Smoking pork butt

[Cougar281]

My wife wants to try smoking a pork butt, something I've never done so far. The three main things I have smoked is fillets wings and ribs. And I've used hickory for all of those.

Does anyone have a recommended hardwood to use to smoke it, and if so, why? My usual go-to is Hickory, used with fillets and ribs, but does pork butt warrant something different?

Any other tips/suggestions to smoking pork butt?

 

[gunzby]

My wife wants to try smoking a pork butt, something I've never done so far. The three main things I have smoked is fillets wings and ribs. And I've used hickory for all of those.

Does anyone have a recommended hardwood to use to smoke it, and if so, why? My usual go-to is Hickory, used with fillets and ribs, but does pork butt warrant something different?

Any other tips/suggestions to smoking pork butt?

If you have hickory, I’d go with hickory. I smoked one last week. I have oak and pecan that I’m trying to get rid of.

I smoked the butt using all the dry pecan I had at 225F for two hours. I then bumped it up to 250F with the rest of the dry pecan I had and then switched to oak.

I ran that to around 170F until the fat cap had started to render, wrapped it and cooked at 275F until it hit 203F.

You can do the whole thing with hickory and it’ll take less time, use less wood and taste just as good

 

[indaswamp]

Hickory will work, but the final result will be more of a heavy smoke flavor...not that that is bad, just a function of the long smoke using hickory wood. Best wood IMO for pork butt is either Apple or Cherry wood...they just go so well with pork. Could also use maple as well. My personal preference though is wild cherry...for the flavor, and because I have so much of it.

 

[Compulsive Smoker]

I agree with indaswamp, cherry is all I’ve used for pork butts…but I would not hesitate to use hickory if that’s what I had on hand!

 

[okie sawbones]

I have a mix of burr oak and post oak on my 40 acres, so guess what I use? I like to throw cherry chunks in the mix for color and flavor.

You don't need to inject a pork butt, but I often do. It is added insurance against a dry butt, plus it adds varied flavors throughout the meat. My family prefers the injected pork.

Pork Injection
2 quarts apple juice
2 cups white vinegar
2 pounds sugar
½ pound brown sugar
1 cup salt
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
½ cup Accent (MSG) (optional)
28 grams phosphates (optional)

Bring to a low boil, then stir until sugars and salt are dissolved. Let cool. Will keep in the refrigerator for months.

Makes enough for 4 pork butts.

 

[nchapelheel]

I switched to oak from hickory 3 years ago. When I was using the hickory, the butts went into the
smoker "naked". I got good flavor that the family liked. Since I switched to oak, I use a rub that I
got from Sam Jones BBQ in Raleigh NC. The flavor profile is different and well received from the
family. Better "bark" too.
I have 2 butts that I will smoke tomorrow for our Labor Day family gathering.