Boston Butt for pulled Pork

mike bir

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Mar 12, 2014

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Destin, FL

• Aug 22, 2015

• #1

Hi everyone,

I have used the advice on here and have always had great results.  I have smoked many different things now and am about to try another different thing....Boston Butt. 

Looking at some of the posts I have determined that 1.5 hours per pound @ 225-250 will get me there.  However my Boston Butt weighs in at 10 pounds!  I am asking if I cut the10 pound Butt in half will I be able to get it cooked in half the time, smoking both at the same time?

Any good advice is much appreciated!

 

Last edited: Aug 22, 2015

noboundaries

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• Aug 22, 2015

• #2

Thickness has more to do with the time than weight when smoked at a given temperature.  

If you have a 5-6 inch thick butt and you cut it in half on the short cut, you haven't accomplished anything.  Now you have two halves that are 5-6" thick.  It will take a little less time, but not much. 

If you want to halve the time, cut it in half lengthwise so the thickness is only 2.5-3" thick.  Should be ready in 8-10 hours at the 225-250F you mentioned.  

Better yet, just crank the temp up to 275-300F.  A whole 10 lb butt will be ready to rest in 8-10 hours.   

 

mike bir

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Mar 12, 2014

11

10

Destin, FL

• Aug 22, 2015

• #3

Thank you Noboundaries! I have been stressing on this as I am cooking for my whole family tomorrow and want to be able to have it ready by 5:30pm!

Cranking up the heat goes against the "Slow and Low" idea but if it beats 15 hours it is a win!

I just measured the meat and it is 5" thick and 9 inches square, 10.2 pounds.

If I cut it length wise only one piece would have the fat cap on it.

So I am going to leave it in one piece and go for a higher temp.

Mike

 

joe black

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• Aug 22, 2015

• #4

Noboundaries is spot on. I usually cook at 260-280* and grt a very moist and tasty product. Be sure to watch for the stall at 155-160*. Wrap the butt at that temp with about 1/2 cup of apple juice and it will remain moist and power thru the stall. Pull it at 200* and leave the foil on. Wrap it in towels or a blanket and rest in a cooler for about an hour. It should climb to 205*+ with no trouble and ready to pull, finish and serve. Good luck, Joe.

 

cliffcarter

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Old Town, Maine

• Aug 22, 2015

• #5

Noboundaries said:

 
Thickness has more to do with the time than weight when smoked at a given temperature.  

If you have a 5-6 inch thick butt and you cut it in half on the short cut, you haven't accomplished anything.  Now you have two halves that are 5-6" thick.  It will take a little less time, but not much. 

If you want to halve the time, cut it in half lengthwise so the thickness is only 2.5-3" thick.  Should be ready in 8-10 hours at the 225-250F you mentioned. 

Better yet, just crank the temp up to 275-300F.  A whole 10 lb butt will be ready to rest in 8-10 hours.  

Click to expand...

I would dearly like to see you demonstrate this logic, if you've done it already then please provide a link to the thread.

 

mike bir

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Mar 12, 2014

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Destin, FL

• Aug 22, 2015

• #6

Hi Joe,

If I wrap it at 160 degrees how will I get a bark on it?  I am using a 22" WSM for this smoke.

Everything I have smoked so far has turned out great, very moist and tasty.

The Brisket I smoked had a great bark on it.  I am hoping to get the same results here.

Mike

 

joe black

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• Aug 22, 2015

• #7

The bark should already be set by the time it reaches 160*. When you wrap, don't spritz with the apple juice, pour it in the bottom of the foil. Spritzing or mopping any meat can loosen the bark.

 

chef jimmyj

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• Aug 22, 2015

• #8

Mike, my Daughter was in a time crunch a couple of weeks ago. She cut a Butt into Fist size pieces, 4-5 inches across. She rubbed and smoked them in a MES at 250°F. They were done in 5 hours, no foil. She said there was lots of Bark and was just as tasty and juicy as smoking the whole butt. I will be trying this the next time butts are on sale locally...JJ

 

mike bir

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Mar 12, 2014

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Destin, FL

• Aug 23, 2015

• #9

Thanks for the info Jimmy, I will also try this next time.  Put my Butt on the smoker at 5:30 am with 5:30 pm being dinner time.

Hope it all works out this time. Also have decided to kick up the heat 275 - 300.

Boston Butt8-23-15.jpg

• mike bir
• Aug 23, 2015

 

joe black

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• Aug 23, 2015

• #10

Mike, put the lid on and quit looking, Joe

 

rabbithutch

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• Aug 23, 2015

• #11

I smoked 2 butts on my Weber one-touch yesterday. I used the snake weave and mesquite wood chunks (because that's all I had on hand; I prefer hickory or oak) and put them on cold from the reefer at 8:15 am. I took them off about 9:00 pm at an IT of 210° (I forgot about it and it went up fast near the end) and my smoker temp stayed in the 260s most of the time. I used my ET-733 and watched it pretty close until I'd had a couple of glasses of red wine.:yahoo:

HTH

 

mike bir

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Mar 12, 2014

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Destin, FL

• Aug 23, 2015

• #12

Boston Butt02 8-23-15.jpg

• mike bir
• Aug 23, 2015

I pulled this off at 200 IT and foil wrapped it and then wrapped it in a beach towel and into a cooler 10 hrs 15 minutes at 275-300, it got hotter one time as the water pan ran dry. but most of the way it ran 288. Used my ET 732

 

Last edited: Aug 23, 2015