Need tips for first pork butt cook on Kamado Joe

MDRex

Knows what a fatty is.
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I am doing my first pork butt cook tonight/over night on the Kamado Joe. I have 2 small 7-8 pound bone-in butts. I have my new ET-732 and another remote thermometer, so I can monitor pit temp and the temp of both butts. I also have my new PartyQ to control the pit temp.

How long should I expect to have to cook these?
What temp should I pull them off at?
How long should I rest them?
 
How long you cook them is all dependent on the temp. at 225 you're probably looking at about 90 minutes per pound. If you kick the heat up to 250 - 275 you'll be closer to an hour per pound, and if you go to 300 - 325 you can probably get them done in 5-6 hours.

Don't use internal temp as you guide for when to pull them off. Use sight and feel. It takes a little to get used to, but when they are done the meat will have pulled back from the bone and the bone will pull out cleanly is you tug it or it will wiggle easily. Also, when you stick your thermometer probe in it will slide in with little resistance. Do this in several spots.

I like at least two hours rest for butts. Allow yourself plenty of time. If they are done early you can just rest them longer. I've held butts in a cooler for 6 hours and they were still too hot to touch. I preheat the cooler with hot water, dump the water and dry, and then lay doen a layer of clean towels, put the butt(s) in and then stuff in more towels.

It's been a while since I've cooked butts in my BGE, but when I did I would put the fat cap down since the heat source is below. The platesetter in the Egg radiates a lot of heat. I'm guessing that the indirect element in the Kamado Joe (not sure what they call it) would be the same.

Finally, if you go with a higher temp watch the bark color. If it starts to get too dark then wrap the butts in a couple of layers of heavy duty foil and toss in a little (1/2 cup) of liquid .

OK... Now finally...

Have fun!
 
I'm planning lower temp, about 225. I'm going overnight, so I didn't want them to finish too fast.

With two 8 pound butts I assume they will take a bit longer than just one 8 pound butt would, but not nearly as long as a single 16 pound butt. Can anyone give me an idea for that time at 225?

Just trying to get an idea of what to expect so that I can have my timing figured out. I plan to serve around 2-3pm tomorrow.
 
I kook mine in the Kamado for 9-10 hours INDIRECT, then remove the heat deflector and cook another 9-12 hour direct (adding more lump at this time) to build that beautiful bark. Wanna good bark?

Start your kook cold and SLOWLY-very very slowly, ramp up the Kook heat to 225°-250°. As you know with a dense ceramic kooker, once the heat ramps up, it's a long wait to bring it down, so don't let the kooker overheat. Also....DO NOT RUB with anything containing sugar. I rub with liberal amounts of mustard (read labels, don't use any with sugar) and dry rub combined.

I do not use probes, meat thermometers etc. Once you kook a butt for 20+ hours.... dude... it's done :wink:
 
I like to go hot and fast, start off first hour or two at 250ish to help develop smoke ring, and let the roast soak up some smoke, then ramp up cooking temp to 300-325. Doing it this way never takes more than 8 hours. 20 farking hours? No way I'm spending that much time for cooking a couple butts.

Results to me are better hot and fast, less chance for a dry result. If you want to use sugar in your rub, use turbinado, it holds up to the heat a bit better and doesn't scorch.

My camera is pretty weak, this picnic roast may appear burnt, but the bark was really good and tasty:

Picnic007.jpg


That 8.5 lber was done in a tad under 8 hours, then rested in cooler for 4 hours.

Pulled and ready to devour:

Picnic009.jpg
 
20 farking hours? No way I'm spending that much time for cooking a couple butts.

Well..... sometimes I cut down to 18 hours :mrgreen:

It's fur-riday...... whats' for chow time tonight?
 
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Chip, I got your ramen noodles right here!

They taste pretty good chucking the seasoning pack (all sodium), and adding a generous amount of pulled pork, or brisket point. Makes pre-made noodles taste amazing. Let's not forget the hot salt and habanero hot sauce.

I gotta get some new batteries for my long lost camera..
 
I did an 8 pound boneless shoulder the other weekend at about 300 degrees and it took about 12 hours. I would suspect with the bone in it will take longer.
 
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