Boston butt

[GABJR]

Can anyone give me a simple recipe & instructions for doing  my first boston butt ? ???

Thanks

[LilSmoker]

Hi GABJR, are you looking to do pulled pork?

[GABJR]

Yes. I am going to take the next step ;)

[Tiny Tim]

Okay...Go to Boston and grab a butt...wait a minute, wrong forum.

Slather some yellow mustard over the beast, choose a rub from wherever you want to, the recipe site (link here) has some rub recipes on it, and apply generously, let the beast rest for a few hours refrigerated, then take it out an hour or two before you want to smoke it and preheat your smoker at this time...temps are all over the place on here, but I think most go with about 225 or so for cooking temp (longer times with lower temps, shorter times with higher temps).  Use a temp probe and pull out of the smoker at 190 or so (I've never had the patience to go that high, 187 was my best so far), FTC it for a couple of hours, and pull.  Serve as is or with whatever sauce you like.

[LilSmoker]

Whenever i do shoulders/butts i always get a peice of meat with all the bones still in, not boned or rolled or anything, just in it's natural state. When i get them from my butcher they still have the rind/skin on.

I remove the rind and leave a good layer of fat, but i leave the bones in, you can remove the neck/spine bone if prefered, but i like to leave them in as this has an effect on how the meat cooks and the flavour, i also believe this helps to break down the fat whilst cooking, as when the bones get hot, they act like a radiator.
Once it's cooked, it will all come away from the bone very easily, so no problems with bones.


I always start doing mine about 4 hours before i want to go to bed, i like a box temp of 210-220f, i've experimented a bit with the box temps, and 215f seems just about right. I load enough pucks for a 4 hour smoke, 4 hours later at bedtime, i change the water (hot water) and say goodnight.
When i get up around 7 hours later, the internal temp is usually in the low to mid 180's depending on the size of the meat. Once it's hit 190 IT i FTC for anything from 2-5 hours. Then it should almost fall apart 

I like to do the butts through the night, because if you get a stubborn one, and it's taking a long time to get to temp, you have plenty of time to get it it finished properly, i never do them if i'm working the next day

I think on average a fairly normal sized butt will spend 14 hours + in the BS + FTC time

If the bone is still in, make sure your temp probe is not too close to it as this will give false readings, i always place the probe in the thickest part away from fat and bones

There are lot's of rub recipes to choose from, it's all down to personal taste, a butt that is just seasoned with salt and pepper will still be delicious to eat ;)

Hope this helps...........LilSmoker

[Consiglieri]

I pretty much season the meat with a mustard slather, topped with a rub.  Then I do the overnight cooking method described by Lil Smoker, but I'll start at about 5 pm preheating the smoker.  Same box temp (210 to 220F) and same target internal temp (190F).  Bear in mind that the meat's IT will plateau around 165F and that the plateau can last a few hours. 

I'll spray down the meat with apple juice after the rub sets up. 

Check out this post to Icerat4's overnight method:

http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=4528.msg39690#msg39690

Good luck and keep us posted.

[Duster]

I have modified and saved a recipe that was on here a while back. I always try to follow it exactly and have never been let down. I would recommend Hickory

       Here is a weekend pulled pork deal

2@7-8 lbs. Boston Butt – bone-in
1 Large Bottle Yellow Mustard
2 Bottles of Grill Mates Pork Rub (or make your own if you prefer)
3 cans of frozen Apple Juice concentrate
2 12oz cans of beer
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup molasses
¼ cup barbeque sauce
1½ cup of kosher salt
1 Spray bottle
1 Box of Tin Foil
1 Box of Cling Wrap
Internal Temperature Gage

Tuesday evening 

Make brine

2 cans of frozen apple juice
2 12 oz cans of beer
¼ cup of molasses
¼ cup of brown sugar
¼ cup of preferred rub
¼ cup of barbeque sauce
1½ cups of kosher salt
21 cups of water

Combine in a plastic cooler (12 pack style) apple juice, beer, and 17 cups of cold water. In a large saucepan combine 4 cups of water, molasses, brown sugar, rub, barbeque sauce, and salt. Bring to a slow boil, stirring constantly. Once all ingredients have dissolved in the water with the exception of maybe some spices in the rub then pour this into the cooler with the other mixture and stir. Once brine cools place butts directly into the brine and place a large sealed bag of ice on top of them to make sure they do not float up, they must stay completely submerged. The ice will help keep them cool but make sure the water from it melting dose not leak into the brine.



Thursday evening

1. Slather yellow mustard all over Pork Butts
2. Coat Butts with Pork rub
3. Wrap in Cling Wrap plastic
4. Put in fridge over night

Friday at around 4:00 p.m.

1. Remove butts from fridge and remove wrap.
   Coat butts with more Pork Rub.
2. Let butts sit 1-2 hours at room temperature and preheat the smoker around 210 degrees.
3. Start the smoker with 6 hours (20 briquettes) of whatever smoke you will use
4. Place butts in middle of the smoker fat side up and the larger one lower. Insert your temperature gage into the middle of the lower, larger butt.
5. Heat the smoker to a temp of 210 degrees with top vent at least ½        way open.  Shut the door and wait until the butts has been smoked for three hours
6. Open the door and check the water in the bowl; fill bowl with water if needed.
7. When the butt has been smoked for 3 hours,(8 or 9 pm) spray apple juice all over the butts. 
8. When smoke is done at the 6-hour mark (about midnight by now) put new water in the bowl and then spray the apple juice on the butt again.
9. Shut door and GO TO BED!!
10. At around 7-8 a.m., check the temperature.  If it is not 195 degrees, do not remove.  Spray some more apple juice on the butt and wait until it reaches 195 degrees. (Approximately 13 to 16 hours)
11. When the temp reaches 195 degrees, remove the butts from the smoker and spray again with apple juice. Then wrap them in foil and place a bath towel around them and place them in a cooler to let rest and keep it warm.
12. Wait at least two hours to take the butt out of the foil and shred with a fork. (The butts can sit in the cooler and stay hot up to 6 hours till you are ready to eat.)