'Smoke Shed' pork butt

[FLBentRider]

You don't want them touching each other or the sides of the smoker.

Sometimes it can get tricky. I had to put the "beat down" on one once to get it to cooperate.

I usually use Hickory for butts, but I have also used oak, apple, maple..

Butts are very forgiving. Most of the time I:

Brine 24 hours
Rub 24 hours
Smoke 4 hours @200
Pull from the smoker, foil wrap and into a 200F (convection) oven until the IT is 190F to 200F
FTC at least 2 hours, I have done up to 8 hours.

You can leave it in the smoker the whole time if you want, change the water bowl and rotate racks every four hours. change the water every four hours even after the smoke is done, you don't want the bowl to overflow with pork fat drippings that near the heater.

My process takes 14 to 18 hours. If I wanted them ready @ 7pm I would start no later than midnight. Since that is a time I don't fancy to be tending the smoker....

I would put them in around 9 or 10 pm, pull them @190F-200F and FTC until 6pm, then start pulling.

When I take them out of FTC, I remove the foil, put it on a cutting board with a "moat", kinda break it apart a little, then go get a beverage, come back in 10 minutes to pull..

I separate the meat from the fat in large chunks, I don't shred much anymore, it tends to dry out. If it's going on a sammy I'll shred at serving time.

I leave the fat on, I usually try to keep the butts fat side up, but sometimes that is not possible.

[FLBentRider]

Here is a link to the recipe I use:
http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=3263.msg120734#msg120734

[degenerazn]

I don't have time to brine.  Can't leave the rub on for 24 hours either.  I'll probably let the rub sit for maybe 4 hours before I smoke it, but I do plan on injecting it. 
This is the recipe I'm following. 
http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/pork4.html

What you think FLB?  :)

[squirtthecat]

I didn't brine mine either.   Just ~60 minutes sitting out with the mustard rub on it, then into the OBS.  20 hours later, it was perfect.. 

[FLBentRider]

I don't have time to brine.  Can't leave the rub on for 24 hours either.  I'll probably let the rub sit for maybe 4 hours before I smoke it, but I do plan on injecting it. 
This is the recipe I'm following. 
http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/pork4.html

What you think FLB?  :)

That will work fine. I don't remove the fat cap. I just take them out of the package, rinse off, pat dry, etc..

I would think that the reasoning for trimming the fat would be to get more rub on the meat, but the fat is one of the things that will keep it moist on a long cook.

Like I said, pork butt is one of the most forgiving cuts of meat, as long as you don't rush it.

Look at it this way: The longer it takes, the better it will be!

One other tip: make sure your temp probe is in meat, not a fat pocket. The fat will read 10-15 degrees higher than the meat, since it is much denser. I always "stick" the butt multiple times/places to make sure my temp is good.

[mikecorn.1]

Just to add. I dont brine mine either. They come out so tender that I cant pick them up after the boating because they fall apart.

[OU812]

I have done it both ways with great results eather way

Brine pump 10% of green weight then place it in the brine, in the fridge 24 hr then rinse and dry, add some rub and in the fridge over night

Or

Take out of the package rinse and dry, add some rub and directly in the smoker

[Caneyscud]

Degen, go for it!  Its all about what taste you are after - not a right way or "better" way.  In some form all methods work, you just come out with somewhat different results.  I salt/pepper/mop, others brine, others inject, others rub for 2 days, etc....  I suggest you try more than one way as experiments.  I like brining, but only on loins, not on butts.  Others rub and let the butt sit in the rub for hours and hours - personally I do it just before it goes in the smoker.  My rub is usually simple - salt, pepper usually, but sometimes add garlic and cayenne.  I usually don't enjoy the complicated rubs much more, and I just can't develop a taste for sweet rubs.  I like to mop - I really like bark on my 'Q and mopping really helps with the formation of bark - and I don't mind the extra time in the smoker because of the mopping.  But what do I know, pork is not my specialty, I've been doing beef for 40 years and that's how I've done beef, and just adapted (well not much) it to pork.  It's the way I like it.  Now having said that, the real fun of barbecue (well other than eating it) is finding out what you or your family likes and tweaking your process/recipe until you hit it on the head every time.  I might not rave about it, but who gives a hoot - you and your family likes it and you are probably not likely to be cooking for me!  The bbq contests you see around, the guy who gets the tallest trophy and the biggest check is not usually the person with the "best" barbecue, but the one who along with others, presented a well and properly prepared and cooked dish (most in the contest can do that), but with a taste that that day impressed the judges - in other words "subjective"

[FLBentRider]

So it would behoove me to do a

Naked butt


Next time, to see what just smoke and pork tastes like, before all the brining, rubs, etc...

Or maybe I should just ask the G-string man...

[Tenpoint5]

So it would behoove me to do a

Naked butt


Next time, to see what just smoke and pork tastes like, before all the brining, rubs, etc...

Or maybe I should just ask the G-string man...

Wouldn't do you any good to ask him cause he aint never done a naked butt either!! Well maybe once or twice down at the swimming hole when he was younger.

[OU812]

So it would behoove me to do a

Naked butt


Next time, to see what just smoke and pork tastes like, before all the brining, rubs, etc...

Or maybe I should just ask the G-string man...

The closest i came to doing one was with just salt and pepper and it tasted like a pork chop not bad but nothing to brag about

[KyNola]

When I do butts, I use CYM and rub the day before, then 4 hours of HICKORY.  Into the house oven uncovered and unwrapped for the duration of the cook time.  When finished I FTC for a couple of hours and then pull.  Not quite naked but more naked than some.  Love it!

KyNola