Pork butt has got to be one of the EASIEST hunks of meat to smoke in the world. Folks get all bent out of shape if their smoker temp is not constant. I tell people its no big deal if your smoker decides to climb 100F, drop 50F, climb again. The butt don't care! It's gonna get done when its done, just give yourself plenty of time and you'll have a juicy, delicious hunk of meat to serve folks.
1. First, know your butts. All it takes is a little thing to cause confusion on buying butts. Most often it is the store label. Below is an example. I needed a 9 to 10 lb butt for a party. All I found at my favorite grocer was 7 and 8 lb butts. In the back of the bin though was a 10.09 lb beauty. The maker's label says "Pork Butt Roast." The store's label said "Pork Sirloin Roast Boneless in the Bag." A closer inspection was in order. First thing I look for on a butt is the money muscle (see pic). Check! Next thing was the bone (see pic). Check! The rest of the pork butts were $1.98 / lb. This one was $1.58/lb. Know your butts!
Conflicting labels:
Money Muscle
End of blade bone, not boneless.
2. Marinating the meat: I marinated the meat for 24 hours in tart cherry juice, teriyaki sauce, minced onion and garlic. Washed off the marinade, patted it dry, sprayed it with olive oil, then liberally applied my rub, and sprayed again. Simple and easy.
Rubbed in a 15" paella pan. I use this pan for smoking the butt, fat side down.
3. Know your thermometers, but don't sweat constant temps.. I set this smoke up for an overnight smoke, low n slow to hot n fast, no wrapping. For those familiar with the WSM, there's an access port in the side of the smoker just below the top grate. That's where I have my Maverick chamber probe. On the top grate I have my BBQ Guru Blower probe, used to stoke the fire. There's the lid thermometer, that is useless, and just for grins and giggles I put an oven shelf temperature gauge on the top rack at the end of the smoke. My intentions were 225F overnight, then start cranking the chamber temp up the next morning. It didn't work out that way and I still got amazing tasting pulled pork.
Here's what the lid, Maverick, and Guru temp probes read just before I loaded the meat after a one hour pre-heat and the appearance of TBS. Time was 5:25 PM.
An hour after loading the meat, here's what the Maverick and Guru said, the lid basically didn't change. 235F is where I set the Guru.
Now, I didn't get any pictures of the Maverick and Guru once it got dark, but the chamber temp climbed to 275F on the Guru, 252F on the Maverick. I fell asleep about 9:30 PM and that's where the temperature was locked.
Midnight: woke up and temp was still 252F (Mav) / 275F (Guru). Went back to sleep.
2:30 AM. Woke up to do my 62 year old man stuff, 217F (Mav), 228F (Guru) and climbing.
4:30 AM. Woke up, same routine, 225F (Mav), 235F (Guru).
6:30 AM. Up for the day. 230F (Mav), 235F (Guru). Inserted the Maverick meat probe, 165F Internal temp on the roast.
7:00 AM. After eating and stuff, reset the Guru to 275F. In 20 minutes the Maverick read 262F and the Guru 275F. The Guru stayed there and the Maverick dropped to 252F ten minutes later. I threw another half chimney of cold charcoal in the smoker for insurance, then departed at 7:30 AM for 4 hours of errands. IT was still 165F on the meat.
11:30 AM: Got back from errands. 257F (Mav), 275F (Guru). IT was 178F. Knocked all the heavy Kingsford Blue Bag ash off the coals and cranked the temp on the Guru up to 300F. 15 minutes later, 275F (Mav), 300F (Guru). Put the Oven Shelf thermometer next to the Guru probe alligator clip. 305F.
Stalls took place while I was sleeping at 165F IT, then again at 180F IT and 191F IT.
3:00 PM, 21.5 hours after loading meat, IT was 201F to 203F throughout the roast. Took it off, covered with foil and clean, old bath towels on the kitchen countertop. Let it rest for three hours.
Ready to pull and eat:
Bottom line, just relax. Let it happen. Juicy goodness awaits. And don't sweat constant temps. The pork butt doesn't care.
1. First, know your butts. All it takes is a little thing to cause confusion on buying butts. Most often it is the store label. Below is an example. I needed a 9 to 10 lb butt for a party. All I found at my favorite grocer was 7 and 8 lb butts. In the back of the bin though was a 10.09 lb beauty. The maker's label says "Pork Butt Roast." The store's label said "Pork Sirloin Roast Boneless in the Bag." A closer inspection was in order. First thing I look for on a butt is the money muscle (see pic). Check! Next thing was the bone (see pic). Check! The rest of the pork butts were $1.98 / lb. This one was $1.58/lb. Know your butts!
Conflicting labels:
Money Muscle
End of blade bone, not boneless.
2. Marinating the meat: I marinated the meat for 24 hours in tart cherry juice, teriyaki sauce, minced onion and garlic. Washed off the marinade, patted it dry, sprayed it with olive oil, then liberally applied my rub, and sprayed again. Simple and easy.
Rubbed in a 15" paella pan. I use this pan for smoking the butt, fat side down.
3. Know your thermometers, but don't sweat constant temps.. I set this smoke up for an overnight smoke, low n slow to hot n fast, no wrapping. For those familiar with the WSM, there's an access port in the side of the smoker just below the top grate. That's where I have my Maverick chamber probe. On the top grate I have my BBQ Guru Blower probe, used to stoke the fire. There's the lid thermometer, that is useless, and just for grins and giggles I put an oven shelf temperature gauge on the top rack at the end of the smoke. My intentions were 225F overnight, then start cranking the chamber temp up the next morning. It didn't work out that way and I still got amazing tasting pulled pork.
Here's what the lid, Maverick, and Guru temp probes read just before I loaded the meat after a one hour pre-heat and the appearance of TBS. Time was 5:25 PM.
An hour after loading the meat, here's what the Maverick and Guru said, the lid basically didn't change. 235F is where I set the Guru.
Now, I didn't get any pictures of the Maverick and Guru once it got dark, but the chamber temp climbed to 275F on the Guru, 252F on the Maverick. I fell asleep about 9:30 PM and that's where the temperature was locked.
Midnight: woke up and temp was still 252F (Mav) / 275F (Guru). Went back to sleep.
2:30 AM. Woke up to do my 62 year old man stuff, 217F (Mav), 228F (Guru) and climbing.
4:30 AM. Woke up, same routine, 225F (Mav), 235F (Guru).
6:30 AM. Up for the day. 230F (Mav), 235F (Guru). Inserted the Maverick meat probe, 165F Internal temp on the roast.
7:00 AM. After eating and stuff, reset the Guru to 275F. In 20 minutes the Maverick read 262F and the Guru 275F. The Guru stayed there and the Maverick dropped to 252F ten minutes later. I threw another half chimney of cold charcoal in the smoker for insurance, then departed at 7:30 AM for 4 hours of errands. IT was still 165F on the meat.
11:30 AM: Got back from errands. 257F (Mav), 275F (Guru). IT was 178F. Knocked all the heavy Kingsford Blue Bag ash off the coals and cranked the temp on the Guru up to 300F. 15 minutes later, 275F (Mav), 300F (Guru). Put the Oven Shelf thermometer next to the Guru probe alligator clip. 305F.
Stalls took place while I was sleeping at 165F IT, then again at 180F IT and 191F IT.
3:00 PM, 21.5 hours after loading meat, IT was 201F to 203F throughout the roast. Took it off, covered with foil and clean, old bath towels on the kitchen countertop. Let it rest for three hours.
Ready to pull and eat:
Bottom line, just relax. Let it happen. Juicy goodness awaits. And don't sweat constant temps. The pork butt doesn't care.