First Pork Butt This Weekend

RMSmithJr

And it starts with a trip to Cabelas


Then a business lunch at Famous Daves.  

lousubcap

First up- welcome aboard and enjoy the journey.  I'm guessing this is a virgin butt cook as opposed to the first of several butt cooks this weekend
No clue as to the after-market toys you have already accumulated but beyond a way to go indirect (which you likely have given a butt cook) and raised direct, I would pace yourself and get comfortable with how you plan to use your BGE before investing in too many accessories.
One thing that will help across the spectrum is a quality instant read thermo.  Thermopen is the instrument of choice around here and it is definitely worth the $$.  FWIW-

RMSmithJr

This is only my first pork butt.  I've been smoking now for about ten years. The BGEL was an accumulated advancement from the sheet metal/water smoker that was used several times a year for ribs, steak, beer can chicken, brisket and the thanksgiving turkey.  The fire pan and water pan were heading towards replacement.  The decision was made to dumpster that and move up to the BGE cooking platform.  Since then, many weekends have been spent moving through the various meats - steak, ribs, brisket, beer can chicken, salmon, chicken wings, & pizza. The only fiasco was scorching the first pizza crust. 

The BGE.L has proven to be a worthy cooking platform with many more adventures yet to come. There might even be a mini for the Class A RV as that charcoal kettle grill is approaching End of Service Life. The journey so far has been absolute fun. The only time the companion gas grill has been fired up was for bacon wrapped jalapeño poppers.  (Pretty much the family favorite go to app).

Today is smoked salmon for dinner. Tomorrow, the butt along with the companion obligatory butt load of beavis & butt head humor. 

The best part of BGE.L is discovering this online community of ideas, support, and guidance for the lessons yet to be learned. 

And the next project is the table. I have a stack of red cedar downstairs in the woodshop. Will have to invest in some 4x4's for the uprights. 

RMSmithJr

The butt is smaller than expected, only almost five pounds.  Got lazy and got it at the grocery store.  Will need a better source next time.

Marinated and injected last night. Rub applied. Egg gently brought up to heat.

And The Meat is ON!.  45 degree internal start temperature.  This was after resting on the counter while the Egg was firing up.  

Stay tuned for pictures and updates. 

45Fan

Good luck!  I am sure it will be great!

lousubcap

Go til the bone pulls clean or it probes with no resistance if boneless.  Enjoy the cook.

RMSmithJr

One hour in and the internal temperature is at 70 degrees. Dome temperature stable in the mid 220s.  The wireless thermometer is allowing me to get other things done v fretting over unknowns. 

NPHuskerFL

Looks good man. What's up w/ the lone toothpick? 5# at 220℉ dome...should finish in roughly 8 hrs for pp (guesstimate). 

lousubcap

Observation here-with a dome of 230 your grate temp is likely initially around 210-215*F-the two will eventually equalize.  But the cook will take close to forever at that temp.  With a butt you can run at around 270-280*F on the dome and figure around 1-1 1/4 hrs/lb.  And you can even run up into the low-mid 300's to punch it home if necessary.  FWIW-

Ladeback69

First welcome to the Eggdiction!  I see you are going for pulled pork, a mother thing to try after you have done a few pork butts is pork burnt ends.  I did them last weekend and they we're a big hit.  Looks like you are on your way to a fun ride.  

@NPHuskerFL, my guess on the toothpicks is where the bone was removed and he is wanting to keep it together.

NPHuskerFL

@Ladeback69 Never thought of that. You sure are a fart smeller  
I've never removed the bone on a Boston Butt. Is it difficult?  I mean...ya I can debone a chicken in about 5-7 minutes with precision but, this cut I would be convinced it would collapse without netting or trussing. No?

RMSmithJr

At two hours, the internal temp is @ 110.  Using the other temperature probe, the grill temp has been running at 225, bumped it up to the upper 240s.

The two toothpicks.  At five pounds I sense this is not a full Boston Cut Butt. It is being smoked fat cap down. After pulling it out of the overnight marinade, and while seasoning, a section of the top was loose and barely hanging on.  (May not have on a full butt cut?). So the tooth picks are in place to secure the section.

It has been mopped at two hours. In two more hours, it will be wrapped in tin foil and final mopped. I may get it out of the foil at 1.5 to 'cap' it?  Temperature dependent.  

This recipe is being followed.  http://howtobbqright.com/pulledporkrecipe.html 

Picture pending.

RMSmithJr

RMSmithJr

Stall at 156. 

RMSmithJr

6:27 pm still stalled at 178, grill temp @ 358

Mattman3969

You can wrap in foil if you are in a time crunch 

RMSmithJr

All turned out swell. 

RMSmithJr

Served up chopped style.  Quite tasty and barely any leftovers for lunch sandwiches.  

What will be the next challenge?

TheGuy

Is foil a required part of the process when smoking a pork butt?  I'm contemplating cooking up my first butt next weekend so am curious. 

I didn't see any suggested recipes on the app so I plan to dig around the forum to see the approach most folks take.  Just got my BGEXL last weekend and heard PB's are a very manageable piece of meat to smoke so I figured I give it a shot. 

Wardster

I have never foiled mine.  I have always used Elder Wards recipe and it has always worked great for me.  You can google it, it's on Naked Whiz's site.  Also, Elder Ward and I are of no relation.

pgprescott

TheGuy said:

Is foil a required part of the process when smoking a pork butt?  I'm contemplating cooking up my first butt next weekend so am curious. 

I didn't see any suggested recipes on the app so I plan to dig around the forum to see the approach most folks take.  Just got my BGEXL last weekend and heard PB's are a very manageable piece of meat to smoke so I figured I give it a shot. 

Not required at all. It just speeds up the process of getting through the stall it can shave hours off the cook. Comp. guys use it to more accurately predict completion times and limit bark formation. If you are in a long smoke and are running short on time. It is a great way to accelerate the completion. 

TheGuy

Perfect.  Thanks.

lousubcap

@TheGuy - Food for thought-given that one of the BGE attributes is SWMBO escape-time, then any process that speeds the cook to the finish-line while being a plus in one camp is a minus in the other.  Weigh carefully your options.
And welcome aboard.  Enjoy the journey.

SmokeyPitt

Great looking pork @RMSmithJr.  I have cooked countless butts to pulled pork and I just chopped for the first time my last butt cook.  I had about 18 lbs on destined for pulled pork but our evening plans changed and we decided to meet some friends for dinner.  I pulled them off the egg at 185, chopped them, snacked on some, and food saved the rest.   I really enjoyed it and I am enjoying some leftovers this evening.  

blasting

Looks good.  I see you served chopped instead of shredded.  

The one accessory I wish I had never purchased was those bear claws.  Used them once and tossed in drawer.  I much prefer pulling by hand - more chunk style than shredded.  

YukonRon

I do mine a 225F, until the bone is extracted having zero resistance. I use my pizza peel to remove it from the egg.
I shred half of it,  with claws, for sammies, the other half is pulled apart in chunks to serve at dinner.

Ladeback69

NPHuskerFL said:

@Ladeback69 Never thought of that. You sure are a fart smeller  
I've never removed the bone on a Boston Butt. Is it difficult?  I mean...ya I can debone a chicken in about 5-7 minutes with precision but, this cut I would be convinced it would collapse without netting or trussing. No?

Just seen this, around here you can get pork butts 2 to a pack bone in or bone out especially at Restaurant Depot.  Did that by mistake last time.  I prefer bone in unless doing pork burnt ends, it makes it easier to cube up.  Now my son is the fart smeller not me.