This weekends Boston Butt!

[bus1982]

Smoked and 8 lb butt in my 40" MES on Sunday along with some smoked loaded mashed potatoes and mac and cheese! It was the first time trying the mac and cheese, I used the recipe from dadgum thats good website, very easy and very flavorful. The butt came out a little tougher in spots than in the past. I had 2 temperature probes in, one in the center and one towards the end opposite the bone. The one on the end read 205 when I took it out while the one in the center read 196. The toughest spot was around the bone. I had to work the bone out of the meat this time, where it usually falls out. Any suggestions on what I should do to keep it from happening again?

Also, I hear a lot of people that wrap it in foil for the last 20 or so degrees...for those of you who wrap, do you get a mushy bark from wrapping. Do you add any liquid or anything when you wrap it. And this may be a dumb question, but do you just poke a hole in the foil to put the temp probe in the meat?

I appreciate any feedback, here is my Q view from this smoke!

20130908_111038[1].jpg

• bus1982
• Sep 9, 2013

 

[kathrynn]

I have had that happen too.  Sometimes near the bone....mine has had a tug to it.  Yes...poke a whole thru the foil for the therm if you foil.  I used to foil....but don't until I wrap it up in a foil pan...for a cooler nap/rest for a few hours.

Q-view looks nice!

Kat

 

[smokinhusker]

It does happen sometimes as Kat said. I only use one therm probe and stick in in midway in the center from the side. I let it go until that hits 205°. I used to foil when I first started smoking butts in the MES40 because at this altitude (about 8800 ft) they would take forever. I no longer foil cause we like the bark and when I rest them, I only cover loosely with foil to keep the integrity of the bark. I've never had mushy pork from foiling though.