Cook temps pork butts

Several questions,
I'm not sure what you mean by "placed a temperature gauge hanging from the center rack". Are you refering to the probe from a polder type thermometer? If so, you are better off placing the probe in the meat. The key to a pork butt is the internal temp (desire 190* +-).

You talk about 200* recommended. If you are using the cookshack cookbook, don't. You want to as Ron Popeil would say, put it at 225* set it and forget it until you get the desired internal temp. You didn't mention a weight, but you can expect times much greater than in the book if that's what you are using.

I would not be concerned about the cookshack funtionality at this point.

Hope this helps,
Richard

Hey thanks for the reply. Ok, have a 7.5 Lb. boneless pork butt that has been on since 4:40 this AM. Internal temp now at 165. In addition to the internal temp gauge, I have a gauge that shows what the ambient temp is inside the smokette. That gauge show's somewhere around 25 degrees less than what I have set the temp setting on the outside of the smokette. Is this normal to you guy's that have been doing this?? The 200 degrees was what the book said to set the temp on the outside setting when wood seasoning the smoker (it's new). Smoked just wood for 5 hours to season the smoker, after checking the internal ambient heat was only around 175. If that sounds good to go, then I'm smokin.

Thanks Fresno

I inject with Smokin's basting sauce, rub, and set it at 225 degrees with a temp probe inserted. It always takes about 2 hours per pound and will do funny things in the plateau (I've seen it go backwards). It will stay in the plateau for a long time, after a couple of hours there I bump the temp up to 250 degrees and leave it until an internal temp of 195-200. Foil, wrap in newspaper, and put into a cooler for a couple of hours before pulling,you will have very little fat within. While pulling sprinkle some rub and some of Smokin's vinegar sauce then getready for the accolades.

By the way, at some point someone is going to post a well known quote, we all live by it.

well when is it done? jan

haha...

It's done when it's done...

is that the quote you were looking for?

Smokin'

There it is!

And well worth waiting for!!!
Peggy

From LJ above -

Foil, wrap in newspaper, and put into a cooler for a couple of hours before pulling,you will have very little fat within.

How does this work? I've only smoked one butt and going to smoke another tomorrow. The first one did have a lot of fat in it when I was pulling it. Will what you suggest somehow get rid of the fat? That would be good. Thanks.

You can smoke a butt a long time at 225� and not dry it out ,since water boils away at 212� at sea level.

The long cooking ,at low temps is what renders the fat and breaks down the collagen.

If it had much internal fat,it probably was not cooked long enough,or cooked at too high a temp.

Just my $0.02

Got a 8.75 bone in pork butt (Tyson $1.33lb) from Wal-Mart today. Just rubbed it down with CS RR and SCR 50/50. Going to use the apple baste and serving sauce from SmokinOkie.

8oz hickory wood and 3 kingsford
(or should I skip the kingsford since I am using 8oz hickory and a SR is not that important??)

Going to mop at about 8 hours time. I think I should alow 12 to 16 hours for this..

Oh and Hi Smokie, I am in OKC .

This is the second thing I am going to smoke in my new CS 08, first one was spare ribs and they turned out great, but I pulled them out too soon, and had to finish them in the oven, but they did taste good..

I plan on more time and less hickory, but that's me.

Happy Trails

I plan on more time also, but it all depends on when I hit 205. I do not have a Polder, the only remote therm I have is pre set and tops out at 180, then I have to go to a digital and open the door. I will give it more time after it hits 180, it will all depend on how fast it goes from 160 to 180..

I thought my thermometer did go higher. I orderd a polder for next Qing

My Smokette most often gets a eight pound butt to 195 in 18 hours. I believe there are slight differences between all the Smokettes, mine usually taking a little longer than what I see posted for the most part. But "when done" it's a butt to be proud of.

Happy Trails