Boston Butt Pulled Pork (Step by Step)

[mrkl]

Bear,
Thanks for the welcome. I'm really enjoying this forum. All the knowledge and the attempts to challenge past practices to get the perfect piece of meat is awesome.

I have a 6 and 7 pounder that I want to smoke in my MES 30" this weekend. Your step by step helped a lot and I plan to do the same this time. Should I adjust the temp (go higher) for two butts to stay in the same time frame? Or should I plan ahead and extend my cooking time (get up earlier)? I would like it to get done around 5 or 6 pm. If this has been addressed already and you have a link to another post, feel free to post it.

Thanks for any help!

 

[Bearcarver]

Bear,
Thanks for the welcome. I'm really enjoying this forum. All the knowledge and the attempts to challenge past practices to get the perfect piece of meat is awesome.

I have a 6 and 7 pounder that I want to smoke in my MES 30" this weekend. Your step by step helped a lot and I plan to do the same this time. Should I adjust the temp (go higher) for two butts to stay in the same time frame? Or should I plan ahead and extend my cooking time (get up earlier)? I would like it to get done around 5 or 6 pm. If this has been addressed already and you have a link to another post, feel free to post it.

Thanks for any help!

I would probably start it a half hour earlier. If your first one was about 6 or 7 pounds, the only difference with doing a 6 and a 7 pounder together would be the beginning of the smoke, because you're fighting twice as much cold meat. Once that meat warms up, it goes by the thickness, and two 6 pounders aren't any thicker than one 6 pounder.

Hope that makes sense.

Bear

 

[mrkl]

I would probably start it a half hour earlier. If your first one was about 6 or 7 pounds, the only difference with doing a 6 and a 7 pounder together would be the beginning of the smoke, because you're fighting twice as much cold meat. Once that meat warms up, it goes by the thickness, and two 6 pounders aren't any thicker than one 6 pounder.

Hope that makes sense.

Bear

It does. Thanks! The cold meat part was my concern. I wasn't sure how bad two would affect the temp rising in the smoker. I'll give it a go this weekend and let you know how it goes.

Thanks again!

 

[Bearcarver]

It does. Thanks! The cold meat part was my concern. I wasn't sure how bad two would affect the temp rising in the smoker. I'll give it a go this weekend and let you know how it goes.

Thanks again!

I'll add to explain better:

Even 3 butts 6 pounds each would theoretically only take 1/2 hour longer than One 6 pound Butt. That 1/2 hour being the first half hour fighting the cold meat.

The only other difference could be that there are no two butts the same, but that is just as true of one Butt, as it is of 3.

Bear

 

[mrkl]

I'll add to explain better:

Even 3 butts 6 pounds each would theoretically only take 1/2 hour longer than One 6 pound Butt. That 1/2 hour being the first half hour fighting the cold meat.

The only other difference could be that there are no two butts the same, but that is just as true of one Butt, as it is of 3.

Bear

Understood.

Final question. In an MES 30", if they fit, would you suggest placing them side by side on the same rack, or remove 2 racks and stack (one on each rack)?

 

[Bearcarver]

Understood.

Final question. In an MES 30", if they fit, would you suggest placing them side by side on the same rack, or remove 2 racks and stack (one on each rack)?

If whatever I'm smoking fits on one rack, with still a couple inches between & around for heat & air to get by, I will always use Rack #2.

If I need to use 2, it will be #1 and #2.

If I need to use 3, it will be #1, #2, and #3.

This is when using an MES with 4 racks.  I never use the bottom rack.

Bear

 

[dogwalker]

Bear!  I'm going to smoke a pork shoulder this weekend.  I've had good results in the past, basically following your steps.  However, I've seen a few shows that say to either wet brine or inject the night before.

Have any of you guys tried injection?  Opinions on what to do the night before?  Dry rub?  Injection?  Both?  Or a wet brine?

As for the rub, I think I used Mike's Magic Dust last time and like it.

 

[Bearcarver]

 
Bear!  I'm going to smoke a pork shoulder this weekend.  I've had good results in the past, basically following your steps.  However, I've seen a few shows that say to either wet brine or inject the night before.

Have any of you guys tried injection?  Opinions on what to do the night before?  Dry rub?  Injection?  Both?  Or a wet brine?

As for the rub, I think I used Mike's Magic Dust last time and like it.

I prefer to just coat with Yellow Mustard, and then coat with Rub, like in this Step by Step.

Butts don't need any injection, and I never felt the need for Brining a Butt either---They're loaded with fat to keep them moist, and the Rub gives plenty of flavor.

Others may differ, but that's my Opinion.

Bear

 

[mummel]

Ive done with or without mustard and see zero diffs.  I just save the mustard now and put on rub while the butt is still wet after being removed from the packaging. 

 

[Bearcarver]

 
Ive done with or without mustard and see zero diffs.  I just save the mustard now and put on rub while the butt is still wet after being removed from the packaging. 

Right---I see no flavor difference either, but I find the Rub sticks to Mustard better than to just a Wet Butt.

Put some Mustard on your Butt sometime, and then go sit on the Beach---See what happens!!

Bear

 

[mummel]

HAHAHA!

 

[mikew999]

Ready to smoke my first butt tomorrow. I am hoping to get a bark on the butt. I really like the bark! Does wrapping in foil during cooking or while resting do anything to the bark? 

 

[Bearcarver]

 
Ready to smoke my first butt tomorrow. I am hoping to get a bark on the butt. I really like the bark! Does wrapping in foil during cooking or while resting do anything to the bark? 

Yes, it will soften the Bark, but the Bark & the flavor will still be there.

Good Luck on your First Butt !!  It will be Great !!

Bear

 

[gary s]

You can take it out of the foil (Save the Juices) put it back on the smoker to firm up the bark

Gary

 

[tatts4life]

I prefer to just coat with Yellow Mustard, and then coat with Rub, like in this Step by Step.

Butts don't need any injection, and I never felt the need for Brining a Butt either---They're loaded with fat to keep them moist, and the Rub gives plenty of flavor.

Others may differ, but that's my Opinion.

Bear

I've never done the mustard thing because I thought it would add a flavor I wouldn't want to my meat. What I really need to do is see if there is any difference between an injected and non injected butt.

 

[Bearcarver]

 
You can take it out of the foil (Save the Juices) put it back on the smoker to firm up the bark

Gary

Absolutely!!

Bear

I've never done the mustard thing because I thought it would add a flavor I wouldn't want to my meat. What I really need to do is see if there is any difference between an injected and non injected butt.

I promise that you will not taste the Yellow Mustard at all. It only helps the Rub stick fast.

An injection of something special might add some certain flavor you like, but I like the flavor of the Pork itself, along with the seasoned Bark.

I like to use low temps on my Butts, so it often takes longer than 4 hours to get to 140°, and Butts never need any extra moisture, so I never inject a Butt.

Bear

 

[mikew999]

And it is done. Don't mind saying, I am just a little impressed with myself. Thanks for all the advice. One mistake I made was buying a butt wrapped in cord. I should have removed it before I smoked it. When I cut it and pulled it off, it took a lot of the bark with it. The remaining bark is great! Lots of flavor. It also took longer than I expected, but will be great for dinner tomorrow. 

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• mikew999
• Jul 8, 2016

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• mikew999
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• mikew999
• Jul 8, 2016

 

[Bearcarver]

 
And it is done. Don't mind saying, I am just a little impressed with myself. Thanks for all the advice. One mistake I made was buying a butt wrapped in cord. I should have removed it before I smoked it. When I cut it and pulled it off, it took a lot of the bark with it. The remaining bark is great! Lots of flavor. It also took longer than I expected, but will be great for dinner tomorrow. 

Looks Great Mike!!

Glad it worked good for you!

Bear

 

[dogwalker]

 
I prefer to just coat with Yellow Mustard, and then coat with Rub, like in this Step by Step.

Butts don't need any injection, and I never felt the need for Brining a Butt either---They're loaded with fat to keep them moist, and the Rub gives plenty of flavor.

Others may differ, but that's my Opinion.

Bear

I had two butts (cue laugh track), so I decided to inject one and not the other, just for comparison.  I used Mike's Magic Dust on each (I'd like to try different rubs sometime).  I would say that when I took them off the smoker and cut a piece off each, that the injected one tasted a bit better.

However, the next day?  No one could tell any difference between the two.  So it may have just been the pieces I cut off.

So, IMHO, it's probably not worth the effort to inject.  Both tasted excellent.

Now, as for the rub, I took the recipe for Mike's Magic Dust and cut back on the salt some, since my wife complains if food is too salty.  A coworker now buys something called John Henry's and loves it.  I love experimenting with rubbing my butts - wait, what?

Also, I waited a while longer before wrapping them in foil.  I was really torn between foiling or not, and finally, at the end of the stall, at around 175 or so, I decided to wrap them, and I took the foil off when they hit 190.  I let them cook to 203, and I will say the bark was really good.

Love to learn, though, so I'll keep trying!  This weekend, I'm going to cook some steaks!

 

[Bearcarver]

 
I had two butts (cue laugh track), so I decided to inject one and not the other, just for comparison.  I used Mike's Magic Dust on each (I'd like to try different rubs sometime).  I would say that when I took them off the smoker and cut a piece off each, that the injected one tasted a bit better.

However, the next day?  No one could tell any difference between the two.  So it may have just been the pieces I cut off.

So, IMHO, it's probably not worth the effort to inject.  Both tasted excellent.

Now, as for the rub, I took the recipe for Mike's Magic Dust and cut back on the salt some, since my wife complains if food is too salty.  A coworker now buys something called John Henry's and loves it.  I love experimenting with rubbing my butts - wait, what?

Also, I waited a while longer before wrapping them in foil.  I was really torn between foiling or not, and finally, at the end of the stall, at around 175 or so, I decided to wrap them, and I took the foil off when they hit 190.  I let them cook to 203, and I will say the bark was really good.

Love to learn, though, so I'll keep trying!  This weekend, I'm going to cook some steaks!

Thank You for that report !!

Probably another reason I don't bother injecting----Most of my consumption is in the Leftover Stage.

LOL---"You had two butts"?  I think The way I used to hear it said was "That guy talks like a man with two Butts!"

  (Had to be there)

And Thanks for the Points.

Bear