Overnight Pork Butt ~ Smoked In A Pan ~ Hot Finish & Holding in Roaster Oven

[thirdeye]

I hadn't smoked a butt in a foil pan in several years, and I've been wanting to experiment with wrapping and hot holding in my roaster oven.... so this was a Saturday / Sunday experiment. I started with an 8# bone-in butt and I did minimal trimming, mostly little tags of meat and rounding up the edges. This was injected with BPS Pork Prod and Game Changer, then rubbed with black pepper, Yardbird, and Birds & Bones. I used hickory for my flavor wood.


In 2021 I added an SnS kettle to my arsenal of cookers, and I'm having a lot of fun using it. The deluxe charcoal basket with removable water reservoir is great for indirect set-up, when not using water, the air gap shields the heat.


At 6 hours (10pm) the color was good, so I covered the pan and moved it into a 215° Nesco Roaster. Nine hours later at 7am, the butt was 205° and probed really tender. The blade bone is on the left, money muscle on the right.

Next, I lowered the roaster temp to 155°, and held the covered roast at that temp for 4-hours.

For the first taste test, I pulled out some plugs of the horn muscle meat that lives around the blade bone, very moist and flavorful. For dinner, I'll slice off the money muscle end, then chill down the remainder of the roast and instead of pulling, I'm going to slice the cold butt lengthwise (like a pork steak) and vacuum seal for the freezer.

 

[smokerjim]

Sure looks good

 

[DRKsmoking]

That is just screaming tender , juicy and tasty
nice experiment

David

 

[SmokinEdge]

Delicious meat. I’m bellying up for a plate. The flavors are concentrated and up on point by now. This is excellent meat. Hell yeah.

 

[BGKYSmoker]

Turned out most awesome

 

[jcam222]

Looks fantastic! You’ve got that pork but anatomy down too. I need to do that.

 

[bauchjw]

Wow! Such an awesome cook with a lot to learn from. Until recently I just looked at a butt as a butt to be shredded. You’ve taught me a lot. Thank you! Now I just need to figure out how to do wood chunks in a kettle!

 

[mr_whipple]

That looks killer. I too have a SnS and love it. Haven't done a butt yet, but the ribs I've done with it came out awesome.

What is game changer?

 

[SmokinAl]

That looks really good!
Been doing butts in a pan for years just like you!
Al

 

[robrpb]

Looks good. I'm going to have to try a butt that way.

Rob

 

[sawhorseray]

Some great work there, might try out the pan method tomorrow on what's left of a butt after I cut out the money muscle out for a coppa. RAY

 

[Bearcarver]

Looks just right, thirdeye!!
I always used a pan after my first year or 2, for a cleaner Smoker.
Only difference is I always put a Wire cooling rack under the Butt, so it didn't sit in juices & could get smoke all the way around.
Nice Job!
Wish I could come out there for a Sammy or 2!
Like.

Bear

 

[thirdeye]

Until recently I just looked at a butt as a butt to be shredded. You’ve taught me a lot. Thank you! Now I just need to figure out how to do wood chunks in a kettle!

I like to break down a but into larger pieces, following the seams between muscle groups. Mainly so I can get slices on the money muscle end, but also to make sure everyone gets a little of each. The money muscle end (Coppa) has been removed, and I've some tubes on the left, and plugs from around the bone in the foreground. The big piece is the center of the roast.

I split 4" chunks into smaller pieces that burn better in my kettle or Eggs. I put some in first, then add charcoal, then add more on top. I get good even smoke for the whole cook. This was a 4" wood chunk.

That looks killer. I too have a SnS and love it. Haven't done a butt yet, but the ribs I've done with it came out awesome.

What is game changer?

Game Changer is a brine/injection from Oakridge BBQ. It's great on poultry and pork, but brings flavor and moistness to about any meat. It's all natural stuff... so no phosphates, or MSG or fillers. Now you can simmer it, then let it cool down like any home made brine -but- it dissolves in room temp water very easily. Meaning... I can mix a batch of injection in about 30 seconds. It does come with instructions for different strengths (and times). I use less than the recommended amount, and like yesterday I used it in conjunction with BPS Pork Prod, which does contain phosphates and some other goodies.

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

The deluxe charcoal basket with removable water reservoir is great for indirect set-up, when not using water, the air gap shields the heat.

I love the SnS deluxe. I noticed that you too have the stainless griddle/drip pan.
It sure helps to keep the bottom of the Weber kettle clean.

Good looking pork butt too.

 

[thirdeye]

I love the SnS deluxe. I noticed that you too have the stainless griddle/drip pan.
It sure helps to keep the bottom of the Weber kettle clean.

Good looking pork butt too.

Yes, I went all out. And I've never done a SnS cook without the charcoal in the basket. My Eggs can handle direct or raised direct so I use them for that kind of cook.

 

[Fueling Around]

Nice.
I endorse the foil pan and finishing in an oven.
In place of a wire rack you can foil wrap whatever you choose for a lift off the bottom. I use skewers.
I did a couple of smaller boneless pork shoulder on my Jumbo Joe earlier this year.
I just piled some lump in the corner and let it go without worrying about temps. Smoke was from a half size tube filled with apple pellets. Once the smoke diminished, I wrapped and moved to the indoor oven and walked away.

 

[snadamo]

Looks amazing thirdeye!

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

Yes, I went all out. And I've never done a SnS cook without the charcoal in the basket. My Eggs can handle direct or raised direct so I use them for that kind of cook.

Same here. I always use the SnS. I even use the water resevoir when smoking top rounds before finishing them off with a high heat reverse sear over the SnS.
The only time I have not used the SnS was when I had to remove it in order to use a parallel charcoal set up on the grate for braising a chuckie with veggies in the large dutch oven.
I also suspect that using the griddle/drip pan on the coal grate acts as a baffle plate. I should set up a temperature probe down there sometime in order to confirm my suspicions.