My First Pork Butt.

[olmy]

So here is how the first pork butt went down. I brined a 5lb butt in vinegar, apple juice, salt and brown sugar for 2 days. I rinsed off the brine and rubbed it down with emans rub and let it sit in the fridge overnight, 5am this morning I fire up my MES to 220 deg with some mesquite chips. Once the butt hit 165 deg I foiled it and let it ride until it hit 190 deg IT. I then let it rest in a cooler wrapped in a towel for an hour and a half, removed and pulled. The meat was a little tough and dry, the bone did not slide out clean as I understand it should, but for my first shot I think it gives me a good start point. Any criticism and or suggestions are appreciated as it is my sons first birthday in a few weeks and this is what I want to feed the masses at his party. Here are a couple after shots.

For some reason it did not get a nice bark, even before I foiled it.

BBQ2.jpg

• olmy
• Aug 25, 2013

Finished product.

BBQ.jpg

• olmy
• Aug 25, 2013

 

[njfoses]

I would personally skip the brine.  How are you measuring the temp of your mes and the internal temp of the meat?  A butt generally will not be done until 195-205 degrees.  At around 195 deg use a toothpick and probe the meat in a few spots.  If the toothpick slides in and out like butter the meat is done.  If not check again in 20 min or so.  Use internal temp only as a guide but if yours was truly 190 deg it was not done cooking yet.  If you want a dark and thick bark skip the foil during the cook.  This will increase the cook time but will produce a killer bark.  You can cook at a higher temp to offset the additional cooking time without foil.

 

[s2k9k]

Congrats on your first butt!!! It looks real good! No you have a baseline and it will just keep getting better!!!

I agree with njfoses, you really need to know your temps are accurate. The MES is notorious for the temp being incorrect. The toothpick test is really the only way to know when the desired tenderness has been achieved.
If you want some super juicy pork with an awesome bark you might want to read about the "lean trim no foil wet to dry chamber method", I have adopted this method and it has taken my pork to a whole new level:
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/...dry-smoke-chamber-q-view-prep-method-finished
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/...mmed-butt-wet-dry-smoke-chamber-q-view-method

 

[smokinhusker]

Congrats on your first pork butt! it looks pretty good from here!

 

[kathrynn]

Looks good from here.

Kat

 

[olmy]

Thanks guys, I really appreciate how everyone is so passionate about BBQ and willing to help out us rookies. I am planning on another butt this weekend and I am definitely going to apply the lean trim no foil wet to dry chamber method and use the tooth pick to check tenderness. I think I was so paranoid about overcooking and drying it out that I took it out to rest early and it didn't get up to the temp it needed for optimal tenderness. I will post the results of this weekends butt.