FIRST PORK BUTT advice/help/suggestions?

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NorCalTDS

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Hey all, so far I've just played around with chicken thighs and sausages on my Char-Griller SP, but tomorrow morning I'm doing my first Pork Butt.

I'm gettin a little pre-cook anxiety so I need your help!

I got a 7.5 lb boneless butt cause that's what they had at the store.

I've marinated it for a few hours tonight in a simple marinade and about to dry rub it for the night.

Now my questions......

1. Is this gonna be enough to feed 10 people?

2. At what grill temp should I cook it?

3. How long should I expect it to take?

4. Mop?

I had always figured I'd start with Brisket so I haven't done my homework as well as I should. That's why I'm coming to YOU fine folks!

Any help would be MUCH appreciated!!!
 
1. Should be enough

2. 225 to 235 degrees

3. Until it's done. A temp probe goes in like butter. (about 90 minutes per pound)

4. NO!

And why did you marinate it. It's really not necessary if you are rubbing and smoking. Waste of a good marinade in my opinion.
 
Thanks Larry. I just figured I'd marinate it cause I had the time and didn't think it would hurt...

So since I'm gonna rub it here in a minute, should I bother injecting it?

We talking like 10-12 hours to cook, even without bone?
 
I've never tried injecting butts. Probably because i couldn't decide on what I wanted to inject it with. I do foil a butt when internal temp hits about 165 and add 4 or 5 oz of apple juice at that time. The meat should be done around 190. You'll know by how well the probe slides in.
 
Don't forget to prep your guests - it ain't done til it's done means it might take longer than you think. If you get this in time, start it as early as you can. Much easier to keep one warm than have hungry people checking their watches.

Also, if it's done early you can foil it, wrap it in a towel, stick it in a cooler, and it'll stay hot for a few hours.
 
remember..internal temperature:
165 = sliced pork
190 = pulled pork

So decide how you want it...usually about 12-14 hours for pulled...dont be scared when it reaches the plateau and sits at like 170 for a while before it jumps up
 
IMO, its a waste of time and charcoal to cook one butt. Fill up your pit! It takes the same amount of charcoal to cook four butts as it does to cook one. Throw on a few wings or moink balls for appetizers. Let everyone eat until they are stuffed and then send them home with a plate. Freeze the leftovers in ziploc bags and reheat in a pot of water.

If I'm just sitting around shooting the breeze, I mop with a vinegar based sauce every half hour or so. If I'm cleaning up the yard and patio, etc, I don't worry about it.

I try to keep the pit at 250. Foil after 5 or 6 hours and continue until the probe slides in or the bone slides out. After you foil, you can crank up the heat a bit without drying it out. Mine usually take 8 - 9 hours. Let it rest in the oven or a cooler for an hour or so before you pull it.

Just my 2 cents.

Good Luck! Have Fun! Let us know how it turns out.
 
Done to soon

That's what went wrong with my pork butt. I didn't smoke it long enough. Good flavor, but had to slice it.
 
Excellent responses everybody!

I got my fire goin and just waiting to put the butt on. I didn't end up injecting it last night after all, just rubbed it with a combo of Kinders BBQ Rub (a local place), dark brown sugar and some Tony Cachere's Creole Seasoning.

Once I get 'er on I'm gonna foil with apple juice part way through and hopefully be patient enough to cook to 190.

And don't worry Countyliner, I got two fatties I'm gonna throw on there!

Any advice on a real simple way for those guys!?
 
NO mop needed (it will mess up the bark)
For a 7.5 lb butt - I would not expect to be eating for at least 14 hours (including rest time). Basically - if you want to eat it for dinner (7:00 PM) you better put it on the BBQ pit by 5:00 AM or you might not make it. ALL my Pork (bone in) butts have taken about 2 hrs per pound to reach an internal temp of 195-200*.

Don't foil it - no need.
Keep your pit temps around the 230-240* range and you want the internal temp of the pork butt to be 195-200*. Then wrap in foil and towels - set it in an ice chest to "rest" for at least 1 hour. Then take it out and pull it apart for serving.
 
I foil when I take them off the grill to rest for and hour or as long as needed before serving. I did two butts last week and pulled at 190 and 196 respectively and foiled for an hour with a bit of apple juice/cider vinegar in the foil. The butt pulled at 196 was MUCH easier to pull than the other one. I usually cook at 220 and start them the night before, just to make sure they are done in time for company.
 
Don't foil, don't mop and don't mess with it when it's cooking, put it on and cook it low and slow until it's done, that would be 190 degrees. Just tend your fire and make sure you have a constant temp of 225 to 250 degrees. Butts are the most forgiving piece of meat you can cook, just let it cook!
 
MAN, I'm really learning how much fuel my grill goes through now that I'm doing this butt! I know a couple simple mods I need to make but jeez...I'm gonna go broke on charcoal!
 
WHAT?!?! You didn't inject your butt? It's ruined! Ruined, I tell ya! Just kidding. You'll find that pork butts are a very forgiving meat (within reason). I always inject mine, just my preference. I don't marinate, but if I get one that is not enhanced (hard to get around here) then I will brine it over night.

I never foil until I pull and then I add a little apple juice/apple cider for moisture. I usually will spray every once in a while with the same mixture while cooking (don't know if that really helps, but it gives the kids a chance to do something that they like to do). I try to cook mine between 225-250 and have even gotten good results when my temps got a little hotter 275 or so, but I don't recommend cooking at that heat on purpose.

Relax and enjoy!
 
Thanks man I'm about 4.5 hours into my cook. My temp has been a little up and down, everywhere from 180-290, but I'm learning how to control the fire better.

I'm also gonna put on two plain JD fatty's. How long should I plan for those? 3 hours?
 
A couple of hours should do it on the fatty - pull when it reaches internal 165. Foil. Set for a while. Slice. Enjoy.

I don't know how many people will be eating the fatty, but I NEVER cook only one. You'll be surprised how well they go over. Of course, if that's all you have, you just have to be careful you reach for a piece and pull back a nub :)
 
You know what I tried something a bit different this last go and it worked out really great. I had to be somewhere and my butts were only at 150. I would have been gone past the 165 mark so I foiled them then. They had some decent bark on them and they had gotten some good smoke. I came back. And checked the butts. My therms got funked up so I set them aside. I opened the foil and saw there was a ton of juice in each one. So I left them foiled but I opened the foil just a bit so some of the fat could cook off but the meat would soak in some juice. This also let the bark crisp up a bit too.

I'll tell ya what these were some of the juiciest butts I've ever made. I'm thinking of foiling earlier more often now.

Captain Dave said:
I've never tried injecting butts. Probably because i couldn't decide on what I wanted to inject it with. I do foil a butt when internal temp hits about 165 and add 4 or 5 oz of apple juice at that time. The meat should be done around 190. You'll know by how well the probe slides in.
Click to expand...
 
remember to give it plenty of time to rest before you try to pull it. I foil mine, wrap in a towel or two and put in a cooler (or even a cold oven) and keep it there for at least an hour.
 
If its tuned right you should get 16 hour burn....guess it depends on you basket.
 
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