1st Pork Butt - suggestions/advice?

Every piece of meat is different, but a good rule of thumb for a pork butt is to allow 1-1.5 hours per pound on the Egg @ 235-240 degrees.  Here's a good link for a step by step method for pulled pork.

http://playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com/2002/02/pork-pork-shoulder-butt-picnic.html

No marinade.  Just rub of your choice.  Enjoy, and welcome to the club. 

I am a fan of turbo method, so cook at 350-375 to an internal temp of 203. The number is arbitrary as I've heard every number from 190-205, but that's just what I do. I've done as small as a 4lb butt with good success.

Go simple with the rub and avoid heavy sugar, especially if u choose to go turbo, as the sugar can burn. I like bad byrons butt rub and dizzy dust.

For wood I haven't found one I don't like, but cherry and apple are both great with pork.

Good luck!

xiphoid007 said:

I am a fan of turbo method, so cook at 350-375 to an internal temp of 203. The number is arbitrary as I've heard every number from 190-205, but that's just what I do. I've done as small as a 4lb butt with good success.

Go simple with the rub and avoid heavy sugar, especially if u choose to go turbo, as the sugar can burn. I like bad byrons butt rub and dizzy dust.

For wood I haven't found one I don't like, but cherry and apple are both great with pork.

Good luck!

Love the turbo method.  Figure around 45 min/lb. As per the rub, I lightly coat the butt with yellow mustard and usually use Bad Byron's Butt Rub.  I shoot for 200 degrees and then begin to probe it.  It should feel like probing "buttah"!  I also foil/towel/cooler it for 30 minutes-1hour.

Coat with mustard and then with your favorite rub. A accurate meat thermometer helps. I never cooked one that small. On a 8-10 pounder I let it go for 6-8 hours before getting the first temp  when cooking at 250-275*. On a 3lb butt and since it's your first I would get a reading at 2-3 hours. There are really just a few temps that are really needed and none are precise. When the butt enters the stall, when it is exiting, and the final temperature. During the stall or before you can go about your business; after that your time is then limited. The greatest increase in temperatures will occur prior to the stall; once stalled the temperature will on raise slightly, after the stall the temps will again rise but slower than the initial. Taking temperature readings vs time will give a baseline for future cooks.

Pork butts are forgiving. You can bump up the temperature if running short on time or back off if more time is needed. If I cook at a higher temp, aka Turbo, I back it down after the butt hits 170*. 

You can bump the temp as per @Mattman3969 above to get to the finish without ill effect.

blakeas said:

all, it was just ok.  I got pulled pork from somewhere here in Cleveland a couple of weeks ago and it was so juicy and tender.  That's what I was going for.  I guess it is all in the meat, cut?

Try to get a full pork butt that will have more fat content and bone in.  There are a lot of ways to make it juicy, like wrapping it in foil when it gets to 145 or so or just let it sit for a bout 30 minutes before you pull it and save your drippings to put back into it.  Some have added a Coke to help with juiciness I believe on here.  The last 2 I did, took to 145, pulled double wrapped in foil, finished in the oven so I could cook ribs next.  I let them sit out for about 30 minutes or so, add about a 1/3 of the drippings back in when I put it into a crock pot.  It was some of my best pulled pork. 

sounds like only one cheek!!  Go get the other cheek and cook them both, lol.  I usually do my rub, then go around 275 until internal is to target as has already been hashed out above

blasting said:

I used to cut off a lot of the fat with the idea that it would get me more bark.  Lately I've done only a minimal trim and the butt was definitely juicier.  I'm also a big fan of brining.

You might try going a little bigger - leftovers are a good thing, and It may not dry out on you if you do a 10lb.  I always do two butts at once, since it's no extra work.

My thoughts exactly.

blakeas said:

can anyone give me some more info on brining a pork butt?

What i do recommend is a dry rub of salt on the meat surface uncovered in fridge for a few days ahead of cook.  This does draw surface moisture out and results in a pellicle effect that helps cause great crust formation.   Any spices you add the night before is your call for dry rub but i never use sugar of any kind.   

I do put beer in drip pan though as that helps the fat drippings from becoming too charred during cook anotd adding a bitter flavor to meat


My go to dry rub for pork is two parts salt, one part red chili powder and one part ground black pepper.   Anything you add to this should be in smaller amounts and really is a matter of taste.   I always cook pb at 210 for 1.5 hr per lb, a.d for last 30 mins i wrap in foil, pour in pan drippings, and crank heat to 275.   This method has never failed me.   Good crust, moist meat, not overly smoky, nice bark, tasty easy to shred meat has always been the result.  

blakeas said:

can anyone give me some more info on brining a pork butt?

A lot of guys use The Briner - myself included.  Makes things really easy.  Otherwise a food safe bucket and a food savered brick helps keep the meat in the water.

Recipe (per butt - double if two butts)
1 cup pickling salt - (dissolves easily)
3/4 cup molasses
1 tablespoon of any rub
1 cup of apple juice
2 cups hot water to aid in mixing everything 
Add the pork butts and cover with cold water
Brine for 24 hours

Making room in the fridge for the bucket is the hardest part of the process - otherwise takes about 2 minutes.

edit - when you apply the rub after brining - make your own or get one that has no salt, or your end result could be too salty.  I recently tried Alton Brown's home made rub and I thought it was pretty good.