Pulled Pork How do I do it ?

Kmm

Greetings from the UK

I’m having a few  chaps round for a Royal wedding BBQ when our two great nations will be joined in holy matrimony. 

I rather fancy doing pulled pork. I have absolutely no idea what a Boston Butt is but I intend to use a piece of pork shoulder about 2.5kg which I think is around 6-7 lb .

Two questions , assuming a Egg temp of of around 250f , What is the core temperature I should be aiming at and how long is that likely to take ?

From various posts I’ve read vinegar based sauces seem to be the weapon on choice , and suggestions on recipe ?

Also any recommended rubs ? 

Should i spritz  or not .

I look forward to hearing from you.

Cheerio 

Kevlah 

Boileregger

I've  got two butts on right now, about 8 lbs each.  I do the turbo method which is 350F indirect until it gets to 160F internal.  Then wrap in heavy duty foil and put back on until about 200F.  If a probe goes in with no resistance, it's done.  I'll be making a mustard vinegar sauce this afternoon to go with it.  Here's the recipe:

Mustard Vinegar Sauce 

1 cup apple cider vinegar 

3/4 cup Yellow mustard 

1/4 cup onion finely minced 

2 cloves garlic pureed 

1/2 teaspoon black pepper 

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 

1/2 cup brown sugar 

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce 

Combine ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes.  If you want it smooth, buzz it in a blender.

Good luck!

Thatgrimguy

A butt was a shipping barrel that was commonly used by the pork industry to ship the large shoulder portions of the pig out of the largest port in the area... Boston. The shoulder was considered a specialty to the area so the name Boston Butt stuck.


May as well give my opinion on this. I've cooked thousands of pounds of butts. I know this because I've done 30+ 200lb cooks alone (not on my egg). 

Only a few things actually matter.

A rub that has enough salt and some flavor you like. Rub is WAY less important than people act. 

I inject every single butt I cook no matter what. It adds flavor and after cooking thousands of pounds of butts I like the additional flavor and control I have from injecting. It's a flavor profile change not a way to make it "juicy"

Juicy is a matter of cooking it long enough and resting long enough that you don't steam out your juice. I'm also a huge advocate of collecting drippings to pour back into my pulled pork. Wrapping does this, water pan can do this if you don't add too much water. It helps.

Break about 200 internal on the smoker and the pork will be good. I just wiggle the bone and when it's ready to pull it's ready. 

You can't screw it up as long as you cook it enough. (and not so much that you end up with mush.. time and temp are important 24 hour cooks will be tender at 190 (this only happens to me when I'm cooking 30 butts on the big rig), 6-10 hr normal egg cooks at like 200-205. All that matters is tenderness when you poke it.

sorry for the ADHD bullet points. I'm bout drunk #SundayFunday

OOH yeah... smoker temp. After manning an offset for 2 years. IT DOESN'T MATTER! I shoot for 275 on the egg and expect 8-10 hour cooks

Kmm

Boileregger said:

I've  got two butts on right now, about 8 lbs each.  I do the turbo method which is 350F indirect until it gets to 160F internal.  Then wrap in heavy duty foil and put back on until about 200F.  If a probe goes in with no resistance, it's done.  I'll be making a mustard vinegar sauce this afternoon to go with it.  Here's the recipe:

Mustard Vinegar Sauce 

1 cup apple cider vinegar 

3/4 cup Yellow mustard 

1/4 cup onion finely minced 

2 cloves garlic pureed 

1/2 teaspoon black pepper 

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 

1/2 cup brown sugar 

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce 

Combine ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes.  If you want it smooth, buzz it in a blender.

Good luck!

Kmm

Sounds good to me but for how long approximately ?

Theophan

The sauces that are used with pulled pork vary depending on region and individual taste.  Many people love the type of mustard sauce offered above (I made a similar sauce, once, and loved it!), but I think that reply was maybe a little misleading if you're not familiar with this stuff.  Most people would NOT call that a "vinegar sauce," but a "mustard sauce."  What most people mean by a "vinegar sauce" for pulled pork is an Eastern NC sauce that really does taste mostly of vinegar.  Here's one that's been very popular on this forum for many years:

Elder Ward’s Traditional North Carolina BBQ Sauce

1 cup white vinegar 

1 cup cider vinegar 

1 tablespoon sugar  (Hawaii style when you can) 

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper  (fresh ones split 2 of em instead soak 2 days or more is best) 

1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce 

1 teaspoon kosher salt 

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper 

Elder Ward said:

This would be from my mothers side of the family who are a bunch of flatlanders near the coast. We only came down out of the hills to see them just enough to keep the peace in the family and my mother from running back home for good. She hated the mountains. We all loved her folks.

I use this sauce most often for pulled pork.  I squirt some into the pork right after pulling and mix it in -- not enough to really taste a lot, but to give it a little tang, and I also have a squirt bottle at the table in case I want more on my sandwich.  The most common way pulled pork is served in North Carolina is on a plain, cheap hamburger bun with some cole slaw on top.

I hate to mention this, because I'm sorry, but I really hate the name of this sauce, but just in case it might be interesting, here's another sauce that I actually like a lot.  It's similar to the one above, but has more flavor than a regular "vinegar sauce."  I usually like the pork flavor to be the main thing you taste in pulled pork, which is why I love the Eastern NC vinegar sauce most of the time.  But once in a while it's fun to have something with a little more flavor, like that Giddy Swamp mustard sauce (more typical of South Carolina) that I linked-to above, or this one: "Dead Guy Sauce."  Maybe they had a good reason they called it that, and have happy, warm smiles whenever they say it because of a secret meaning or something, but to me, it just sort of makes me not want to use it.  (I renamed it for my own use...)

Boileregger

Kmm said:

Sounds good to me but for how long approximately ?

This usually takes about 6 hours for me.

td66snrf

I like to cook them at around 250f. I cook it until it reaches the stall usually the IT will be around 160f. I then put it in a throw away aluminum pan and foil it. You'll. Want to save the juices to add back after you pull it apart.        I don't believe in spritzing on the egg for two reasons. 1st every time you open the lid the temperature varies. 2nd the egg retains so much moisture I feel it's unnecessary. Just my opinion. Good luck. 

Kmm

td66snrf said:

I like to cook them at around 250f. I cook it until it reaches the stall usually the IT will be around 160f. I then put it in a throw away aluminum pan and foil it. You'll. Want to save the juices to add back after you pull it apart.        I don't believe in spritzing on the egg for two reasons. 1st every time you open the lid the temperature varies. 2nd the egg retains so much moisture I feel it's unnecessary. Just my opinion. Good luck. 

Sounds quite straightforward , agree with you on the spritzing , what size are you cooking and how long for .. Thanks for your reply 

jtcBoynton

Kmm said:

Greetings from the UK
...

I rather fancy doing pulled pork. I have absolutely no idea what a Boston Butt is but I intend to use a piece of pork shoulder about 2.5kg which I think is around 6-7 lb .

...

Pork butt = Boston butt = pork shoulder = pork collar = kata

jtcBoynton

Approximate cooking times for pork butt/shoulder:

225º:  2 hours a pound

250º: 1.5 hours a pound

275º:  1 hour per pound

350º:  30-45 mins per pound

There is a good amount of variability between individual pieces so take all times as rough. Times assume a full sized butt - 7-10 pounds. Temps are dome and ºF.

Determine doneness by feel. Time and internal temp are used only to determine when to start testing for doneness.

Simcan

Lots of good advice here, I would just add that I stopped any wrap during the cook a long time ago, I do spritz a bit with apple cider vinegar/water mix, and when it is done (around 200) I wrap it and rest it wrapped in towels for a few hours.  Works every time!

blind99

Man I live that you’re doing this cook! Pulled pork is such an awesome dish. My only thoughts to add to the above is plan to finish it early - it keeps very well wrapped in foil in a cooler, then shred it when you’re ready. With some decent run and nice smoke your guests won’t care what sauce is on it! But a mustard or vinegar based sauce would be a phenomenal touch. Please post the cook for us, and cheers from the US side!

fishlessman

way more knowledge than you need to know as its just 235 dome temp indirect for 12 to 14 hours for me til tender. but this was my first cook and i make both these sauces, ones sweet for those that like sweet. the ketchup type is pretty much the one in most supermarkets. if you copy and print this link, make sure to add in 250 dome in the cook section, he used to cook at too low a temp for an egg cook.

http://www.nakedwhiz.com/elder.htm#rubs

gdenby

If you are confident of your ability to control the temperature, a lo-n-slo butt is one of the easiest ways to make spectacular 'Q.

Given enough time, I prefer a dome temp of 250F, and the biggest butt available. I do prefer a rather sugary rub for butts. I really like the crunchy bark that forms from the sugar bonding w. the baked fat. But I do favor a tart sauce, either vinegar or mustard.

You will want a drip pan underneath to catch the copious amount of fat that will render out. Usually there is so much that while it boils, it doesn't smoke and produce bitter flavor.

If you have a bone-in butt, you can tell its done when the bone can be pulled away with just ones fingers. The butt as a whole will begin to quake like a mass of gelatin. I've had a few fall to pieces taking them off the Egg grill.

There are some people who pull the pork, cooked w. little or no rub on it, and then mix the rub spices in to taste.

If being served in a sandwich, the sauce can be mixed with slaw. Works well, because one gets both the unctuous feel of the sweet meat and the crunch of the fresh tart cabbage mix.

Good luck, and happy wedding day celebration!

GregW

jtcBoynton said:

...

Pork butt = Boston butt = pork shoulder = pork collar = kata

To my knowledge, at least in central Alabama, a Pork Butt or Boston Butt is not the same as a Pork Shoulder.
The Shoulder is actually the lower section of the pigs front leg. It generally has a short section of the lower leg bone showing. It is below the butt section.
The description of them being the same may have not been meant to have been taken literally. (And then again I could be totally wrong in my description of the difference)

I have cooked a  Shoulder before and I really liked it. The shoulder has a different taste and texture.

mEGG_My_Day

FYI to our UK friend.  I know sometimes things can get mixed in translation - when folks here talk about mustard as an ingredient for a mustard based sauce, they are usually referring to 'prepared mustard'. 

Best of luck with your cook - I'm sure it will be awesome.

Kmm

Belated thanks everyone 

Uncleboobot

How how was it Kmm? Ps what egg are you using?

Kmm

 A large and it went very well but the stall was a bit of a worry 

SaintJohnsEgger

I have used varies temps from low 'n slow to the turbo method. If I'm not pressed on time i prefer to go at 225. Either way I go until the internal temp is between 203 and 210. 

I experiment with different  rubs and I never use sauce. I recently started putting the butt in a disposable aluminum pan to finish the cook.

Kmm

Afternoon chaps, Decided to do it over night @230f , started at 8pm got up at 4:30 to check,  egg had dropped to 150f with meat at  170f . so put it in the oven at at 230f and went back to bed till 6:30 , put it back in Egg which was now at 220f .Meat reached 195f at 12:30. Now snug as a bug in a rug FCT stylie.

Thanks as ever for your suggestions and encouragement.

Kind Regards 

buzd504

GregW said:

jtcBoynton said:

...

Pork butt = Boston butt = pork shoulder = pork collar = kata

To my knowledge, at least in central Alabama, a Pork Butt or Boston Butt is not the same as a Pork Shoulder.
The Shoulder is actually the lower section of the pigs front leg. It generally has a short section of the lower leg bone showing. It is below the butt section.
The description of them being the same may have not been meant to have been taken literally. (And then again I could be totally wrong in my description of the difference)

I have cooked a  Shoulder before and I really liked it. The shoulder has a different taste and texture.

What you are talking about is the picnic.  Technically the butt and the picnic together form the shoulder.