# smoking Boston Butt in a pan?



## smokergal2 (Nov 11, 2014)

I was following a thread on Boston Butt and whether to foil or not to foil  Someone posted photos and it looked like they smoked the entire time in an open foil pan.  I had lots of questions but they were buried at the bottom of the thread and I did not get a response  could someone please straighten me out?

thanks!

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From the photos, you smoked it in a pan?  I always thought you had to put it on the rack so the smoke could make better contact with the meat.  Does a Boston Butt stick to the smoker rack?  Do I need to oil the rack first?  Can someone comment on the pros and cons of smoking in a pan vs on the smoker rack?  Needing to know for tomorrow's smoke.  Also, if there is a definite fat side, do you smoke it fat side up, or as someone wrote, fat side down to avoid meat sticking to the grate?

onse.  Here are my questions again


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## bruno994 (Nov 11, 2014)

You can smoke a butt just about any which way you choose...in a pan, not in a pan, at 225, at 325, fat side up, fat side down....and it will come out fantastic 99% of the time.  It's really your choice, that's the great thing about cooking for ourselves, we can come up with endless possibilities to try and experiment with.  As far as cooking in a pan, you can absolutely do this, I would suggest that if you do cook in a pan, place the meat on a wire mesh cooling rack to keep it up off of the bottom of the pan and out of the juices.  As far as smoke, the smoke will move across the meat depending on placement in the smoker, but it will also move around the piece of meat as well.  You will lose some of the smoke penetration because of the pan, so if you decide to cook in a pan, I would suggest fat side down, so that the exposed meat is facing up.  A pro to smoking in a pan is you will catch all the good juices that will come from the meat while it cooks.   If you choose to cook it directly on your cooking rack, yes, a good rub down with canola or spray with PAM will help with the sticking.

Hope this helps and good luck with your smoke!

Here is a non stick mesh rack I use in my full size aluminum pans, fits perfectly...you can also find the racks that fit in the half pans as well.













mrbbqrack.jpg



__ bruno994
__ Nov 11, 2014


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## cliffcarter (Nov 11, 2014)

smokergal2 said:


> I was following a thread on Boston Butt and whether to foil or not to foil  Someone posted photos and it looked like they smoked the entire time in an open foil pan.  I had lots of questions but they were buried at the bottom of the thread and I did not get a response  could someone please straighten me out?
> 
> thanks!
> 
> From the photos, you smoked it in a pan?  I always thought you had to put it on the rack so the smoke could make better contact with the meat.  Does a Boston Butt stick to the smoker rack?  Do I need to oil the rack first?  Can someone comment on the pros and cons of smoking in a pan vs on the smoker rack?  Needing to know for tomorrow's smoke.  Also, if there is a definite fat side, do you smoke it fat side up, or as someone wrote, fat side down to avoid meat sticking to the grate?


Some people will place the meat in a foil pan to save the rendered fat and juices and to make clean up easier.

The smoke will be in contact with the meat whether you have it in a pan or on the rack.

Yes the butt will stick a bit to the rack, no you do not need to oil the rack- unless you really want to.

I trim the fat and then put what was the fat side up. More often than not those that do not trim the fat will cook with the fat up, really just a personal preference.

BTW I do not foil and I cook at 300°, at higher temps you do not need to foil to get through the stall- because there is no stall.

Good Luck.


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## Bearcarver (Nov 11, 2014)

smokergal2 said:


> I was following a thread on Boston Butt and whether to foil or not to foil  Someone posted photos and it looked like they smoked the entire time in an open foil pan.  I had lots of questions but they were buried at the bottom of the thread and I did not get a response  could someone please straighten me out?
> 
> thanks!
> 
> ...


If you're worried about smoke getting to the bottom of the meat, use a cooling rack in the foil pan, under the meat. Below is a picture of what I mean. It allows the smoke to get all the way around & it keeps your roast from sitting in it's own drippings. The picture below is of a Prime Rib, but it's the same for a Pork Butt. You can still cover the Butt at 165* or leave it in the pan without covering. A Prime Rib doesn't get covered, because it doesn't get smoked long before it's done.

Meat sticks to grill racks, but it just adds to the clean-up.

Using a foil pan makes things less messy, because the drippings don't get all over the inside of the smoker.

I put Pork Butts fat side up with cross hatched cuts through to the meat to allow seasonings & smoke to get into the meat, and the fat will baste the meat below it. No matter which side the fat is on, the meat will stick to the grate, but it just gets it dirty---It's not hard to lift the roast off of the grate. Oiling the Grate doesn't do much IMO, unless we're talking about fish sticking fast.

Bear

On Edit: Also what Cliff said above.













photo 2 (2).JPG



__ flyboys
__ Oct 4, 2013


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## oldschoolbbq (Nov 11, 2014)

A Butt is very forgiving and although it may stick some on the rack , you'll do good wilth it sitting directly on the rack :













Butt for EMS 026.JPG



__ oldschoolbbq
__ Jun 28, 2013






Have fun and . . .


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