# Partially frozen pork butt



## menk45 (Apr 11, 2013)

I had 2 ~8lb pork butts in the freezer that I moved to the fridge Monday night, planning on a Thursday overnight smoke in my WSM.

Last night I pulled them from the freezer and they were still pretty frozen.  I still rubbed them, covered them with a single layer of plastic wrap, and moved them back to the fridge.

As soon as I get home from work tonight, I plan on checking on them to make sure they are thawed out.

If I find they are still partially frozen in the middle, am I still safe to smoke them tonight?


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## menk45 (Apr 11, 2013)

I found this in another thread...http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/102047/rib-eye-roast-partially-frozen-on-smoker

"Next time don't put the probe in it until it's in the smoker at 225˚ for 2 hours.

Then you don't have to worry about the 4 hour rule, and you can start with some ice in the middle"

B/c they were still frozen last night, I didn't inject them, thinking I would do it this evening.  Should I just skip the injecting this time and leave the probes out for 2 hours...just in case they might still be partially frozen in the middle?


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## s2k9k (Apr 11, 2013)

Since an 8# butt will take at least 10-12 hours of maybe much longer I wouldn't probe for at least 8 hours. I really don't care what temp it is until it starts getting close to being done.


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## jerseyhunter (Apr 11, 2013)

By injecting now you will aid in the defrosting a little. It can't hurt.


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## menk45 (Apr 12, 2013)

Thankfully, they both thawed out. However...

This was my first smoke using sand instead of apple juice/apple cider vinegar in the water bowl.

In the past I have put one butt on the top rack and one on the bottom, just let them drip in the water bowl.

This time, with the sand, I realized I couldn't do that and just put a couple of drip pans on the bottom shelf.  It wasn't until I brought the meat out to the smoker, around 8pm, that I realized that they would both fit on the top rack.  Uh oh...

I remembered seeing on this site, a youtube video, somewhere a guy smoking two butts that set them up on end and used bamboo sticks to hold them up...so I gave it try and it seemed to work













smoke1.JPG



__ menk45
__ Apr 12, 2013






It was around 20 degrees here last night with a slight breeze.  The smoker did drop below 200 around midnight last night and then again around 5am.  Both times I opened all 3 bottom vents and pulled the lid off for a minute or so, put the lid back on and waited for the temp to rise to about 260, then closed 2 vents and left the last one open about 1/4.

I just took the one on left one off the smoker at 180IT and plan on letting it rest, cool and then slice it.  The other one is still on the smoker, wrapped in foil, waiting for it to hit 195IT for pulling.

Here's the one I'm slicing, I did my best to capture where the meat pulled back off the bone.













smoke2.JPG



__ menk45
__ Apr 12, 2013






I don't remember where I got it, but below is the recipe for the rub I used on this one.  I used the KC BBQ Rub recipe from the BBQ Pit Boys on the one I'm pulling

Chris Lilly's Six-time World Championship Pork Shoulder

Recipe By : Chris Lilly of Big Bob Gibson's
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
For the pork shoulder rub
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup paprika
1/3 cup garlic salt
1/3 cup kosher salt
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon oregano leaves
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper


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## menk45 (Apr 12, 2013)

ummm...which direction do I slice this thing?


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## themule69 (Apr 12, 2013)

menk45 said:


> ummm...which direction do I slice this thing?


i wouldn't slice i would pull. if you do slice. slice across the grain.

looks good.

happy smoken.

david


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