Boston Butt Question

West River BBQ · Jun 26, 2020

I learned that when cooking a brisket I should shoot for a texture or feel for doneness instead of a temperature, and this has worked out pretty well. Turning to pork shoulder, is this still good advice? If so, should it feel similar to brisket?

SweetHeatBBQnSC · Jun 26, 2020

If it's a bone in butt. The bone will wiggle out completely clean when it's done. Normally 203* or above.

jzadski · Jun 26, 2020

What he said ^

SMOKE FREAK · Jun 26, 2020

SweetHeatBBQnSC said:
If it's a bone in butt. The bone will wiggle out completely clean when it's done. Normally 203* or above.

Yes but that's kinda hard to do if it's wrapped in foil.

205 will get you there.

pharp · Jun 26, 2020

I would say that if a perfect brisket probe gives like 30% resistance then a pork butt should probably be 10% resistance. I guess what I am trying to say is want a little less resistance with the probe going into a butt than I do with brisket.

thirdeye · Jun 26, 2020

pharp said:
I would say that if a perfect brisket probe gives like 30% resistance then a pork butt should probably be 10% resistance. I guess what I am trying to say is want a little less resistance with the probe going into a butt than I do with brisket.

I would agree with that, but I also pay attention to the probe coming back out.

sudsandswine · Jun 26, 2020

pharp said:
I would say that if a perfect brisket probe gives like 30% resistance then a pork butt should probably be 10% resistance. I guess what I am trying to say is want a little less resistance with the probe going into a butt than I do with brisket.

I second this...I probe test butts, but I’m actually looking for probe in hot butter feeling where brisket will have more resistance. If I don’t get that extra soft texture then the meat around and in the nooks of the bone aren’t as rendered as I like.

WilliamKY · Jun 26, 2020

I dont probe butts at all. I set the internal therm and when it hits 195 I wiggle the bone. If it's loose enough to pull out its getting wrapped and into the cooler. I cook butts naked through the entire cook, just personal preference.

West River BBQ · Jun 26, 2020

Thanks all for the feedback. I had two butts on my WSM 18" today. I switched top and bottom at around the 7 hour mark, which is when I wrapped them. There was a nice bark set on the center section if looking down, which made it difficult to probe test. I pulled one at 11 hours because the horn area and money muscle were nice and soft. Overall, it was a little tight though. The other stayed on for another 2 hours and came up to about 195. It was better but not quite good enough. Another exercise in patience. I struggled with this with brisket until I just let one keep smoking, and then there was an aha moment. Hoping for that with pork.

Again, thanks for the lessons. I have gotten a lot from this website.

Monkey Uncle · Jun 27, 2020

I cook butts unwrapped at 250 until the IT reaches at least 195, preferably 200. Check to make sure the bone wiggles like a loose tooth; if it does, off it comes. The cooking can take anywhere from 9 to 14 hours, depending on the size of the butt, how diligent I was at keeping the temp steady, and how ornery that particular hog was. After a half hour rest on the counter, it's ready to pull, chop, and serve. Perfection every time.

If it happens to finish early, I'll put it in a pan, cover with foil, and hold it in a cooler. But I avoid this step if I can because I don't like to soften the bark.

Sopchoppy · Jun 27, 2020

I don't cook to a temperature or probe or wiggle the bone. Smoke for 5-6 hrs. then double wrap in hd foil and back on for another 5-6 hrs. All at 225-250. Never had one not fall apart tender with good bark. Got this method from a competition smoker in Tennessee.

pharp · Jun 27, 2020

Sopchoppy said:
I don't cook to a temperature or probe or wiggle the bone. Smoke for 5-6 hrs. then double wrap in hd foil and back on for another 5-6 hrs. All at 225-250. Never had one not fall apart tender with good bark. Got this method from a competition smoker in Tennessee.

Who was it?

Sopchoppy · Jun 27, 2020

Butts

pharp said:
Who was it?

No one you would know, not a celebrity.

pharp · Jun 27, 2020

Sopchoppy said:
No one you would know, not a celebrity.

Most of the people I cook with at comps aren't celebrities. Just never heard of anyone cooking comp pork that way so always trying to learn.

SweetHeatBBQnSC · Jun 27, 2020

Sopchoppy said:
I don't cook to a temperature or probe or wiggle the bone. Smoke for 5-6 hrs. then double wrap in hd foil and back on for another 5-6 hrs. All at 225-250. Never had one not fall apart tender with good bark. Got this method from a competition smoker in Tennessee.

I may be missing something, but if you are using same exact temp and time frame each time without any true "checking methods" do you look for the same size butt every time?

Sopchoppy · Jun 27, 2020

Pork butts

SweetHeatBBQnSC said:
I may be missing something, but if you are using same exact temp and time frame each time without any true "checking methods" do you look for the same size butt every time?

I usually buy 9-10 pounders when they are on sale for $.99. Most places sell in a 2 pack. Hope this helps.

Boston Butt Question

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