I have owned my large egg for over a decade and have only cooked one other butt. It turned out great but I have forgotten the method I used. I have read a bit on here and I am a little unsure about a couple of things. Grate temp? Is that the temp that shows on the thermometer or is that dome temp? I don't know what you call it but I have a ceramic piece that creates an indirect situation, that I usually put my pizza stone on. Should I use this for indirect? My butt is small only 7ish pounds. I am looking for a starting point. It looks like 250ish and plan on 14ish hours? I see some can check the meat temps without opening the dome. What do you use? I have to rely on a meat thermometer that I have to open the dome to see.
Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. I plan on eating the butt for late lunch tomorrow.
Comments
First-welcome aboard-with 10 years on the BGE you have seniority on many of us...feel free to share your knowledge. Now, about the butt cook-grate temp is the temp at the cooking surface; dome temp is the temp that is measured by the dome thermo (the one temp device all BGE's have). Unless normally specified, temp here means dome temp. the ceramic peice is likely a platesetter ( has 3 legs?) and is used to create the "indirect" method of cooking-i.e. the radiant heat of the lump does not directly impact the target meat.
If you run with a dome temp (make sure it is calibrated-use boiling water and adjust to read about 212*F) of around 250*F you can expect the butt to take around 2 hrs/# as you note. You can also cook with the dome around 300*F and the cook time comes down to aorund 1-1.25 hrs/#. If finished early use the foil, towels and cooler (FTC) to hold til ready to pull and eat.