In a modified Rivergrille Farmers Offset Smoker, I cooked two 8lb. Boston Butts for four hours at 250 degrees (from 8 pm to midnight) on July 3rd. I then wrapped them tightly in foil and placed them in an old (1980's) UDS with electric heating element that heats to about 235 degrees and left them there until 10 am on the 4th. Then I put them in a cooler (no ice) until noon.
The seasoning used was sea salt. Yes, that's all. And not a little sea salt, a lot of sea salt! I poured it on the meat which was wet from washing, and whatever stuck when I patted it with my hand was what it went into the grill with.
The Rivergrille smoker fuel was 10lbs. of Kingsford (blue bag) and a few (3 or 4) pieces of split and dried red oak about 3lbs. each, thrown on top of the hot charcoal one piece at a time at about 30 min. intervals after the meat was placed in the smoker. I was going to cook with just wood but I didn't know if I had enough dried wood to make it for 4 hours.
Why just salt? Well, I have tried several rub recipes and bought many highly recommended bottled rubs, and just never liked the way it worked out with pulled pork. And, as I was struggling to come up with a 4th of July cook that would wow the crowd, I happened to walk in on my wife watching a cooking show on TV about a preacher who owned a BBQ joint that cooked them roughly the way I ended up cooking mine, including using just salt...a lot of salt poured directly on the meat. I wasn't too impressed with his method until he mentioned that he cooked 60 to 70 Butts a day. If you're selling 60 to 70 Butts a day, it has to be good!
I have cooked for this crowd before, 9 adults and a 3-year-old girl and have been complimented by them for various things being "good". But, never have I cooked for them and had them tell me individually, over the course of the day, that it was the best pork they had ever had. And, I have to agree. If I have had better, I don't remember it. I tried it as my wife was pulling it (don't add the juice/fat from the foil) with her rubber-gloved hands. I tried it with a little of her homemade sauce. I tried it on a sesame seed bun with hot sauce and coleslaw. It was good no matter how I tried it. By the end of the evening, all the pork was gone.
So, if you are like me and can't settle on a rub or other recipe you like, or you can't figure out the cook time/temp. try it this way. I'm not saying it will be the best you've ever had, but I'll bet you will love it.
The seasoning used was sea salt. Yes, that's all. And not a little sea salt, a lot of sea salt! I poured it on the meat which was wet from washing, and whatever stuck when I patted it with my hand was what it went into the grill with.
The Rivergrille smoker fuel was 10lbs. of Kingsford (blue bag) and a few (3 or 4) pieces of split and dried red oak about 3lbs. each, thrown on top of the hot charcoal one piece at a time at about 30 min. intervals after the meat was placed in the smoker. I was going to cook with just wood but I didn't know if I had enough dried wood to make it for 4 hours.
Why just salt? Well, I have tried several rub recipes and bought many highly recommended bottled rubs, and just never liked the way it worked out with pulled pork. And, as I was struggling to come up with a 4th of July cook that would wow the crowd, I happened to walk in on my wife watching a cooking show on TV about a preacher who owned a BBQ joint that cooked them roughly the way I ended up cooking mine, including using just salt...a lot of salt poured directly on the meat. I wasn't too impressed with his method until he mentioned that he cooked 60 to 70 Butts a day. If you're selling 60 to 70 Butts a day, it has to be good!
I have cooked for this crowd before, 9 adults and a 3-year-old girl and have been complimented by them for various things being "good". But, never have I cooked for them and had them tell me individually, over the course of the day, that it was the best pork they had ever had. And, I have to agree. If I have had better, I don't remember it. I tried it as my wife was pulling it (don't add the juice/fat from the foil) with her rubber-gloved hands. I tried it with a little of her homemade sauce. I tried it on a sesame seed bun with hot sauce and coleslaw. It was good no matter how I tried it. By the end of the evening, all the pork was gone.
So, if you are like me and can't settle on a rub or other recipe you like, or you can't figure out the cook time/temp. try it this way. I'm not saying it will be the best you've ever had, but I'll bet you will love it.
