Boston Butt - Smoker and Oven?

[achilles ct]

I'd like to smoke 2 full bone in pork shoulders  for 4-5 hours and then slow finish overnight at 175 in oven (for pulled pork). Any advice?

 

[rgautheir20420]

I'd smoked them at 225 until an IT of 160 and then remove and foil and put in the oven at 225 until an IT of 200. Carryover should take it closer to 205 in the oven and then just leave it in the oven for 2 hrs then pull.  You can increase the smoker temp to get it done faster, but I wouldn't go any lower because it bears no benefit at all except to lengthen the cooking. 

Edit: You'll want to cook more by temps than time since you want it in the smoker as long as possible to get all the smoke. I've read meat stops taking smoke at around 140. Not sure if that's 100% tested so I say a little higher can't hurt.

 

[achilles ct]

I usually do 12-14 hiurs all smoke but I'm making pulle pork or tacos so it's not as imperative as usual to get full on smoke as if I were making pulled pork sandwiches. Admittedly, in trying to figure out a way to get some smoke then let the oven do the rest of the work so I can avoid getting up throughout the night. Ideally, I'd like to wake to finished shoulders in the oven so I can pull tomorrow and set out before a birthday party for my wife tomorrow night.

 

[grillmonkey]

I'll bet if you smoke a few hours, foil it and put it in the oven @ 225 overnight, you will like it just as much as if you went a full smoke on the smoker

.

 

[rgautheir20420]

I hear ya. Realistically, in 4-5 hrs in the smoker you'll be close to the 150-160 temp anyway. So go with your plan for the smoke time. If you want to wake up to pork ready to be pulled, I'd still do an oven temp or 200 or so. 175 isn't pulling temps so you'll need to get it up to 200-205.

 

[mdboatbum]

At 225 your timing should be about the same. Roughly 4 hours in the smoker then another 6-8 wrapped in foil in the oven. No need to go below 225. If you put them on he smoker at 7 pm, you can put them in the oven at 11 and check the internal temps around 6am. As the previous poster said, look for around 200.

 

[jaynh77]

I've done that a few times. Toss the butts in the smoker for 4-5 hrs and then put them in a roasting pan covered in foil in the oven at 230 or so until it hits 200 - 205 degrees IT. Comes out fine.. does not have the bark it would if left in the smoker, but still tastes great.

 

[achilles ct]

Thank you all for your advice. I'll let you know how they turn out.

 

[oldschoolbbq]

Achilles  hello . Glad you're trying PP . IMHO , I feel you'll the same result , Sans the deep smoke flavor

.

Being from Texas and having had my share of meals with my Latino friends , it really doesn't matter to them if it is Smoked. The Mama's would (yuk) boil the meat and making it easier for them doing housework too

I did have some close buddies who's Dad would take it all the way and serve it with Chilpolte for added smoke flavor. By all means , those were the best , with all the spices and Chiles on it , Dadgum , that was good

.

Have fun and . . .

 

[achilles ct]

Well, if it was my birthday, or any day other than my wife's birthday, it woukd be full smoke, no oven. But since it is, she gets tacos. So, to make up for it, I made orange habenero, mayonese and chipotle aioli sauces and a fire house sauce (anyone whose ever had a firehouse burger at Lankford Grocery in Houston knows that one)...

 

[achilles ct]

Thanks to everyone for their input. I smoked 23 pounds of Boston Butt, after brining in water, molasses and salt overnight, for about 5 hours, then put in the oven at 200 under foil with apple juice for about 10 hours (so I didn't have to lose a good night's sleep). Next morning it was 180 degrees and ready to pull. I pushed the temp up to 225 and by lunch time it was at 200. Absolutely delicious and the hit of the party. Thanks to all!

 

[rgautheir20420]

Sounds like everything went of without a hitch!!! Great job. Nothing better than a plan that falls into place.

 

[Outlawdog777]

Wow! So many great posts on the butt from Smoker to Oven.
I am so appreciative.
I have only made pulled pork once in a Char broil gas grill that I had to modify in order to make it smoke and cook. I then got a pitboss pellet grill. I was cooking my pork yesterday and all was going well. I had slathered my butt with mustard and my special rub and had it on the pitboss at 225 just smoking away and at about 5 hours in we had a hellacious thunderstorm and lost power!! I had to shut down the smoker and fast!! I don’t even know the IT. I just grabbed it from the smoker and wrapped it in tinfoil and put it in the large aluminum pan I had for pulling it and put it in the oven. I started at 350 cause I had no idea what to do. Then I quickly did a search and found this site with all of the great input and information. I lowered the temp to 225 and let it cook for 4 hours more. By then it was almost 2:00am. So I just turned it off and went to sleep.
The next morning it was so juicy and tender. I cut off the top fatty layer and broiled it slow in the oven. Yum. The pork was delicious. I was happy to be able to save the butt. Now I know I can finish it up in the oven.
Thanks to all of you!
Happy Smoking!!!