Hot and Fast Pork Butt

[emtnate]

I picked up this almost 9 lb pork butt this week at Kroger. I've been simplifying my recipes and cutting excess sugar out of my diet to help keep my weight down and still enjoy my food.

Rubbed with SPOG and going on the kettle with Cherry and Hickory at 350. It went on a 1400, wife gets home from work at 2300. Let's see if it gets done by then or if I have to take it a little hotter. Sides will be healthy, grilled asparagus and butternut squash.

 

[Big George's BBQ]

Interested in how it turns out I don't think it will take 9 hrs You may have a long rest in the cooler to keep it hot However I do mine low and slow not hot and fast

 

[emtnate]

I'd be happy if it goes quicker. I don't mind holding it and once I pull it, it will reheat well anyway. My last pork butt was done low and slow and took almost 12 hours. I don't smoke hot often, so I am not as good at guessing time. We'll see hot it turns out.

 

[DownHomeQue]

I think it will be done right in-between 4 to 5 hours

 

[MOTU]

Look great! I love using my Smokinator. Makes great BBQ. A couple of things I've learned.

1. Ditch the water pan it comes with and get your self a loaf pan and place it on the same rack that you place the meat on. This will allow you to get much more charcoal in the Smokinator and the water will last much longer without refilling.

2. Placing the wood in with the coals burns it off too fast and causes at times the heavy smoke/white soot. Put a chunk of cherry on one side of the bread pan right over the hole where you add charcoal and hickory on the other end. Right on the grate. The heat coming up from those holes will slowly burn the wood giving you that invisible/bluish smoke for a long time without having to open the lid and keep adding wood.

3.Move your temp gauge further away from the fire. Your readings are going to show way hot where it's placed on the picture. Put it around one inch away from where the meat is. It should also be about an inch away from the kettle to remove any false radiant heat readings.

4. Adjust temps only with the lid dampers. Leave the bottom dampers wide open. This will minimize smoldering the fire and give you much cleaner heat. My kettle with both dampers wide open runs consistently around 275. Love it!

Happy cooking. It looks great!

 

[Jason TQ]

350 should get it done in 6hrs give or take a little. Depends on the cooker, but that temp most take right around 6hr or even a little less for me. I do typically wrap with foil which speeds it up.

 

[emtnate]

Thanks for those tips, MOTU.

I don't use the water pan that came with it, and the pan I use does sit on top of the grate. The wood is mixed in the coals, I'll try sitting the chunks on top next time. I have a BBQ Guru in there, so I keep the vents closed as it stokes the coals. I originally bought the controller to help out in the winter, but it has been almost mandatory since our son was born. He almost 6 months old now and doesn't always let me tend a pit closely.

 

[MOTU]

Thanks for those tips, MOTU.

I don't use the water pan that came with it, and the pan I use does sit on top of the grate. The wood is mixed in the coals, I'll try sitting the chunks on top next time. I have a BBQ Guru in there, so I keep the vents closed as it stokes the coals. I originally bought the controller to help out in the winter, but it has been almost mandatory since our son was born. He almost 6 months old now and doesn't always let me tend a pit closely.

Yep! My 2 year old makes it hard to tend to the fire at times! Not sure if you have one already but if not get yourself a hovergrill to up your capacity. Last weekend I was able to squeeze in five full St Louis Racks...Barely. :shocked:

I'm jealous of the Guru! That's got to be the next upgrade for me!

 

[THoey1963]

I normally do butts at 275 and 9 - 10 pounders take about 9 hours. I pull when they get a nice mahogany color, put them in a foil pan and wrap in foil to finish. I like this as it keeps it from turning to a meteor and collects the juice to be remixed in with the pulled pork.

I agree, probably take about 6 - 7 hours at that temp.

 

[emtnate]

I have the hovergrill too. Last fall I fit a 4 bone slab of beef ribs, 2 full racks of spares and a pork butt with room to spare for guys at the firehouse.

At the 2 hour mark, things are moving along nicely. I'm going to guess 5 or 6 hours for this cook. I'm looking forward to mixing some leftovers with chimichurri sauce and making tacos for lunch tomorrow.

 

[bbqwizard]

I have the hovergrill too. Last fall I fit a 4 bone slab of beef ribs, 2 full racks of spares and a pork butt with room to spare for guys at the firehouse.

At the 2 hour mark, things are moving along nicely. I'm going to guess 5 or 6 hours for this cook. I'm looking forward to mixing some leftovers with chimichurri sauce and making tacos for lunch tomorrow.

I want some of those tacos! I LOVE chimmichurri sauce.

 

[Big George's BBQ]

That looks really nice and the tacos sound excellent

 

[KevinJ]

Cook mine at 300 wrap in BP after 4hrs and they are usually done in 6.5 to 7hrs.

 

[emtnate]

I went ahead and wrapped it at the 4 hour mark. The meat is pulling back from the bone, but it is still firmly in place. The probe only reads 175 anyway. I usually start checking for doneness around 195.

The little guy is sound asleep. The window in his room is right next to our patio. There's no doubt he's dreaming about the wonderful smells coming from outside.

 

[Fire Flinger]

Looks beautiful. Question about the smokenator/hovergrill. Based on what I have read here it sounds like you could easily fit two 9 pound butts in there with room to spare. One on top, on on bottom. Is this correct or am I off base about the added capacity the hovergrill adds?

 

[emtnate]

Fire flinger,

I could fit 2 of those 9 lb butts on the cooking grate, 1 more easily, probably 2 on the charcoal grate. (or my favorite, a pan of beans to catch the drippings). If I used the hovergrill, I could move some of the butts to it and some slabs of ribs on the main grill, under the hovergrill. The hovergrill gives you 3 layers in a standard kettle, that is a lot of space for meat.

 

[JONESY]

Looks great!!!! Good for you on cutting the excess sugars from your diet. I cut down on my simple carbs and sugar about 2 years and went from 6"3" @245 to 208 with little to no effort. I changed my BBQ drastically, but I honestly enjoy it better now, you can actually taste the meat/smoke and not just the sweet!! Simple meat and healthy sides just makes sense.

 

[emtnate]

I am 5' 10" and found myself weighing 208 just after Thanksgiving. We have weight considerations at work that I was close to going over, but this much weight is too much for me. With little effort, I'm down 25 lbs since then with another 20-30 to go.

I stopped drinking anything except for black coffee and water on a regular basis with bourbon and an occasional beer for a treat. I've been cutting out added sugars and going easier on carbs. For BBQ, I've been using rubs without adding sugar and cutting back on sauces. For sides, I've mostly been eating veggies. I really like things like mac and cheese, cornbread and fried potatoes, but I need to eat them sparingly.

 

[Smoke'em if you got 'em]

Insert Homer Simpson drooling....

Like the other guy said, give me some of those tacos with chimmichurri sauce and keep your hands away from my face...:-D

 

[emtnate]

Done at 203 F in 5 hrs 20 minutes. I may be joining the crowd praising cooking things hot.

The bark really isn't too bad considering the light rub and no sugar.

The plated meal, too bad my wife has to wait until she gets off work. Honestly, I don't miss the sugar. The pork, pepper and smoke come through nicely. No sauce needed when it is fresh. Pics of the tacos to coming tomorrow.