My first pork butt....tips and tricks please!

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melfoster7

Newbie
Original poster
Aug 12, 2012
7
10
Central IL
We are having family over tomorrow for dinner and my husband wanted to take this opportunity to use the smoker.  The grocery store had pork butt on sale so we picked one up (7 lbs).  This will be my first time smoking a pork butt, so any advice would be appreciated!!! I have mustard, rub, sauce, foil, foil pan, thermometer. 

Here are some questions I have

What temp?

How long?

Do you inject it with anything?

Resting time?

Please add anything else that might help me to make this smoke successful!

 -Thanks, Melissa
 
You didn't tell us what you are cooking on. That will help in answering the temp question.

How long is when the internal temp of the butt is 200° give or take 5° or so.

I do not inject, it is most likely that your butt was already injected as part of processing, IMHO injecting is not needed.

Resting...usually wrapped in foil and placed in a cooler for an hour prior to pulling.

FWIW I cook my butts on a Weber kettle at temps ranging from 280°-325°, I take the internal temp for the first time after 6 hours. At these temps I would expect your butt to be done in 7 hours, more or less, YMMV.

Remember.. if you're looking you ain't cooking.
 
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One thing to remember is a 7 lb butt can take from 10.5 hours to 14 hours or more., at temps of 225-250  I would think about smoking today and reheating tomorrow.  When you hit the stall and people are wanting to eat can be a hard time :).  Other wise get up very early tomorrow.  Good luck and take pictures
 
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Melissa, morning and welcome to the forum.....    I leave the fat cap on... fat is flavor and can help keep the meat moist....   If you are concerned about fat in the diet, pork fat is one of the healthiest fats you can consume....  

Sooooo,  here is something to brighten your day.......    Dave

Beer, whiskey and pork fat: the new health foods?

Kate Krader (@kkrader on Twitter) is Food & Wine's restaurant editor. When she tells us where to find our culinary heart's desire, we listen up.

Beer lovers, rejoice. Whiskey drinkers, celebrate. Pork fat fans, this is your moment. All the things you thought were unhealthy can actually help you lose a ton of weight.

Well, not exactly. This isn’t an ad in the back pages of a sketchy magazine. All these things are still not good for you when you eat and drink them in large quantities. And don’t stop eating your blueberries and strawberries  if you want to boost your brainpower.

Still, there’s some surprising good health news for anyone who wants to wash down their lard-topped popcorn with a beer and a shot of whiskey.

Beer: The Problem-Solver
Question: Who’s better at solving brainteasers, men who are sober or men who have drunk two pints of beer? According to research from the University of Illinois, the drinkers are the winners. (That sound you hear is every guy I know cracking open a beer right now in self-righteous satisfaction.) Not only did the drinkers solve 40 percent more problems than the nondrinkers, they solved their problems faster: 12 seconds compared to the nondrinking 15.5 seconds.

Pork Fat: The Bad Cholesterol Fighter
"Pork fat is not only useful, but it is also good for us," says my new hero, Jennifer McLagan. She’s the author of the James Beard Award–winning "Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient". To back up her claim, McLagan's book includes a chart showing that 45 percent of pork fat is monounsaturated, which can help raise your HDL, or good cholesterol, and also can help lower your LDL, or bad cholesterol.

She also extols the benefits of frying in lard, because food absorbs less fat than if you fry it in oil. Lagan piles on the good news, arguing that "Diets low in fat, it turns out, leave people hungry, depressed and prone to weight gain and illness." To ensure readers' happiness, she includes recipes in "Fat", including one for euphoria-inducing bacon fat mayonnaise.

Whiskey: The Good Cholesterol Booster
If you’re looking for other celebratory ways to increase your good cholesterol levels and potentially decrease your risk of a stroke, grab a bottle of your favorite booze. And then drink in moderation. According to the Mayo Clinic, studies suggest that if you consume one alcoholic drink per day if you're a woman, or two drinks a day if you're a guy, you can increase your HDL cholesterol levels and also potentially decrease your risk of a stroke. But, cautions the Mayo Clinic, "If you don't drink alcohol, don't start just to try raising your HDL levels."

Popcorn: The Antioxidant Hero
You don’t need me to tell you that popcorn is popular with the high fiber crowd. Here’s more good news for anyone who’s trying to justify their next big bucket of (nonbuttered, non-oversalted) popcorn: New research  from the University of Scranton suggests that a serving of popcorn is higher in antioxidants than some fruits and vegetables. Those antioxidants, known as polyphenols, are associated with helping to prevent cancer. They’re concentrated in popcorn’s husk, which is something to consider the next time it gets stuck in your teeth and you consider spitting it out.
 
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Here's my take..... I have an mes and smoked my share of butts. Cook it now to about 195 and wrap but leave a corner open to help it cool down and help keep the bark intact. Pull it when still warm and put in the fridge till u need it. IMHO the flavors meld together better after a day or two of rest anyway. This way guests are not waiting if you mis judge cook times. Cliffcarter cooks his hotter than I do.... I use 235 - 255 temps. No injection. No fat removal. Hell I've put them in right out of the package after a quick rinse and they come out great. Pork butt is very forgiving but take the stress off and cook in advance. It will be great.
 
Love that article Dave, especially the part about beer
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Regarding the fat, I saw a video from the BBQPitBoys.com and they crosshatch cut their fat cap like a checker board and rub the rub into it so it reaches the meat underneath.  Since I have started doing this the flavor is evident under the cap.

I too have a butt in the charcoal smoker today, it's a tad colder than weatherman promised so temp control is challenging.  Darn weather-guessers.
 
I"ve been smoking for quite a LONG time, and have tried both fat cap on, and off, and cross cut, etc etc.  I have found it really doesn't make much of a difference other than the butt finishes a tad sooner with that fat cap removed.

Also, I use to smoke LOW as welll.  225 was "the law" but have found that 255F smokes a 12 pound butt that is as every bit as juicy and tender and flavorful and done in less time.  So I will be continuing to use the 255F temp from here on out. 

Just a few thoughts.
 
I"ve been smoking for quite a LONG time, and have tried both fat cap on, and off, and cross cut, etc etc.  I have found it really doesn't make much of a difference other than the butt finishes a tad sooner with that fat cap removed.

Also, I use to smoke LOW as welll.  225 was "the law" but have found that 255F smokes a 12 pound butt that is as every bit as juicy and tender and flavorful and done in less time.  So I will be continuing to use the 255F temp from here on out. 

Just a few thoughts.
I'll have to agree, I smoke my buts higher temperature than most with great success. 250° works great. If you have alot of sugar in your rub or spray with apple juice can burn much easier, but it just makes for better bark. Doesn't ever taste burnt....
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