rack in a pan with a cup or so of apple juice and finish the smoke. You may need to add some water as the cook progresses. once they hit 160-170 IT, I almost always cover the pan tightly with foil, then remove it the last hour or so of the ccok

 

[RickMN]

Thank you. Really appreciate your feedback.

 

[Smoke23]

I put mine in an empty pan from the beginning. Around 160*-165* I cover the pan with foil. When I get to 205* uncover and there’s all kinds of juice. Let it solidify and skim the fat off the top. That can then be added back to the pulled pork.

 

[chef jimmyj]

As above works well, or start to finish in a pan works too. They still get plenty of smoke flavor an no fuss. If you want a heavy bark, leave uncovered the whole time. Foiling speeds the cook and adds flavor. I have been using the recipe below lately...JJ
POP Sauce

2C Cola

1/2C Apple Cider Vinegar

2T Rub, whatever's on the meat.

1T Mustard

1T Molasses

1T Colgin Hickory Liquid Smoke (optional)

Add all to a pot and bring to a simmer, for 5 minutes.

For Foiling , add when meat IT hits 160° , cover and cook to an IT of 205°F.

For Finishing Sauce, keep warm and add to pulled meat.
Enough for one 8-10lb Butt.

 

[Rings Я Us]

I do the 16 oz bottle of Apple juice in the pan at the stall. I do the rack in the pan to elevate the meat out of the liquid and foil the whole lot.
Sometimes I don't foil or use liquid in a pan. I just make a sauce and hope the meat itself is nice and juicy also.

 

[MJB05615]

I'm planning on trying my first pork butt this week (go away rain) and I'll be doing it in a Pit Boss 700. It does not have a place underneath the grill for a drip pan (it has a rounded plate that allows the fluids to drain into a bucket) and I've read that I should save the drippings for once the meat is "pulled". My question is whether or not it will be just fine smoking the entire time in a disposable aluminum pan. Thank you for your help.

I have the PB700. i use the smaller top rack in the smoker for the meat, and I can fit a smal drip pan under it on the main grate.

Seems to work well.

 

[schlotz]

Pork Butt can be done so many ways and they all turn out fine. Just need to find one you like. Signature below has one for you.

 

[RickMN]

I have the PB700. i use the smaller top rack in the smoker for the meat, and I can fit a smal drip pan under it on the main grate.

Seems to work well.

I didn't even think of that. Thanks!!!

 

[RickMN]

I really appreciate the feedback guys. I'm going to try to use the recipe from Jeff's "Smoking Meat" book the first time. I have so many questions due to not wanting to ruin it, such as" How much of the fat cap do you trim? Do you smoke it with the fat cap facing up or down? etc.

 

[chef jimmyj]

If you keep the fat, smoke fat up. For most 1/4" trim is common. If you want more bark, take it all off...JJ

 

[RickMN]

OK...Update- I plan on posting the entire range of pics once I'm done. I rubbed the butt overnight and kept it wrapped and threw it in this morning at 0418 at 250F (ran the temp up to 300F and then set it at 250F). I'm going to put the meat probe in at 0830.

I do have a question. Is it common for there to be such a massive spread from the temp that is set on the controller (250F) and the temp I'm reading on my Bluetooth probe in the at the grill level (It's been reading around 311F). It seems like a large difference. Thank you.

 

[schlotz]

Not uncommon to see temp swings, your oven has them too. A 61º variance seems a bit much though. 20-30º during the cycling could be expected. Did you start with a clean shaft on the smoker's internal temp gauge? Have you verified your BT probe in boiling water?

 

[RickMN]

Not uncommon to see temp swings, your oven has them too. A 61º variance seems a bit much though. 20-30º during the cycling could be expected. Did you start with a clean shaft on the smoker's internal temp gauge? Have you verified your BT probe in boiling water?

Nope and nope :-( I suppose I could check the accuracy of my BT probe by pulling it out of the grill and testing it. Man...so much to learn :-)

 

[schlotz]

Always best to start by getting to know your equipment ;) and how it performs. My grate temps are usually 20º higher than set temp on the controller so when I want to maintain 250º I set it to 230º. Nice thing about butts is that you really have to work hard to screw one up. Assuming you have a good meat probe, you are looking for an IT of somewhere around 200-205º (be sure not to let it touch the internal bone, if there is one, when testing for IT), then pull and rest for at least an hour, 2 is better. I usually put it in an alum pan covered and placed in a cooler surrounded with some bath towels.

 

[RickMN]

Well...I pulled it off the smoker at 201F, triple wrapped it in heavy duty foil, rolled it up in a towel and stuffed it in an ice chest at 1600. I started at 0420 so it was on for 11hrs 40min. It was so tender that it was starting to fall apart as I moved it from the pan to the foil. I poured the contents of the fan into a bowl and placed in the fridge to use later when I can get the fat off the top.

The biggest lesson learned so far without tasting it is that I need to double check my BT probe with boiling water to ensure it's reading correctly along with cleaning my smoker probes to ensure they're as accurate as possible. I seemed to have a grate level BT probe temp bouncing around 300F 3" from the butt with my setting at 250F and my smoker cover thermometer around 250F. Gotta sort this spread out.

I really want to thank everyone for their feedback and advice. I'm extremely excited about my smoking journey and happy to have found this forum where folks are so open to sharing their passion.

I'm still trying to figure out how to properly post pictures on the thread so apologies in advance. I'll post a final photo of it pulled when my son gets home this evening.

 

[meatallica]

Looks good to me!!

 

[gmc2003]

Looks like a success from my screen - enjoy

Point for sure.

Chris

 

[RickMN]

Too dense to add pics to an old post so here's my last set of the final. Once again, I'm very happy I found this forum (so much still to learn) and thoroughly impressed and gracious regarding all the folks on here willing to help. Bravo Zulu (Navy reference)

 

[Bearcarver]

I Smoke most of my stuff in a Pan (Prime Rib, Butts, Chick Thighs, etc, etc).
However I put the meat on a cooling rack in the Pan, so the Smoke can get all around the Meat, and the Meat doesn't sit in the fat & juices in the bottom of the Pan. The Smoke gets to everything, and the clean-up is so much easier.

Panned Method on Small Prime Rib:
Smoked PRIME RIB (Multiple Woods)

Bear