Butcher Paper Pork Butt

[Smokin Don]

This is a cook I did last Oct. I am posting this as an interest on butcher paper in response to a Post by PTPalms.

Oct 2012
I bought the pork butts at my butcher Kah Meats, $1.69 per pound. There were two in a cyropac, a total of 16 ¼ lbs. I took what looked like the largest to me, it was 8 ¼ lbs. I froze the other one for later. Sandman gave me enough butcher paper to wrap it.

Last Friday was a long day, getting the 8 ¼ lb. pork butt on at 3:00am. An hour before getting it on the smoker I rubbed some Penzey’s Galena Street rib rub on. I then injected cider all over; then rubbed in some mustard and a little more rib rub over that. I had the smoker at 180 deg, averaged about 190 deg. I placed it on a frogmat with fat side down. I went back to bed and got up at 8:00. The butt was looking good; when I put the temp probe in it was at 140 deg. IT. I went to 225 deg.

It took until 11:00, just 8 hours to get to 170 deg. IT. I wrapped it in butcher paper trying to get 3 layers; I think I got more! My little table on my 6X6 smoke deck is not a good place to handle a large sheet of paper. I remembered the fat cap side and put it on fat side up.

It took until 3:00pm to get to 197 deg. IT and testing with a rod, it went in easy. I pulled it and placed it in a preheated oven at 180 deg & turned the oven off. After an hours rest I unwrapped it and pulled it.

The bone came out clean and easy. When I turned it to get the fat off the fat cap side, it about fell apart. I pulled it by hand and this was the easiest I ever pulled. Tasted great, melt in your mouth. I didn’t have as much juice as with foil since the paper soaks a lot up; but I would say the meat definitely stayed moister. I didn’t note that much cider taste.

I got the idea of cider from BarkonButts on another forum. I had to use pasteurized cider and he used fresh unpasteurized. I burnt up about $10 worth of gas driving to four orchards I knew of to find fresh cider. Three were out of business and one had equipment breakdown and wouldn’t have any for a week.

I will have a sandwich from this topped with some of my home made Kimchi Saturday night.

Pork Butt


Injected


Ready for the smoker


Ready to wrap


After resting


Unwrapped


Bone pulled


Finished pulling


Smokin Don

[sparky]

butt looks good.  nice ring.  what does the butchers paper do for it? 

[Wing Commander]

That butt looks great, Don.

What influence had the butcher paper on the bark?

[sliding_billy]

Looks good.  Wondering about the bark as well...  I try to avoid wrapping through the stall, but sometimes time is of the essence.  Any better than foil wrap?

[mikecorn.1]

Poke looks great. Ditto on the ?'s above.


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[muebe]

The butcher paper is an interesting concept. I have seen it done with briskets but have no experience with it myself. Is it worth it?

[Smokin Don]

Butcher paper wrapped briskets is old school and has been around a long time. It was brought back on another forum last year. There was a lot who tried it and liked it. Many wrap their briskets in foil to get through the stall and help keep moisture in. With foil you will not get as crispy a bark, it will be softer. I like the softer bark so I foil. I think the idea of the butcher paper is it breaths and doesn't over steam the meat. Like I said I am sure no expert on this since I have never done a brisket, just a pork butt.

I remember I liked it, it was plenty most and tender. I also remember it was a pain trying to wrap that thing on my little 2X2 table I also remember it was a pain to unwrap after the rest and get rid of all that greasy paper. I did this last Oct. and haven't used any since so it must have not been that much better than using foil. I have done a couple of butts and a brisket since then.

If you want to try it you have to have the old style butcher paper, food safe and not coated. I posted a link in Interesting topics I thought was good. You can also just google "butcher paper brisket" and you can fine a lot of info. Don

[squirtthecat]

Great post!