Boston Butt/Pulled Pork

RS · April 2009

I have had my Egg about six months; starting to get the feel and have nailed several different meats/recipes lately.

Recently did a Boston Butt pork shoulder. I checked out the Forum and other sources. Highly recommend the book "Smoke & Spice" by Cheryl and Bill Jamison (available on Amazon and in book stores)

I decided on Bad Byron's Butt Rubb for the the rub, applied liberally the night before (of course refrigerated and covered) and again before cooking.

I used the mop from Smoke & Spice (The Renowned Mr Brown recicpe) every hour.

Also used apple chips for smoking. (check out bbqwoods.com and get a sampler package)

The best pulled pork ever was the result. but I had a heck of a time keeping the temp between 200 and 225 as recommended by the recipe. Have to admit I microwaved the butt a few minutes at the end to get the internal temp up so we could eat. Still incredibly juicy and tender; great taste.

I talked to my brother-in-law who owns a $2,500 custom built smoker, and our consensus opinion is cook it between 250-275.

I was going to post the recipe, but wanted to hear from Egg-perts any tips I am missing on keeping the Egg at 225 and your feel re cooking a little a little bit higher. My "feel" is the Egg compensates for any moisture loss.

Thanks

Gandy Dancer · April 2009

This LINK may help you.

Hoss · April 2009

250 dome.Every time ,without fail!!!

Little Chef · April 2009

RS - With the Egg, unlike the conventional smokers, mops and such are not as necessary. In fact, every time you open that lid, you are first, letting the heat out, and second, adding oxygen to the lump, making it stoke higher, destabilizing the egg, and burning more fuel. You are infact, working against yourself...a vicious cirle. IMHO, you will achieve much better results just letting the meat roast at 225-250, and leaving the lid down! Our rule in our home is...NO PEEKING!

The moisture is contained so well that mops are really not needed, but if you insist, just do so in the last hour of the cook, once the meat is already 'done'. A bit of juice spritzed in the last hour for a glaze will also produce a wonderful result.
Just my two cents.....

Misippi Egger · April 2009

250* dome will get you roughly 225 air temp at your meat level, which is what you want. When I set my Guru pit thermometer close to the meat, the dome thermometer usually reads between 240-250.

Hope that helps, along with the other recs, especially from Little Chef. :P

doccjb · April 2009

The Egg is great therapy for the type A personality--it takes a fair amount of self control to stabilize the temperature and walk away while it does its magic. I agree with the other posters--mopping/spritzing is quite unnecessary, and probably has the effect of working against yourself, for all the previously mentioned reasons. If you are feeling compelled to "add" moisture to your cook, might I suggest some liquid in the drip pan (water, beer, cider, wine). This will have the advantage of keeping you from opening the lid every hour, although you might notice a little extra time needed to stabilize the Egg, due to the time needed to bring the liquid up to temp.

EddieMac · April 2009

Try to avoid paralysis by analysis! 225 is a 'sexy' smoking temperature but you have to understand the difference between grid temp and dome temp. There's a 25 degree (+/-)difference between the two. No problem to run your egg's dome temp between 275-300 as that will give you an approximate grip temp of 250-275 and that's ideal. Difficult to translate recipes and cooking temps from traditional smokers to the BGE as they're like night and day. Also, it's difficult to mess up butts!

eddiemac
Ft. Pierce, FL

stike · April 2009

250 is fine.

i can't imagine how long it would take to get the meat to 200 internally if you are cooking it at 200.

Ripnem · April 2009

Bad Byrons "Butt Rub" is wonderful. A few of my pals have liked it so much they are ordering it up by the bucket. I also have the same book by the Jamisons. Funny how many times I've heard bbqers using the same one.

Celtic Wolf · April 2009

What others haven't told you yet is those recipes you were reading were geared toward offset, upright, or bullet style cookers.

Unless the recipe specifically says it for the BGE or you found the recipe here bump the recommended temp up 25-30 degrees.

As strike mentioned it's tough to get an internal temp of 195-200 degrees when the ambient heat around the meat is at or less then that amount. Setting the dome at 200 gave you a grate temp of 170-175.

BBQ'r around the US have a saying "If you are lookin' you ain't cookin'" So listen to Little Chef and kill the mop and stop opening the lid.

Pulled Pork

For heaven sake if you have to finish something you were cooking on the egg use your oven. Microwaves are for pop-corn..

Celtic Wolf · April 2009

Don't need the liquid in the drip pan either. Waste of good wine/cider/juice/beer/water..

I can honestly say I have cook a ton of butts on my eggs (this year alone) and the only liquid in the drip pans came from the fat and collagen rendering off the meat.

doccjb · April 2009

CW I tend to agree with you--I've done several of the long slow cooks since I started with the Egg, some with liquid in the pan, some without. (Prior to my Egg days, I had a gas grill, which I used for butts with a rotisserie attachment). On the Egg, I cant say I have noticed any difference with/without liquid in the pan, other than the excellent smell of the backyard as the beer cooks off!

Celtic Wolf · April 2009

Smells even better as it rolls across your lips and over your tongue.. :laugh:

Boston Butt/Pulled Pork

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