My Best Butt so Far

Springram

Started with an 8.5 lb  bone-in pork butt. Using Chris Lilly's injection recipe, I injected the butt the night before the cook and put in refrigerator. Next morning, heated up Egg to 225* loaded with Wicked Good and apple/cherry wood chunks. Seasoned butt using Chris Lilly's rub suggestion after having rubbed the meat with mustard. Put butt on Egg and smoked until 165* or so and until I got the bark I was looking for. Then ramped up the temp to 350* and cooked to 200*.

This is sort of a low 'n slow and Turbo combination cooking method. I feel I get more smoke flavor (and smoke ring) cooking at 225* for the first several hours. The higher temp cook beginning at +/- 165* helps push the meat through the stall and thus shortens the cook time. The cook time seemed to be about an hour per pound with this particular butt.

Being a computer dummy, I have not posted the link to Chris Lilly's recipe. If interested, Google it.

The butt was very moist and had great bark and flavor. Do not know how much the injection helped but darn sure didn't hurt.

Springram

Spring, Texas

BigWader

I could knaw on that bark all day long... looks great =D>

Skiddymarker

In our house we call that a "served straight up butt". Nice bark. 

SmokeyPitt

Heck yeah- looks really good!  I like the "ramp up" method you suggest.  Did you wrap in foil at 165 or only after it was done cooking? 

For my next butts I think I am going to try this method.  I was thinking of wrapping them during the turbo stage.  

SmokinDAWG82

I'm with you on the lower temps and smoke flavor, I think I'll try this method this weekend as it looks fantastic!

B&BKnox

I did one a week ago using the Chris Lilly injection method, but added one tblspn of the rub I used in the injection broth.  I injected a few hours before the cook and coated lightly with mustard and a good dose of Old Jack's rib rub (Myron Mixon's brand) which by the way is really good.  Cooked 230ish grid had a 4 plus hour stall so foiled the pan the butt was in and cooked to 202 internal.  So slightly different than your slo/turbo method but it was the best of many butts I have done, very moist nice smoke flavor and bark that was very tasty.  Think I will inject from now on.

Springram

SmokeyPitt said:

Heck yeah- looks really good!  I like the "ramp up" method you suggest.  Did you wrap in foil at 165 or only after it was done cooking? 

For my next butts I think I am going to try this method.  I was thinking of wrapping them during the turbo stage.  

@SmokeyPitt - I did not wrap until it was put into the cooler. If one is under a time constraint, wrapping might speed up the cook but I would use non-waxed butcher paper instead of foil. I think paper helps keep the moisture but does not "mushy-up" the bark like foil can.

Springram

Spring, Texas

SmokeyPitt

Springram said:

SmokeyPitt said:

Heck yeah- looks really good!  I like the "ramp up" method you suggest.  Did you wrap in foil at 165 or only after it was done cooking? 

For my next butts I think I am going to try this method.  I was thinking of wrapping them during the turbo stage.  

@SmokeyPitt - I did not wrap until it was put into the cooler. If one is under a time constraint, wrapping might speed up the cook but I would use non-waxed butcher paper instead of foil. I think paper helps keep the moisture but does not "mushy-up" the bark like foil can.

Springram

Spring, Texas

Thanks- I might just give that a try.  I don't have butcher paper, but I have a wide "costco size" roll of parchment that should do the trick.  Maybe wrap in paper at 165ish when the bark looks right, then go to 195 and FTC.  

billyray

I did one similar yesterday, with a few changes. Had one that was 8.75 pounds, bone in. Injected the day before with an apricot mixture. Rub down with worcestershire and Grand Champion rub. Put on @ 290-300. Used peach and pecan wood chunks. 5 hours to 160, then I sauced with a pepper/apricot sauce and went another 15 minutes before I pulled and wrapped in foil with some additional apricot nectar, back on @ 350 and it went to 202 in 2 1/4 hours. Total cook time 7 1/4 hours. Since it was done 3 1/2 hours before dinner, I FTC and it was still very warm when I pulled it. I knew I'd be sacrificing some bark with the sauce and foiling, but the juice in the foil and the flavor of the apricot were worth it. Chopped, pulled and slice some of each. Served with Blues Hog Tennessee Red, and Chris Lilly's Carolina Mustard Sauce recipe on the side.

Springram

+1 on the Blues Hog Tennessee Red. My favorite with pulled pork.

Springram

jlsm

Thanks for this. Seems like a fantastic compromise. I tried something similar on ribs and few weeks back, but I didn't think they were terrific, just really good. 

boatbum

Nice looking cooks.

I have become an injection fan.   Have been using strained Italian dressing with Lousianna Hot sauce ( half and half) for my injection.   Love it.    You never taste the Hot Sauce, but I *think* its the vinegar in it that breaks down the meat.

Just started injecting after reading about the successes on here, will always inject in the future.

caliking

That bark looks tasty - my fav part of brisket and pork butts. What time should we be over for dinner? Or is this one of those "made this a few days ago, you missed it" threads  again?

Springram

@caliking - I did not have your telephone number. I call the operator and they had no listing for "caliking" so .......:<)

Springram

Spring, Texas