WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO DO PORK BUTTS?

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ciret

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I've read a number of butt prep and cooking techniques. What is the favorite method used?

Right now I'm planning to rub with Southern Flavor and smole at 230-240 until the internal temp hits about 175 then foil and into a cooler for about an hour.

Sound reasonable? Any pointers? Pitfalls to watch for?

Still tryin' to get it all together :)
 
OK, kept reading, sounds like I need to foil at 175, back in the smoke 'till 190 internal temp, then unwrap and go another 45 min to an hour, foil again and cooler for an hour.

Sound better?
 
Eric, I'm probably as big a fan of unwrapping as there is in this lot, I don't unwrap butts. Commonly held technique here is close to what you've got. Wrap @ 160, take up to 190 for slicing, 200 for pulling, cooler till back down to 160. It just falls apart, and the juice is awesome. I didn't use to be such a pulled pork fan but I like it alot better now than I used too. You'll hit a plateau around 180, you'll think your therm is farked cause it won't move for ever. Be patient it will eventually, and once it does the rest doesn't take long at all. Best of luck. Oh yeah, spray thoroughly when you foil up. Juice or what ever, Bill steals his kids drink boxes. I use apple juice and pepsi 50/50. Thinking I might like Phil's touch of the jug.
 
Cool, thanks for the insight. Do you spray during the cook before you foil?

Now I just have to contend with the midwestern weather Sunday :( Supposed to start out ok, then thunderstorms. We'll see.
 
For pork butts I don't, using the above method it just couldn't be any juicier. Spraying often with apple juice will make the prettiest Q you ever toook a picture of though.
 
If you can outlast the weather until you get them butts to 160*, they'll finish nicely in the oven. I've gotten a little more lazy in my golden days and just get tired of feeding the bandera, so the oven and a nap work real well together.... :wink:
 
Do you spray during the cook before you foil?
Click to expand...
I spray about every hour and a half, or anytime the heat gets out of control after loading new fuel.

I do spray mine up real good while wrapping, almost like a pool of juice.
 
Too late now, but i used to brine a butt in applejuice and herbs. If ya have the time, thats my favorite way, but i dont always have that time.. i usually rub with mustard, coat heavy with the rub.. for buts, I always add some nutmeg to the rub. Then i cook spraying often with apple juice/bourbon and wrap at 165-180. usually write after my "stuck" zone. That stuck zone can last 3 hours sometimes, but thats all the collegen breaking down so its a good thing. Then i foil to 200 in heat then take it out and rest to 165.

Look for the recipe for "Down home pulled pork" in our files/recipe section. Not the recipe section, but files section and recipes under that. Its an awesome vinegar based sauce for the pulled pork. let me know if ya need help finding it.
 
Fighting the weather. :cry:

Having some extreme cooker temp swings due in part to weather. Temp dropped, wind picked up rain started. My shelf temp dropped to 130, took me an hour to get it back up, sort of. I can only get up to 160-190 from my 2 probes on the butt level shelf.

I'm using charcoal and chunks for flavor. I think I'm gonna go get some lump to try and get the temp up.

Farking rain :evil:
 
I'm really new to this, But I had the same trouble with my Brinlmann Smoke King Deluxe, I made a couple of modifications, seemed to help. First I covered the floor of the fire box with fire brick, then I threw the worthless charcoal grate away and welded up a basket. (temporary one until I can afford on of Al's. I also put some firebrick in the bottom of the smoke chamber, Not fitted like the fire box just laid in for kind of a heat sink. Oh yeah I had to put legs on the basket to raise it up a little. Also made a big difference. After my disaster with the whole chickens, I now bring it up to temp, 250-260 with Kingsford and then use lump the rest of the way. Seems I have to feed it a little more often but the temp stays up and the flavor seems to be better.
 
I know this is an old thread off the road map but I am doing a butt this coming weekend on a weber kettle, I don't think I will be able to keep the temps down around 225-250, I am guessing more like 300+. The rule seems to be 1-1.5 hours per lb at the lower temps, what kind of time per lb can I expect if my kettle holds at around 300? Thanks for the great info guys. RIX
 
Very interesting reading in this thread, and I am looking forward to using some of the tips suggested. I really liked the idea of apple juice and bourbon
 
RIX said:
I know this is an old thread off the road map but I am doing a butt this coming weekend on a weber kettle, I don't think I will be able to keep the temps down around 225-250, I am guessing more like 300+. The rule seems to be 1-1.5 hours per lb at the lower temps, what kind of time per lb can I expect if my kettle holds at around 300? Thanks for the great info guys. RIX
Click to expand...

I would still say about an hour or so, but remember its done when its done. put the exhaust vent over the butt, have the bottom vents around 1/2 open. thats how i started on butts
 
RIX said:
I know this is an old thread off the road map but I am doing a butt this coming weekend on a weber kettle, I don't think I will be able to keep the temps down around 225-250, I am guessing more like 300+. The rule seems to be 1-1.5 hours per lb at the lower temps, what kind of time per lb can I expect if my kettle holds at around 300? Thanks for the great info guys. RIX
Click to expand...

At 300 ish, you will be at 3/4 (or less) to 1 hour per pound on an 8lb Butt.
It is not an exact science.
We routinly cook at 300-350 and it works fine.

But remember, it is meat temp (190-200 or so) and probe feel and not time that determines when it is done!

Plan on being done early and drop it is a hot box (cooler) to hold till ready to serve. Just makes it "mo-better" :lol:

Let us know how it goes.

TIM
 
RIX said:
I know this is an old thread off the road map but I am doing a butt this coming weekend on a weber kettle, I don't think I will be able to keep the temps down around 225-250, I am guessing more like 300+. The rule seems to be 1-1.5 hours per lb at the lower temps, what kind of time per lb can I expect if my kettle holds at around 300? Thanks for the great info guys. RIX
Click to expand...

If you do it hot your gonna have to go by feel or temp probe. The same rules still apply though. Get that 1.5 hours per pound out of your head. If this is your first one then you can use that rule as a very rough and I mean very rough time estimate but the thing is done when it's done. At high heat 300-325 remove the fat cap, rub her down with little sugar in your rub and cook it. Every 20 minutes to half hour flip it and rotate the meat. When it starts to look nice and crusty or at 160 internal wrap it in foil with a little apple juice and still flip it every half hour. Your butt should be done in 4 hours at 325. You have to feel your meat. Press it with your fingers..does it feel mushy like a rare steak? If it does then your done, or when it hits 200-205.
 
Last edited:
Thanks guys, I have really studied up on the road map and think I have everything figured out (sure to have some hiccups but thats ok). I will definatly pay more attention to meat temp and feel than time but I want to have this done around a certain time so I'd like to know about when to start. For an 8 lb butt I will give myself a good 10 hours prior to serve time, like you said I will cooler it for a while if I have the extra time. Thanks again guys. RIX
 
LGerber said:
Very interesting reading in this thread, and I am looking forward to using some of the tips suggested. I really liked the idea of apple juice and bourbon
Click to expand...

I use apple cider, a little butter, and bourbon. Unless I want to drink it too then I skip the butter.

I put mine in smoke to 195 and pull them off. I foil them for about 20 - 30 minutes afterwards but I don't put them back on. They fall apart in my hands.

Of course with Ginny it's hard to mess up a piece of meat unless sh runs out of water..
 
BadBoysBBQ said:
If you do it hot your gonna have to go by feel or temp probe. The same tules still apply though. Get that 1.5 hours per pound out of your head. If this is your first one then you can use that rule as a very rough and I mean very rough time estimate but the thing is done when it's done. At high heat 300-325 remove the fat cap, rub her down with little sugar in your rub and cook it. Every 20 minutes to half hour flip it and rotate the meat. When it starts to look nice and crusty or at 160 internal wrap it in foil with a little apple juice and still flip it every half hour. Your butt should be done in 4 hours at 325. You have to feel your meat. Press it with your fingers..does it feel mushy like a rare steak? If it does then your done, or when it hits 200-205.
Click to expand...


Thats great info, thanks. Looks like I can scale back the amout of time needed a bit, and like you said its done when its done, but more like 6 or 7 hours prior to serving I will start rather than 10 hours. Thanks again.
 
Don't cut yourself too short. Better to be done way early and cooler than to be sweating having it done. Don't be afraid to have it coolered for 3-5 hours.

If you have a smallish cooler (for one butt) just fill the rest of the space with old towels.

If you realize it will be in the cooler for 2 or more hours I would consider pulling at 195. It is going to continue cooking for quite a while.

Best of luck bro...
 
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