Turbo Pork Butt Questions

jeponline

I'm having 12-18 people over tomorrow and have decided I would like to turbo cook some pork butts, so that I don't have to do anything overnight and I can feed all of those people from one cook.

I'm thinking of just throwing the butts on at 8 or 9am and will need to feed people around 8pm.  I would be happy to be done early and FTC.

I have a few questions and am hoping for some help from the group.

1. How much pork should I buy, and are the 2 packs of boneless pork shoulder that Costco sells acceptable to use for this purpose?
2. I've read that the higher temperatures for turbo can scorch some rubs.  Is Dizzy Pig Dizzy Dust one of those rub or would that be good to use?
3. Is it ok to skip the wrapping step, or is that necessary for turbo?

Thank you all.

Hook_emHornsfan_74

I had about 20 people over for the 4th of July.  I cooked a 9lb and 7lb. bone in butts.  I went turdo as well.  Cooked at 350.  I usually use the rule of 45 mins per pound or until the meat hits 200 or so.   Not sure about the rub.  I know rubs with more sugar will burn.  Search Turbo Butts on the forum and you will get tons of info.  

Foghorn

@Hook_emHornsfan_74 is correct.  Check the rub for sugar.  At 350 you want to avoid it.  And 45 min per pound gives a good estimate.

The Costco pork shoulders are excellent, although many prefer to cook shoulders with the bone in.  Most people recommend A MINIMUM of 0.625 pounds of meat per person as a precooked weight.  For 18 people that's 11.25 pounds.  There are a number of factors that can affect that.  Are you feeding the football team - or a bunch of little old ladies?  Are you going to put out a bunch of appetizers - or just go straight for the pulled pork with everybody ravenous?  What size buns - sliders rolls?  Or larger?  How many sides?  You get the idea.

For me there are two differences to turbo cooking that are worth noting:

1) the window for "done, but not overcooked" is a little shorter time-wise so once it hits 190 I check it every 10-15 minutes on a turbo cook, as opposed to every 20-30 minutes on a low & slow. 

2)  It is easier to burn the underside of the meat at higher temps.  You need to really make sure that you block any rising heat that can directly hit the bottom of the meat.  This includes radiant heat off the platesetter.  Definitely use a drip pan above the platesetter with an air gap between the two.  

Foiling is options as in all cooks as it represents a tradeoff between moisture and bark.  Your call.  I don't foil.

jeponline

I'm almost certain that Dizzy Dust has sugar in it.  What do you recommend for a rub that doesn't have sugar?

Hook_emHornsfan_74

I use meat church.  Works every time.  I also wrap it.  

Foghorn

I don't have a specific favorite for pork shoulder.  I get a lot of rubs as gifts and just use whatever is in the cabinet.  Sorry I'm no help.

jeponline

Read through some labels and Bad Byron's Butt Rub has no sugar.  I'm going to give that a try for this.

StillH2OEgger

jeponline said:

Read through some labels and Bad Byron's Butt Rub has no sugar.  I'm going to give that a try for this.

Sugar or not, Bad Byron's is still the best I've found for butts/shoulders.

jeponline

Big success. Ended up with only 11 people one who didn't eat pork, so 1 butt would have been enough, but the general consensus was that it was awesome. 

I ended up up putting it on the egg late, but pulled it after 7 hours and was able to FTC for one hour.