"Naked" Pork Butt?

cssmd27

Anyone ever tried smoke one with no (or very little) rub and then add seasoning at the end?  Just wonder if you would end up with significantly more smoke flavor with the meat not being covered up by rub, etc.?

TonyA

A little salt or salt and pepper is very common. A lot of the old Carolina pitmasters cook whole hogs in this way. The exterior will have more of a roast like quality to it.  But allowing the meat to really caramelize as opposed to your rub does add some good meaty flavor.

Gezr

I cook butts naked most times. We like the taste of the meat more than the taste of the rub. Each to their own, try it and see what you think you won't ruin anything.

cssmd27

Do you end up with a smokier flavor without the rub?

Do you add additional flavorings (rub or sauces) when you pull it or just leave it as is?

Thanks for the thoughts so far!

Gezr

I generally serve it with a sauce of my own making or a NC style pepper/vinegar sauce. Only if the meat is looking dry (mostly as left-overs) I'll stir in some sauce. Many of our friends prefer the meat without the sauce especially as moist as it comes off the egg.
The smoky taste can be adjusted by how much and what type of wood chunks you use. I have a lot of hickory and cherry on the property so that is what I mostly use. Hickory makes a strong tasting smoke and the cherry is milder and sweeter.
The fun thing about the egg and pork is that it is no matter what you do, it'll usually be pretty good so experiment around and you will find what makes it VERY good.