Pork butt in the oven? (Sadly need an alternative to the egg)

JWF · May 2014

Anyone have tips or tricks for doing a pork butt for pulled pork in an electric oven? Heading down to Pawleys Island, SC for 10 days for a family vacation and need to feed several for dinner. Not looking forward to having a week and a half of no egg cooking, but definitely looking forward to the beach and some good golf! I'm thinking use a lighter rub since there won't be bark and cooking at ~300 until fall apart tender, any and all advice is welcome!

TonyA · May 2014

I wouldn't try to recreate what you cook I'm the egg in the oven. You'll frustrate yourself. Maybe go with a mojo injection or a verde. Maybe do a picnic and roast the skin at 500 to get it real crisp

stevesails · May 2014

Crock pot. Or you can do in oven not my c.f. h different than egg. Not as much fun. Saw a cooking show today on Canadian tv. That's what he did. Looked good.
In the kitchen with Stefano. Had a nice recipe for mustard sauce. I can't cut and paste link. But if Yuri out do a search on in the kitchen with Stefano pulled pork it will find it

Carolina Q · May 2014

Can't say for sure, but a guy I used to work with once asked me for my butt recipe/method for a butt he was cooking for a family gathering. I gave it to him, told him 250° til done. I asked him what kind of grill he was going to use... he said he was going to cook it in his oven!

He told me later that it was great and everyone loved it. As far as I know, he's been doing it that way ever since. It'll be fine.

JWF · May 2014

@stevesails I found the recipe you mention, it does look good (linked below). I'm going to give it a shot, thanks for your comments everyone.

http://www.cbc.ca/inthekitchen/2012/01/hearty-pulled-pork-sandwiches.html

Brisket_Fanatic · May 2014

Cook it on the egg before you leave and reheat later

fishlessman · May 2014

i never seem to have time on vacation so im thinking reheat an egg cook, or crock pot, or quick in a cheap pressure cooker

Austin Egghead · May 2014

Doctor it with your favorite rub &/or injection, place in 250 oven over nite. Will be tasty, not egg tasty but still good.

NecessaryIndulg · May 2014

I was making THIS meal long before I owned a Big Green Egg and many of my non-egghead friends swear by it.

SmokeyPitt · May 2014

I would use a crock pot if one is available. If no crock pot, I would cook it covered. Either wrapped in foil or in a covered roasting dish.

We used to make pulled pork in the crock pot all the time before I got my egg. It is really good but obviously there won't be smoke flavor or bark. If memory serves, we would cut up onions and cover the bottom of the pot, then add a little water and vinegar and let it go overnight.

Like @Brisket_Fanatic suggested another option is to cook it on the egg, pull it, freeze it, and then reheat it when you are there. A foodsaver is great for this. If you are driving and have room you can pack a cooler with the frozen pork.

SmokeyPitt · May 2014

NecessaryIndulg said:

I was making THIS meal long before I owned a Big Green Egg and many of my non-egghead friends swear by it.

This looks great Kristi. That's just what I was thinking- a roasting pan like that. I think if you just put it in the oven (at least my oven) it would dry out.

KiterTodd · May 2014

Do you think you'll have any covered grill available (gas, weber, etc.)?

If so, I'd just set whatever you have up for low indirect, get some smoke going, and cook it there for two hours while you can monitor the temp on an unfamiliar grill. Throw some wood chips in tin foil packets for simple smoke. Then wrap it in foil, throw it in the oven on a low temp and don't worry about it. It'll have a nice smokey flavor but you won't have to babysit it all day on a grill that will probably need a lot of tending.

Even if you don't get smoke for the full two hours you'll be good.

Cookinbob · May 2014

I did pulled pork in the oven before I had an egg. I use the same rub I use for the egg. Put the butt in a large aluminum pan ( I use one that caterers would use for the water pan with Sterno),and cover with foil. With a big pan, you should be able to get 2 or 3 butts in at once. Set the oven for 200 to 225, and give it 8-12 hours depending on size. Of course cook to temp. You will have a lot of liquid in the pan when it is done, I skim the fat and add most back to the pulled meat.

You can add a bit of liquid smoke when you pull and sauce. This has always been a hit.

Cowdogs · May 2014

I used to do the same as @Cookinbob except I skipped the foil (unless I am in a hurry) and I use a turkey roaster to get the meat up out of the liquid. I mix the the liquid smoke with mustard and apply it before the cook. Add some rub, and into the oven at 250. It turns out pretty good. You get a bark, smoke flavor, and sometimes I even got a smoke ring.

Cookinbob · May 2014

I did not know what bark was until I got my egg

JohnInCarolina · May 2014

I'm laughing at some of the calls for using a crock-pot here. I'm not suggesting that wouldn't work well (I'm sure it does), but really - you can get amazing results cooking one of these in an oven.

For many years before I got an Egg, my wife used to make PP on our beach vacations following this recipe:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/oven-roasted-pulled-pork-sandwiches-recipe.html

My only suggestion would be to cook it longer until you get to an IT closer to what you normally pull off an Egg, but otherwise - this is incredibly easy and the results are very good. You get a bark with this, not to mention an incredible smell in the kitchen as it's cooking that will have everyone fired up for dinner. About the only thing you don't get compared to an Egg cook is the smoke flavor, but aside from that... it's a can't-miss.

Charcoal_Addict · May 2014

I agree with everyone. I would bring a slow cooker for a pork butt. Slow cooking in an oven longer than 6 hours will dry things out.

plumbfir01 · May 2014

weber kettle? buy one

and you can use your lump with it.....works better then you think.

MJG · May 2014

Just get a small or mini and take that to the beach. Eggs like vacations too!

Cowdogs · May 2014

Charcoal_Addict said:

I agree with everyone. I would bring a slow cooker for a pork butt. Slow cooking in an oven longer than 6 hours will dry things out.

Why? I've not found any big difference between the egg and the oven.

Carolina Q · May 2014

Cowdogs said:
Why? I've not found any big difference between the egg and the oven.

Ha! Sounds like something I would say. And be crucified for.

But I'm usually talking about pizza, Not butt.

CoolBees · May 2014

For beach vacations, I cook a couple of butts on the Egg a couple of weeks beforehand and freeze them whole wrapped in foil and Saran Wrap. Get to the beach, let them thaw, break into small chunks (not completely shredded) in a covered aluminum pan with a small amount of apple juice and apple cider vinegar, heat for a couple of hours at 225 oF ...pull it out, shred the chunks and you will be amazed at how good it turns out....much better than oven or crock pot, IMHO!

KenfromMI · May 2014

A guy I work with bought a BBQ book called Cheater BBQ. It was written by some retired competition guy who said you could make it just as good without a smoker. He thought it was great until he tried mine from my WSM18. He bought one for himself and never looked back after the flavor difference.................It will definitely be different in the oven, it can still be very good just different. I never liked any I tried from a crock pot, they always tasted very greasy to me.

NecessaryIndulg · May 2014

KenfromMI said:

It will definitely be different in the oven, it can still be very good just different. I never liked any I tried from a crock pot, they always tasted very greasy to me.

Agreed.
I don't like the texture of anything cooked in a crockpot... it's too mushy for me.

Cowdogs · May 2014

Carolina Q said:

Cowdogs said:
Why? I've not found any big difference between the egg and the oven.

Ha! Sounds like something I would say. And be crucified for.

But I'm usually talking about pizza, Not butt.

Good point. I was just referring to pork butt getting dried out. The egg'ed butts are much better than the oven & liquid smoke.

JWF · May 2014

@MJG That would be ideal! This year's trip comes with the addition of kiddo #2 and a roof rack for the SUV...sadly no room even if I could convince SWMBO that I "need" a small egg.

@necessaryindulg That looks great. I like the idea of cooking at high temp at beginning to firm up the outside.

Lots of good ideas here. At the end of the day, I guess it is just a pork butt. Kind of impossible to mess it up!

SmokeyPitt · May 2014

...don't forget cook ahead, freeze, and transport as an option. It is a great way to cope with egg withdrawal symptoms while traveling. 4-5 lbs of frozen pulled pork will also keep the ice from melting in your cooler while you drive, so it's a win-win.

Austin Egghead · May 2014

Kristi, thanks for the recipe. The cold slaw looks interesting. I have two of those roasting pans, my mothers and the other was the first pan I bought after the honey moon. Those pans make the best bone in rump roast and (pre egg)Thanksgiving turkey.
Sure was a nice surprise seeing you at the Georgia Fest. John and Joan and company put on a-1 event.

Pork butt in the oven? (Sadly need an alternative to the egg)

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