Pork Butt

[Matusel3]

Hi everyone,

I am looking at taking my first adventure into throwing a few pork butts into my Bradley smoker.  I've been looking through the forum and have found a few different posts regarding the methodology but I'm wondering if you guys could either point me to some good topics about it, or help me break down the process/cooking time/recipes for a total newbie.

Thank you for any ideas.

Matt

[TedEbear]

Hi Matt,

There have been several new threads today on how to smoke a butt.  There are some ideas in this one:  1st Time Smoking a Butt

Some of the recipes in that thread remove them from the smoker at a lower temp than what I usually do.  I cook mine to an IT of 190 before FTC for a few hours and then pulling.  I have a Roman Pork Puller that makes the job quick and easy.

[muebe]

Hi Matt welcome to a great forum.

First you gotta decide what you want to rub your butt with. There are a plethora of seasonings available and it is really just a personal decision. Many people like to use Jan's rub. The formula for Jan's rub is available in this forum. You can mix a bath yourself and makes for a great butt rub.

Some people like to also use a "glue" on the butt like CYM(cheap yellow mustard) or Molasses. You just rub it on the outside. This helps with a better bark formation. The mustard cannot really be tasted after the butt is done(at least I cannot taste it) but some others claim they can. The Molasses adds a nice sweet flavor and a deep bark. I personally like the Molasses best and use it on my butts.

Now as far as temps I would set the Bradley to it's highest temp until the butt's internal temp reaches at least 190F. After that the butt will become pullable. Once the butt reaches 190F or higher(I like 200F myself) you can then remove it and put it into FTC(foil,towel,cooler). Then let it rest for several hours before pulling. This step is very critical because not only is the thing steaming hot to touch the steam will release precious moisture into the air producing a dryer product. Also as the butt cools it will naturally draw moisture back into it. I have had butts steaming hot even after 4 hours so this is also good for holding if it finishes too early.

So let's talk about the "stall". This happens when the butt reaches an internal temp where the connective tissues start to render and become liquid. This causes internal cooling. Basically the butt will stay stuck at an internal temp for hours and might even drop a little. When this happens don't be alarmed it is normal. It happens between the 150F to 160F range.

Injecting... Some people like to inject the butt. I have never personally done it but people have had good results. I just figure you can mix in the injection after you pull it.

And lastly time. Some butts can be done in 8 hours and others in 30 hours. There is no rhyme or reason just depends on the butt. Size of the butt and temp they are smoked at is a factor. Also the Bradley does not have the horsepower to cook a butt fast. Some people like to apply the smoke with the Bradley then move it to the oven to finish. You can foil the butt after the smoke period to speed up the cooking process but this will also lessen the bark. I like the bark so I don't usually foil.

As far as smoke most believe 4 hours is enough and you want to do it at the start of the cook. The molasses and CYM do help IMHO with smoke absorption. I think any longer than four hours and you are just wasting pucks.

I hope that covers most of it. If you have any more questions just shoot away and someone will answer.

[Redneckinthecity]

Muebe has given you great advice.  Only thing I can think to add would be wood choices.  Lots of people associate hickory with shoulder and ribs, and that's what I usually use.  But it's largely personal preference.  Just about any of the others would work, but most think that the mesquite can get too strong quickly, and I wouldn't use alder or the special blend pucks on pork if I had another choice.

Good luck!