Quick help with smoking Pork Butt

[drharps]

This will be my first time smoking anything. I just got a pellet grill and am going to do pork butt as a starter. The basics, to make sure I got it right:

- I couldn't find sufficient size, so I got 2 - 2.5lbs bone-in boston butt
- I will smoke at 225
- I am planning on it taking about 5 hours to reach internal 200 degrees
- I will do olive oil then a rub on the pork at the beginning
- I will place directly on grill, fat side up
- I will spritz with apple cider vinegar every hour.

Am I missing any critical steps?

Thanks in advance, I am doing this tomorrow.

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

Sounds like you have everything covered. Just keep in mind that it may take longer than 5 hours to reach probe tender. Also, repeated spritzing will add 20% to your cook time.
Do you plan to wrap at the stall?

 

[TNJAKE]

I'd bet you DONT have 2.5lb bone in butts. Probably boneless

 

[drharps]

I'd bet you DONT have 2.5lb bone in butts. Probably boneless

It says on the packaging "bone-in." I too was surprised thinking it would be boneless given the size, but I live in a place with limited options. The only other option was a different store with 13lbs which was way too much for me to do.

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

I'd bet you DONT have 2.5lb bone in butts. Probably boneless

I'm thinking the same thing. But you never know these days if someone tried to get creative. If it is boneless, I suspect it is two pieces packed together.

 

[DougE]

I usually use yellow mustard to help rub stick, and I don't spritz. You can't taste the mustard once it's cooked down. Sometimes I'll wrap at around 160*, sometimes not. Wrapping speeds things along a little to push through the stall, but isn't necessary.

I'd bump the temp to 275, and go to around 205* , probe for tenderness. When It's done, foil ( if you haven't already, wrap in towels and rest in a cooler for an hour or two before pulling. And don't forget the finishing sauce.

(not my recipe, I got it on the forum)
1 C cider vinegar
2 TBS brown sugar
1 tsp Tony Chachere Cajun seasoning
1 tsp coarse black pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes

After you pull the pork, just put a squirt here and there in the pork, and mix in.

Finishing sauce isn't the same as BBQ sauce. It's meant to level out the "gamier" portions of the butt. What I like to do is serve the pulled pork with finishing sauce and offer a selection of BBQ sauces for those that want it.

 

[drharps]

Sounds like you have everything covered. Just keep in mind that it may take longer than 5 hours to reach probe tender. Also, repeated spritzing will add 20% to your cook time.
Do you plan to wrap at the stall?

Thanks. I hadn't even factored in the stall, to be honest. What would you recommend? Wrap or put a pan of water in with the pork.

 

[DougE]

I'd bet you DONT have 2.5lb bone in butts. Probably boneless

Fairly sure you are right. Sounds like the boneless slabs I make buckboard bacon from, although the boneless slabs I use weigh a bit more.

 

[forktender]

I usually use yellow mustard to help rub stick, and I don't spritz. You can't taste the mustard once it's cooked down. Sometimes I'll wrap at around 160*, sometimes not. Wrapping speeds things along a little to push through the stall, but isn't necessary.

I'd bump the temp to 275, and go to around 205* , probe for tenderness. When It's done, foil ( if you haven't already, wrap in towels and rest in a cooler for an hour or two before pulling. And don't forget the finishing sauce.

(not my recipe, I got it on the forum)
1 C cider vinegar
2 TBS brown sugar
1 tsp Tony Chachere Cajun seasoning
1 tsp coarse black pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes

After you pull the pork, just put a squirt here and there in the pork, and mix in.

Finishing sauce isn't the same as BBQ sauce. It's meant to level out the "gamier" portions of the butt. What I like to do is serve the pulled pork with finishing sauce and offer a selection of BBQ sauces for those that want it.

This, 275* turns out exactly the same in my opinion and cuts out a few hours of cooking time.
I often start them out at 225* for the first 2 hours to get a little more smoking time, but after two hours I crank it up to 275 to 300*. I think they turn out moister cooked at the higher temps.
Good luck.
Dan

 

[DougE]

I usually use yellow mustard to help rub stick, and I don't spritz. You can't taste the mustard once it's cooked down. Sometimes I'll wrap at around 160*, sometimes not. Wrapping speeds things along a little to push through the stall, but isn't necessary.

I'd bump the temp to 275, and go to around 205* , probe for tenderness. When It's done, foil ( if you haven't already, wrap in towels and rest in a cooler for an hour or two before pulling. And don't forget the finishing sauce.

(not my recipe, I got it on the forum)
1 C cider vinegar
2 TBS brown sugar
1 tsp Tony Chachere Cajun seasoning
1 tsp coarse black pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes

After you pull the pork, just put a squirt here and there in the pork, and mix in.

Finishing sauce isn't the same as BBQ sauce. It's meant to level out the "gamier" portions of the butt. What I like to do is serve the pulled pork with finishing sauce and offer a selection of BBQ sauces for those that want it.

I'd also add that if you want really good bark, use a rub that is heavier on sugar and light on salt, so you can really pack it on without making the finished product too salty.

 

[DougE]

I often start them out at 225* for the first 2 hours to get a little more smoking time, but after two hours I crank it up to 275 to 300*

I often do the same, or start even lower on the Camp Chef, to get some decent smoke going at the beginning of the cook.

 

[WaterRat]

I do fat down on my pellet smoker. The plate can radiate a lot of heat and I feel the fat protects the meat a bit.

 

[DougE]

I do fat down on my pellet smoker. The plate can radiate a lot of heat and I feel the fat protects the meat a bit.

That, and butts have enough internal fat that they don't really benefit any from going fat side up.

 

[jcam222]

This, 275* turns out exactly the same in my opinion and cuts out a few hours of cooking time.
I often start them out at 225* for the first 2 hours to get a little more smoking time, but after two hours I crank it up to 275 to 300*. I think they turn out moister cooked at the higher temps.
Good luck.
Dan

I’m 100% agree on this. I do all my butts at 275F. One thing though is I never cook them this small. It may make sense to go lower temp if you want heavier smoke on these due to size.

 

[mcokevin]

Thanks. I hadn't even factored in the stall, to be honest. What would you recommend? Wrap or put a pan of water in with the pork.

Wrapping and running with a water pan aren't really related. You can do either, neither, or both.

I would personally recommend you run with a water pan at least until you get comfortable with how your smoker likes to behave. The water pan will act as a heat sink help regulate temperatures. Once you have a few smokes under your belt you can try running without and see how you like it.

Wrap/unwrapped is purely a matter of preference.

Personally, I go unwrapped and run with a water pan.

 

[Fueling Around]

This will be my first time smoking anything. I just got a pellet grill and am going to do pork butt as a starter. The basics, to make sure I got it right:

- I couldn't find sufficient size, so I got 2 - 2.5lbs bone-in boston butt
- I will smoke at 225
- I am planning on it taking about 5 hours to reach internal 200 degrees
- I will do olive oil then a rub on the pork at the beginning
- I will place directly on grill, fat side up
- I will spritz with apple cider vinegar every hour.

Am I missing any critical steps?

Thanks in advance, I am doing this tomorrow.

I don't spritz. I don't use any sugar in my spice.
Which ever you have a meat bone-in or boneless is slightly different cooking. I doubt either will be done in 5 hours. I don't remember the shortest cook time in my pooper and the log book is at home.
Sounds as if you have a remote thermometer probe to monitor each hunk of pork.
Do you have a smoke tube? Most pellet grills are very light on any smoke into the meat. For pork butt, I run smoke tube filled with 100% hickory pellets. Lately, I have used a 2nd tube with mostly cherry pellets and a touch of oak to keep the cherry burning.

Thanks. I hadn't even factored in the stall, to be honest. What would you recommend? Wrap or put a pan of water in with the pork.

I put my butts in a foil pan around the stall temp. I want to collect the melted fats and collagens. Do not put water in the pan!
Pellet saver option. Foil top the pan or pans and move to your kitchen oven @ 300°