Dumb Question about Butts

[lowcountrygamecock]

This is a dumb question but can you cut a butt in half or use two small butts and get a faster cook than one big one? Will 2 five pound butts cook quicker than 1 ten pound butt? I am a little limited on time for a cookout next saturday and can't quite figure out how I'm going to do it.

 

[rivet]

Not a dumb question a'tall! The answers are yes, yes and yes. Cut it and treat each as an individual...give them tender loving care with a lot of heartfelt rubbing, resting and warm glowing fire and you are certain to have a feast!

Don't know about your smoker/grill set up, but if you try and keep the temp around 275F you should pull them off at 165F internal and that should take about 4 hours from the time you put them on (with them at room temp or thereabouts).

 

[bigtrain74]

EXACTLY what Rivet said... All they need is TLC!

 

[bbq engineer]

By cutting then in half, you also get more of the fantastic bark and smoke ring, as you have more exposed surface area...It will reduce your cooking time by a bit, and taste fantastic! In fact, I think the presentation is actually better, as you have more of the beautiful smoke ring, and bark mixed in.

When they are on sale, I buy country style pork ribs (which are pork butt cut into about 2 inch strips), and smoke them for a few hours until they are ready to pull. They are fantastic...same concept here with the butt you are doing, you are reducing the mass to provide a quicker cook.

Relax and have a cold one, it will turn out fantastic!

BBQ Eng.

 

[bigbaldbbq]

Well yes to all. However. If you are planning on pulling the pork then you need to go up to about 190 or so. 165 is for slicing, that is what I cook my pork loins to.

 

[lexscsmoker]

I smoked a 8.5lb butt a couple of weeks ago. I sliced it in half and put it on the smoker. I had it on there for 8 hrs and the internal temp never got above 140 deg. I had to put it in the oven for 2 hrs, wrapped in foil, just to get the internal temp up. Question. If my smoker is not able to get the internal temp up high enough, how long should I keep it on the smoker? That being said, what's the best way to cook it in the oven until it's ready for slicing?

 

[alx]

You can also cook at higher temps.I cook at 300 alot.Nice smoke ring good bark.On your question, you can smoke until you like color and foil and in oven at 300, and just poke probe threw top of foil so you dont spring a leak and flood your oven with foil juice.It has worked for me.If you cooked for 8 hours and the internal was 140 you should check your thermometer.I have held butts in a cooler for four hours(after reaching desired internal) at comps and it was steaming when unfoiled.