Jan 26 2013
The other day I went looking for a large beef chuck to fix but came home with a pork butt. At $1.46 a pound I couldn’t pass it up. I will freeze most of it for using in other dishes, like tacos or chili. I prefer to get one from my butcher, they have no added solutions. This one was from Walmart. On the label it says all natural then another place it says 4% marinade added!
There is no rocket science here, just get it done where it is tender and moist. This is kind of my preferred method I have settled on that works for me. I rinse and dry it, coat with my favorite rub, slather on some mustard and it’s ready for the smoker. I do on smoke 170 to 180 deg. for 3 hours then go to 225 deg. for the rest of the cook. When it hits 165 deg. IT I double wrap in foil. When it hits 200 deg. IT I check it. I have an aluminum potato rod I poke it with, if it goes in like butter it’s done. I pull it and place in a preheated 200 deg. oven, turn the oven off when it goes in. Let set an hour or two then cool and pull.
This one I let set one hour and the temp was still at 193 deg. The bone came out with no effort; it was plenty moist and fell apart. It had a nice color to the bark. I didn’t spritz it or add any liquid when I wrapped it. The total cook time for this 7.7 pound butt was eight hours and twenty minutes. I did it fat cap down the whole time.
I have done them fat cap down then up when I wrap in foil. I prefer fat cap down in the foil now; the meat pulls right off the fat cap then I remove it from the pork broth with a slotted spoon. I use a gravy separator to pour out the good liquid and with this one I added about a quarter to a third cup back to the pulled pork. It went in the fridge overnight; I will use some for sandwiches tonight and vacuum seal and freeze the rest.
7.7 Pound Butt
Ready for the smoker
165 deg. IT, Ready to foil
After the rest
Bone pulled clean
Saved au jus
Rough pulled
Final pull to the size I like
Smokin Don
