Help on Selecting A Pork Butt

[smokingheavyg73]

Hi Folks.... just started smoking this past summer and I LOVE IT !!!    I've done ribs, jerky, a whole turkey, cheese, salmon, filled sweet & jalapenos etc etc etc...    

The reason I'm writing is I'm having one hell of a time with pork butts and getting them to temp AND I'm always having a flare up issue.

It seems like I'm stuck forever at 170° at then the next thing I know I have a HUGE flare up and it burns the outside.   I know its trial and error...  but its ticking me off.    I think that the pork butts I get are extremely fatty and I think it could be a determining factor in my flare ups.

Any tips and/or hints would be a great help.

 

[SmokinAl]

When it stalls at 170 next time. Just wrap it in foil with a little liquid. That will cook it faster & keep the outside from burning. However, that burned outside is what we call bark, & most of us like that part of the butt. I try to get as thick a bark as I can. No foil mucho bark!!

Al

 

[4saken]

Pork butts tend to stall at around 160 degrees internal temp, and depending on conditions, may take quite a while to get through it. Some people prefer to wrap them in foil when it reaches the 160ish mark. This will help get it through the stall quicker.

 

[chef jimmyj]

Flare Up!?! Any smoking, even on a Grill should be done over Indirect heat. Build the fire on one side and place the meat on the other, as far from the heat as possible. If for whatever reason this can't be done, place the meat in a disposable pan. The minimal loss of smoke flavor that is not contacting the portion of meat touching the pan is far outweighed by avoiding a fire...JJ

 

[joe black]

^^^ All of that. When I wrap at the stall, I put in 1/2 cup of apple juice. The juice helps with moisture in the meat and the acidity helps with tenderness.

 

[SmokyMose]

What sort of smoker are you using?