butt help

[Mailman]

Okay first butt. Using for pulled pork. See if I'm right. 210 degree cook for 1 1/2 -2 hours per pound. smoke for about 4 hours. I have maple apple hickory and jim beam. Which ones would you use? thanks for any help. you all are awsome.

[hal4uk]

I'd use HICKORY  ;D

Don't go by time... 
Get it up to 195 IT (some will say more, some will say less.  The bone will slide out EASY when it's done).

[DTAggie]

I would do more than 4 hrs.  I know others say meat does not take smoke after 4 hrs but I disagree.  I personally think it is because the cabinet temp does not get back up to 210* to 220* right away.  I did two butts this weekend with 6 hours of smoke and I think it could have used more.  As for wood.  I have done apple, hickory and oak and like them all.  Pecan really has me hooked on brisket.

[classicrockgriller]

What has been mentioned before is that meat will not Absorb smoke past an IT of 140*, BUT

It sure can make the bark taste great!

When you pull your pork you will want to distribute the bark back in with the pulled part so

that everyone gets some love from the smoke.

[DTAggie]

Is it a proven fact that meat does not absorb smoke after four hours?  Or is there an IT* after which the inner meat does not absorb smoke?  Just wondering.

[classicrockgriller]

I have always heard an IT of 140*

Dang ole piece of meat can't tell time! ;D

[classicrockgriller]

Smoke Ring – The "smoke ring" is a reddish/pink coloration just under the surface of the meat. It's formed by a chemical reaction between the nitrogen dioxide in the smoke and the myoglobin in meat (which creates nitric acid and colors the meat). A good smoke ring is prized in BBQ because it usually indicates that the meat was successfully cooked slowly at a low temperature. The smoke ring gradually forms until the meat (just under the surface) reaches 140°F, then the formation stops. The thickness of your smoke ring depends on how long it takes for the meat to reach this temperature. Knowing how a smoke ring forms gives us two practical applications:

1. To maximize your smoke ring take the meat directly from the refrigerator to the cooker. Conventional wisdom instructs you to bring the meat to room temperature before cooking, but starting straight from a cooler temperature will give your meat more time to develop a smoke ring.

2. Since smoke ring formation stops at 140°F you only need to worry about generating smoke for the first 4 hours of cooking (roughly). After that the meat will not be absorbing any more smoke flavor or coloring. After 4 hours, just concentrate on keeping a steady low temperature until the meat is done.

http://www.brokenarrowranch.com/Recipes/Tips-Smoking.htm

[Habanero Smoker]

CRG has posted a fairly good description, but note it is not the smoke that produces a "smoke ring", it is the nitrogen dioxide that is produced by burning organic fuels such as wood, charcoal, natural and propane gas. You can get a "smoke ring" in your kitchen gas oven without using smoke. Outside the barbecue circuit it is referred to as pink ring.

Also as in the description the 140°F pertains to the surface temperature, not the internal meat temperature. But you don't need smoke penetration to get more smoke flavor, especially with something like pulled pork, in which the meat is shredded and the bark is distributed throughout. Although the smoke will not longer penetrate, it will continue to adhere to the surface of the meat, though as the surface of the meat gets hotter less smoke will adhere. I would like to point out that smoke flavor is a seasoning, and I don't like it overpowering the other flavors.

[Mailman]

okay Its is on started at 7:30 2 butts @ 4 lbs each on same rack (not touching each other) oven set @210 4 hours smoke set oven for 9 hours. Can pull early and FTC if needed. All I have is a reg meat thermometer to check IT.  Slathered with mustard and rubbed with Famous Daves Rib Rub, then i rubbed on some brown sugar. Will I be ok with this? guess we will find out!

[Mailman]

oh and the vent at half open.

[squirtthecat]

Good luck!   Let us know how it turns out..

Don't panic when the butts stall in the 160° range..   That's when the magic happens.

You can bump up the cabinet temp if you like.   Sometimes I run almost 250° in my Traeger.

[Mailman]

butts are down to 3 hours ohh they look so good. And smell great. I'll try and post some pics later if can figure out how.

[Smoking Duck]

Welcome to the club, Mailman.  Fortunately, the only 12 step programs are rub recipes :-)

[Mailman]

Oh man. Nice pups. Love labs. Had to put my dog down the day before Christmas. I'm partial to the yellows.

[Smoking Duck]

Well, as funny as life is sometimes, I now have no labs.  Went through some tough times a little while back and lost my job, home, etc.  Just now getting back on my feet.  Back before everything really hit, my buddy and I had our dogs put out a litter and we gave them away to people who really wanted a good lab but couldn't afford it.  All of them went pretty quickly.  Then, because of losing my house, I had to give away the best Lab I've ever had (Steeler) because we couldn't bring her with us.  She's doing really good and getting hunted quite a bit, so that makes me happy.  My wifes grandmother got one of the pups (who now weighs 117 pounds) so I do get to see him quite a bit.  The rest are doing really good.  Deb from this site has one of the pups as well (Saffron) and Deb has done a wonderful job with her.  I also know one of the pups is now working with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and assists a game warden in stopping poaching of ducks and geese (was on the front page of the local paper with a big spread).  So, while I'm really Lab sick right now, I hope to one day soon have another.  Tough break with putting yours down.  A buddy of mine had to put his down a bit ago.  She was 13 and just not doing well.  I hate to hear when that happens.