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Boston Butt from Publix

EggHeadinFloridaEggHeadinFlorida Posts: 879
in EggHead Forum

I was happy with the 2.5lb'er I cooked lastnight, that my family has asked to do another. I went to publix and the biggest one they had on the shelf was 4lbs. I asked the employee if he had any bigger ones in the back. I told him I was looking for a boneless 8lb'er.. Low and behold he brought my out what I was asking for. When I got home I noticed that there was a huge cavity on one side of the butt. Im guessing there is where the bone was. So my question.... Will this cavity affect cooking the butt? I guess I have to put the meat probe on the non-cavity side? Also, I need this thing for Friday at 5pm. I will start it tomorrow night around 11ish. Is it too early to put the rub on it now?

 

XL bge, Mini max & 36 BS Griddle.

Comments

  • EggcelsiorEggcelsior Posts: 13,959
    Go ahead and put the rub on now. It won't cause any problems. The cavity won't affect the cook, just more area to create bark. You can tie the roast to keep it from falling apart, but I buy boneless butts from Costco all the time and never tie them. As long as the probe is in the center of meat, it doesn't matter where you stick it in.
  • EggHeadinFloridaEggHeadinFlorida Posts: 879
    Here's the pics
    XL bge, Mini max & 36 BS Griddle.
  • EggHeadinFloridaEggHeadinFlorida Posts: 879
    Here the pics of the butt.. Not much fat :(  The wooden spoon on the outside shows how deep the cavity is..
    XL bge, Mini max & 36 BS Griddle.
  • Charlie tunaCharlie tuna Posts: 2,191
    I always plan to finish the cooking of a butt early, give your self extra time.  I'm figuring you plan a low and slow "overnight" cook and this means some variables since the time the butt takes to get thru the "stall period" can take one hour or three hours??  But since you can hold the butt in it's rest cooler for up to five hours, gives you the ability to complete the cook and sit back and await the serving time.
  • henapplehenapple Posts: 15,983
    why didn't you want the bone in?
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
  • EggHeadinFloridaEggHeadinFlorida Posts: 879
    I just put the rub on and noticed something. I thought at first there was just a smaill cavity in the end. If you look at the picture where im "spreading" the hole, I just saw that the entire side of the butt is cut length wise.Look to the right of it and you will see what Im talking about. I guess that's why they put the string on there to hold it together?
    XL bge, Mini max & 36 BS Griddle.
  • EggHeadinFloridaEggHeadinFlorida Posts: 879
    henapple said:
    why didn't you want the bone in?
    my brother has been cooking them with out the bone. so I decided to go that route as well. looks like I should have left it in lol ehhh?
    XL bge, Mini max & 36 BS Griddle.
  • EggHeadinFloridaEggHeadinFlorida Posts: 879
    Charlie tuna said:
    I always plan to finish the cooking of a butt early, give your self extra time.  I'm figuring you plan a low and slow "overnight" cook and this means some variables since the time the butt takes to get thru the "stall period" can take one hour or three hours??  But since you can hold the butt in it's rest cooler for up to five hours, gives you the ability to complete the cook and sit back and await the serving time.
    ive got 18hrs to play with.. I think I should be OK.
    XL bge, Mini max & 36 BS Griddle.
  • shtgunal3shtgunal3 Posts: 3,998
    I always get them with the bone in.

    ___________________________________

     

     LBGE,SBGE, and a Mini makes three......Sweet home Alabama........ Stay thirsty my friends .

  • SmokeyPittSmokeyPitt Posts: 9,820
    edited April 2013
    I'm sure it will be fine.  Given the choice I prefer the bone in for just this reason.  

    It is a little how much cutting they did to remove the bone.  Usually it is only a little mutilated on one end.  

    If you are going to be firing up the egg anyway- go back and get another about the same size with bone-in if you can find it.  Cook them side by side and do a comparison :).   Freeze the leftovers.   Pulled pork keeps and reheats quite well. 



    Which came first the chicken or the egg?  I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. 

  • EggcelsiorEggcelsior Posts: 13,959
    EggHeadinFlorida said:
    henapple said:
    why didn't you want the bone in?
    my brother has been cooking them with out the bone. so I decided to go that route as well. looks like I should have left it in lol ehhh?
    You don't need the bone. I actually prefer the boneless ones so that I am only paying for what I am going to eat and not something that will end up in the trash. The butt should look "whole" but you'll be able to lift up a flap that seems to be about 1/3 of the total area. This is where the bone was. It may cook slightly faster than normal without the bone. I think that the bone just serves to hold the roast together and make it easier to tell when it's done(it pulls right out).

    With 18 hours to go, you'll be fine.
  • tazcrashtazcrash Posts: 1,852
    edited April 2013
    For me, those bones are good for 2 things: 
    1) doggie treat 
    2) pea soup.

    maybe 3 - highly visible done-ness indicator
    Bx - > NJ ->TX!!! 
    All to get cheaper brisket! 
  • EggHeadinFloridaEggHeadinFlorida Posts: 879
    Where do you stick the meat thermometer on this Butt?
    XL bge, Mini max & 36 BS Griddle.
  • shtgunal3shtgunal3 Posts: 3,998
    There is so many comebacks just ran through my head but I'm just gonna let it go.

    Put it in the thickest part of the meat

    ___________________________________

     

     LBGE,SBGE, and a Mini makes three......Sweet home Alabama........ Stay thirsty my friends .

  • EggHeadinFloridaEggHeadinFlorida Posts: 879
    ^ LMMFAO !!! So i put it in the meat where there is no cut, more towards the end that didn't have the bone?
    XL bge, Mini max & 36 BS Griddle.
  • tazcrashtazcrash Posts: 1,852
    yep. just try to make sure it's in the middle of the roast. Measure by holding the probe against the outside of the butt. place you hand where it would touch the roast, then slide it in that far. 
    Bx - > NJ ->TX!!! 
    All to get cheaper brisket! 
  • henapplehenapple Posts: 15,983
    tazcrash said:

    For me, those bones are good for 2 things: 

    1) doggie treat 
    2) pea soup.

    maybe 3 - highly visible done-ness indicator
    I thermapen till 190 then start pulling at the bone....
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
  • CAT SellerCAT Seller Posts: 208
    Always get bone in - OMO bone in adds flavor. Publix here St. Augustine, will display 4/5 lbs in the case, but if you ask, they will cut a fresh 6-8 lbs, if you ask them. My Large BGE is dead on at exactly 2 hrs per pound, so like in previous posts, plan on a 3 hour buffer before your guests arrive. 3 hrs keeps it warm and enough cool down time so that you can touch it and pull  it, or chop, without burning your fingers. No worries about overnight, that egg will hold its temp. I once went 18 hrs with a 9 lb butt, and did not have to refill with lump - could have gone an hour or two more. 
    Enjoy. 
    If it ain't a CAT, it's a dog!!! 2 LBGE's & BGE Backyard Chef Edition Cart
  • EggHeadinFloridaEggHeadinFlorida Posts: 879
    Butt went on 30 minutes ago. Temp is holding steady at 260deg thanks to the Digiq DX2...
    XL bge, Mini max & 36 BS Griddle.
  • EggHeadinFloridaEggHeadinFlorida Posts: 879
    Just woke up to the digiq beeping. LCD said the butt was done....... 8hrs later. I don't know how this is possible. Upon taking the temperature at different spots, I noticed a 25 deg difference. part of the middle of the butt is at 197, other parts of the middle of the butt is at 172... seeing as how a 2.5lber took a little over 7hrs to cook, im baffled here. I was expecting at least a 12hr cook since I needed the butt to be done at around 4pm today
    XL bge, Mini max & 36 BS Griddle.
  • CowdogsCowdogs Posts: 491
    Move your digiQ thermo to the coolest spot you can find. 
  • EggHeadinFloridaEggHeadinFlorida Posts: 879

    ok I will. when I was fooling with it, the grill temp went up to 320deg :(  so now Im waiting for it to cool back down before I put the butt back on.

     

    XL bge, Mini max & 36 BS Griddle.
  • Charlie tunaCharlie tuna Posts: 2,191
    Just another reason to turbo cook your butts!
  • EggHeadinFloridaEggHeadinFlorida Posts: 879
    All done. Pulled at 198. Now she's resting in a towel like a little baby
    XL bge, Mini max & 36 BS Griddle.
  • tazcrashtazcrash Posts: 1,852
    how did the skewer test go before FTC? 

    Bx - > NJ ->TX!!! 
    All to get cheaper brisket! 
  • EggHeadinFloridaEggHeadinFlorida Posts: 879
    skewer test? whats that lol
    XL bge, Mini max & 36 BS Griddle.
  • EggcelsiorEggcelsior Posts: 13,959
    EggHeadinFlorida said:
    skewer test? whats that lol
    Where you stick a skewer or thermometer in to see if it slides in and out "like butter".

    There is also the "fork test" where you stick a fork in and twist. There should be no resistance.
  • EggHeadinFloridaEggHeadinFlorida Posts: 879
    Oh ok.. Yes, since I was getting different readings this morning, I did poke it in a few different spots to make sure I was atleast at 195deg. the thermometer probe did go in and out easy..
    XL bge, Mini max & 36 BS Griddle.
  • EggcelsiorEggcelsior Posts: 13,959
    You're good to go then.
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