Attempt at Hot & Fast Pork Butt

[illini40]

Good evening & Happy Presidents Day!

It had been a long time since we had pulled pork, and I wanted to try out a more hot and faster cook than my typical process. Turned out great!

Total cook time was 6.5 hours, running the Traeger at 275*.

I typically run closer to 225-240*, so this was a great test at the higher temps.

Cook Recap:
- 5.8 lb bone in pork butt
- Light base layer of Meat Church The Gospel and then layer of Meat Church Honey Hog
- Traeger Signature Blend pellets
- Spritzed with equal parts water and apple cider vinegar at 2 and 3 hours
- 4 hours of smoke, then wrapped in a foil pan with juice and a light dusting of Honey Hog
- After 6.5 hours of total cook time, IT hit 206* and was probe tender
- Rested in a cooler for about 2 hours (was still hot), and then pulled

It was a success!

Rubbed down and ready to hit the Traeger:

IT hit 160* at 4 hours in the thickest part:

Wrapped:

After 6.5 hours, pulled off the Traeger and venting before resting in the cooler:

Finished product:

 

[weedeater]

Looks great! I know it tasted good too. Like!

Weedeater

 

[illini40]

Looks great! I know it tasted good too. Like!

Weedeater

Thanks Weedeater! It was very tasty.

 

[Preacher Man]

With hot and fast, I've always wondered if you sacrifice the intensity of the smoke flavor since it's less time in the smoke.

What is your thoughts on this after this smoke?

 

[illini40]

With hot and fast, I've always wondered if you sacrifice the intensity of the smoke flavor since it's less time in the smoke.

What is your thoughts on this after this smoke?

I have wondered about that as well. Honestly, we could not tell any real noticeable difference - not enough to stear me away from hot and fast in the future.

It’s important to note that I cook on a pellet cooker and my family does not really want intense smoke flavors. So, in my opinion, this cook turned out just as good of overall flavor as a low and slow.

 

[pc farmer]

Looks great. I do hot and fast pp sometimes too. Smoke flavor to me isnt as pronounced. But its still good and I still do it

 

[illini40]

Looks great. I do hot and fast pp sometimes too. Smoke flavor to me isnt as pronounced. But its still good and I still do it

Thank you. What temp do you run at for hot and fast? Rough guesses on time needed per pound? Besides less smoke, any other differences that you notice?

 

[pc farmer]

Thank you. What temp do you run at for hot and fast? Rough guesses on time needed per pound? Besides less smoke, any other differences that you notice?

275-300. Guesing a hour per lb but I dont wrap. The meat on the hot n fast without wrapping seems to have more texture to me. Better texture then a low n slow without wrapping. Maybe its just me.

 

[ToppDogg]

Looks great, I did a beef chuck today for beef pulled and it took 7 hours in the pellet grill and 2 rested. I think I'll try your method next time.

 

[SmokinAl]

Your PP looks fantastic!
Nice work!!
I started doing butts hot & fast a couple of years ago & never looked back!
However I run the smoker at 270-280 & never wrap them.
We like the thick bark mixed in with the PP!
Al

 

[uncle eddie]

Looks great! Like!

I am with Al...hot n fast and never wrapped. The bark is what it is all about.
And
The leftover PP needs to be finely chopped, saved, and used in you next batch of pork and pork and pork and beans :-)

 

[zwiller]

I didn't notice any difference of the final product comparing 225 vs 275. I personally feel all the common debatable stuff make little to no difference in reality. It's not until you start injecting where you are making a clear marked difference. I did 8 butts mostly one at a time over few weeks and learned alot. Injecting adds time and estimate under 2hrs/lb. Average was 14hrs for 8lbs.

 

[SmokinLogs]

That’s some great looking PP! Good job

 

[illini40]

Looks great, I did a beef chuck today for beef pulled and it took 7 hours in the pellet grill and 2 rested. I think I'll try your method next time.

Thank you! I’m curious to try chuck roast at the higher temps too. Last chuckle that I did for burnt ends, took almost 9 hours at the lower temps.

Your PP looks fantastic!
Nice work!!
I started doing butts hot & fast a couple of years ago & never looked back!
However I run the smoker at 270-280 & never wrap them.
We like the thick bark mixed in with the PP!
Al

Thanks Al!

Looks great! Like!

I am with Al...hot n fast and never wrapped. The bark is what it is all about.
And
The leftover PP needs to be finely chopped, saved, and used in you next batch of pork and pork and pork and beans :-)

Thanks Eddie!

I didn't notice any difference of the final product comparing 225 vs 275. I personally feel all the common debatable stuff make little to no difference in reality. It's not until you start injecting where you are making a clear marked difference. I did 8 butts mostly one at a time over few weeks and learned alot. Injecting adds time and estimate under 2hrs/lb. Average was 14hrs for 8lbs.

Great insight. So if you inject, you saw that cook time was almost 2 hrs/lb? What cook temp?

That’s some great looking PP! Good job

Thank you!