2 Lb Pork Butts??

[Stapler1234]

Hello all! I asked the wife to pick up a 5 lb Pork Butt and god bless her...she picked up two 2ish lb pork butts instead.

First time doing pork butt and I am doing it for her family so now I am a littl nervous. My question is:

1) Does the 2 hour per lb rule apply still? Her family likes to eat early and the super bowl starts at like 3 ish. I have heard stories of these things taking up to 10 hours or so.
2) Will a smaller pork butt dry out because its smaller? And because of this should I wrap it at the stall?

Anyone have experience cooking a pork butt this small?

I really appreciate all your guys help, I do.

Andrew

 

[Brokenhandle]

Being that sized should go fairly quick, but you still want to cook to temp...probe tender. To wrap or not...depends on if you want a nice bark or don't care. Wrapping in foil will really soften the bark, wrapping in pink butchter paper not as much.
I think OldSmoke just did about a 7 lb one in smoker for 4 hours @ 275 then braised in oven @ 325 for about 2 hours and it looked delicious! Use a drip pan to catch the juices and add it back into the meat after pulling. And you're better off starting early and finishing early than everyone being hungry and not done.

Ryan

 

[bauchjw]

Hehe, I’d be most worried about running out of food! Your going to loose mass when cooking! Brokenhandle has you covered. Don’t worry about them drying out, wrapping after and putting it in a cooler will keep it warm until you want diner. I highly doubt you will take 10 hours, but always better to be conservative and start as early as possible, wrapped in a cooler with foil or butcher paper and old towels will keep it warm for at least 4 hrs. Having two smaller will actually give you more bark! Start checking for probe tender around 200 internal temp! Also may be good to cook today and keep in fridge until tomorrow to reduce stress!

 

[Brokenhandle]

Or smoke today and get more to smoke for tomorrow...have to take into consideration shrinkage due to munching!

Ryan

 

[Nefarious]

Hello all! I asked the wife to pick up a 5 lb Pork Butt and god bless her...she picked up two 2ish lb pork butts instead.

First time doing pork butt and I am doing it for her family so now I am a littl nervous.

Andrew

How many people are you cooking for? As Brokenhandle says, your biggest problem will be you may not have enough meat.

 

[sandyut]

That. Yield is about 60% of the the start weight. IMO

 

[OldSmoke]

One of the nice things about pulled pork, is it can be cooked well in advance and refrigerated or vacuum packed and frozen. No one will be the wiser. Freeze before adding sauce. It takes a lot of pressure off the chef.

 

[schlotz]

2# butt ??? Hmm.... only butts around here are the 8-10# variety.

 

[sandyut]

2# butt ??? Hmm.... only butts around here are the 8-10# variety.

These had to be cut up if they are in fact butts. But I’m with you. Not sure I’ve seen one under 6-7lb

 

[JckDanls 07]

Yes.. they have to be trimmed up Butts... Publix does that to their whole butts... trims them down to a 2-3 lb'r ... But I'm with others as far as quantity goes ...

 

[Stapler1234]

I have also never seen one under 8 lbs... There is no bone so I assume it was trimmed. Thanks for sharing the great advice. I am starting early and storing in my cooler much like a brisket and I am supplementing with some sausages. I love this forum and have a great super bowl or Sunday for those not watching!

Andrew

 

[Colin1230]

Supplementing with sausage is a good idea. Enjoy the cook. I'm sure everything will be fine.

 

[clifish]

I grabbed 1 at Aldi that was 5.5lbs, got it home a realized it had a netting on it. Looking closely, it was a couple of pieces in the net. Left the net on and it is in the smoker now....time will tell

 

[Brokenhandle]

I grabbed 1 at Aldi that was 5.5lbs, got it home a realized it had a netting on it. Looking closely, it was a couple of pieces in the net. Left the net on and it is in the smoker now....time will tell

It'll still be good!

Ryan

 

[clifish]

It'll still be good!

Ryan

so like a brisket probe tender is the finish point, not the temp?

 

[Brokenhandle]

so like a brisket probe tender is the finish point, not the temp?

Yes, should slide in real easy. Start checking at 200, but might happen at 204, or 208...each one will be different. Doing one myself today, about 8 lbs, got a late start on it so one I feel it has enough smoke I'll finish in the oven. Wasn't really to eat for today so I'm in no rush.

Ryan

 

[clifish]

At just under 4 hours in, it is sitting at 137 deg, also doing jcam222 keto baked beans in the smoker. I should have plenty of time to jump in the hot tub and enjoy the unexpected 4" (so far) of snow we have been getting all day. 2 weeks ago wife and I went in at 6 deg in a middle of a blizzard that dumped 28" here.....getting out in that wind was not very fun.

 

[clifish]

Hot tub was fun, so much better with no wind. Walked from the tub to the house with no shoes or towel ( I know TMI) about 150'. Pulled the butt at 165 from the smoker (stall?) and into the covered Dutch oven with liquid to finish off. The beans are still in the smoke.

 

[BXMurphy]

I should have plenty of time to jump in the hot tub and enjoy the unexpected 4" (so far) of snow we have been getting all day. 2 weeks ago wife and I went in at 6 deg in a middle of a blizzard that dumped 28" here.....getting out in that wind was not very fun.

Ice forms quickly around a hot tub. Be careful. Had a guy around here slip and fall. Hit his head on the tub and died.

 

[Smoke-Chem BBQ]

I grabbed 1 at Aldi that was 5.5lbs, got it home a realized it had a netting on it. Looking closely, it was a couple of pieces in the net. Left the net on and it is in the smoker now....time will tell

I've smoked boneless leg of lamb in the netting; it works great.
That's the way Cosco sells them, and while it is still a single piece of meet, the deboning opens it up and leaves sections of irregular thickness. In the net it's still a nice round hunk of meat. You can still work rub onto the surface and into the cuts, right through the netting. It's one of our favorite smoker meals.