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Comments
Pork Butts always make for a good long smoke. That's what I'll be doing, starting Friday night around 9pm, taking it off the smoker around 2pm Saturday.
Are you using a Traeger? I'm not going to stay up all night checking temps lol I need to be fresh for the game.
I would buy a temperature control for the egg, turns your egg basically into an electric smoker, if you're looking to stay away from constantly monitoring your temps.
No need to check temps with a BGE
No need to check temps with a Pit Barrel Cooker either. And you can throw your butt on at 9-10 AM and have it ready for dinner easy.
This^^^^^^my kamado has stayed within 20 degrees over 16 hours on a single load of lump charcoal. No chasing required!
I use a Weber Smokey Mountain. Just set the coals/wood (minion method), get your vents right (which I have down pat now) and it really becomes set it and forget it. I use a digital thermometer to keep track of it, but I can leave it on overnight and wake up to it at 225.
Y'all are making it sound easy lol. So what are we throwing on there? What's the go-to?
10lb Boston Butt brined in a mix of apple cider vinegar and water the day before and coated with a rub of your choice.
How many hours at what temp?
I’d go roughly 1.5 hrs per lb at 225. Smoker temp can fluctuate a bit (215-240) depending on the weather which will impact exactly how long it takes.
If you have one, use a digital thermometer for the smoker and for the meat. Meat temp will stall at about 150-160 and sit there for what seems like hours.
I pull mine off at (minimum) 195 but ideally 205. Then rest for 30 minutes in an oven or cooler.
Need to rush it to feed on time? About 2 hours before needing to serve, wrap in foil and bump up the heat to 250-275.
Edit: Just adding a word of caution. If you’re planning a party and want to serve at a specific time, it’s better to have it done and resting than it is to be frustrated that it’s not heating fast enough. So err on the side of starting early.
Nothing takes the joy out of smoking faster than rushing to meet a deadline.
That advice about getting done early is golden. A butt wrapped in foil and then in a couple of towels will happily hold a safe temp in the cooler for hours and taste even better.
This pretty much sums it up. One thing I do extra to keep the meat really moist; Mix about 1/3rd cup of apple cider vinegar with 2/3 cups of water in a pan. Add about 1/4 cup of brown sugar. Slice off some of the juicy fat off the cooked butt and add it to the pan also. Bring to a low simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Let it cool a little and strain the fat pieces out. Gently pour it it in with the pulled or chopped pork and mix until preferred texture and taste.
Sage advice. Much appreciated
All of that is great advice...especially paying attention to the internal temp. Every butt, brisket and roast I've smoked has been unique in some fashion, and I learned long ago to not get hung up on time or chasing cooking temps. Weather conditions, charcoal brand, charcoal size/style and placement can all effect the cooking temp; what has always been universally successful/consistent for me is internal temp of the meat.
Also, starting early so there is no rush at the end is the 2nd most important factor, IMO. I've wrapped meat in foil, a towel then placed it in a cooler where it sat upwards of 6 hours with no ill effects. Having to rush at the end can result in stress and less than desirable results!
Finally, IMO, a butt is the most forgiving of all; it's a great cut to get started on.
Good luck and happy smoking!