cooking times for butts?

Former Member

i went to one of our local groceries {harris teeter} and purchased 3 double packs of butts for .88 cent a lb. a good variety of pork {smithfield} but they were very small around 4-5 pounds apiece...normally i have been buying my butts at winn-dixie or food lion and they are mostly in the 7-9 lb. range. my usual cooking time for the larger butts is 9 hours at 225 and then hold in the cookshack for three hours at 140. there is nothing worse than overcooked butts and they are hard to salvage even in a crockpot with sauce...any ideas or suggestions?
by the way i don't use a thermometer and i have had the cookshack for a year and a half...i have smoked almost 2500 lbs of butts, ribs, chicken, and turkey...i would really like some opinions on this

thanks in advance...

7/3/043:07 PM

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drhysMember

Get a remote thermometer.Follow the thread on butts and you will never over cook.

7/3/043:59 PM

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wheelzSmmmmoooookin'!

Ditto! I agree with drhys. Some never cook with one, I never cook without one. If you've done that much meat it seem that you would know by look/feel when the meat is done. I mean you are cooking over 100 #'s a month (I'm jealous!)

If your butts are generally done in 9 hours I would check them at 7 hours.

Seriously though, consider a thermometer. I can't tell you how many times I have been wrong by just "assuming."

Good luck with your smoke & have a Happy & safe 4th of July weekend!!!

7/3/044:13 PM

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Former Member

I suggest one of those digital thermometers with the probe.You can tell your meats temp at all times without opening your smoker.You can get them at Bath,BED and Beyond (expensive)but I have seen them at Lowe's Home Improvement for 10.00 dollars.You can use em in your regular oven too.

7/4/049:09 AM

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Former Member

beachpirate.

If you've done 1,000's of pounds and kept good records, looks like yours are done around 1 hr per pound from the post you made.

That's similar to mine, but it depends on the temp.

A lot of those little ones don't have as much fat and they can tend to dry out.

I'd start wish just under an hour per pound and see how they come out. Worse case you'd have to double wrap and hold a little longer than you normally might.

Smokin'

7/4/041:20 PM

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Former Member

What temp are you guys cooking at to get them done in an hour per pound? Mine never get done in less than a little over two hours per pound at 225 degrees to get them to an internal temp of 200 degrees. I am using non injected butts but I inject with Smokin's basting sauce.

7/4/043:23 PM

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Former Member

thanks for the help and info...my records tell me to cook for 6-7 hours and hold for 2...just wanted another opinion...
standard cooking times
chickens 2 1/2 hours at 225
baby backs 4 1/2 at the same
turkey 12-15 lbs 1 1/2 then pan and foil for 3 more hours in the smoker...always with the breast down and always brined for 24-36 hours and always butterball brand
butts...hmmm....i really liked the bigger butts...

7/4/045:16 PM

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Former Member

lj...all smokers are different and i am always amazed by the different cooking times of butts on this forum...that being said i ALWAYS cook on the middle rack {smokette} and always cook at 225 degrees...i don't inject or season the butts until they are out of the smoker and then with a light sprinkle of rib rub to finish them off...
my cooking times come from much experimentation with the smokette and my background of being a meat market manager helps along with my dads instruction in the old way of smoking meats...moist is the way...

7/4/045:27 PM

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