Hello. I'm new to the forum and by no means a smoking expert. I read the chain on 'smoking first butt' with interest, as I also smoked butts this past Saturday. This was the 2nd time I've tried a shoulder butt and I only use the smoker a few times a year, mostly for ribs.
I had 2 butts at about 7.5 #s each. I was concerned about the size and cooking time, so I cut them in half along the bone. It took about 8 hours, which seemed like a long time. I also tenderized the meat with a fork prior to rubbing them down. Obviously by the responses I read to Trevor's question, I was lucky on the time. I'm using a Brinkman horizontal smoker with side fire box. The temp ranged from 225 - 300 (any tips on how to keep more consistant? or is this normal?)
I was also perplexed about the temps referenced. I was shooting for 180 -I would normally cook pork to around 165, but 180 was recommended to me for butt. The end result tasted great, but I had to slice it. Any feedback would be appreciated.
td