Pork Butt

I bought the 025

Follow Smokin's 101
Make a decent rub, spread some mustard on the butt, then your rub, then pack on some brown sugar on top, then load 3 oz wood in the wodbox, then plop the butt on the middle shelf, set to 225 and cook until a quick read thermometer slips easily thru the meat effortlessly in multiple spots - and you get a temp reading of 195 in many spots. Once you get that "like melted butter" resistance in many parts of the meat you'll have it done. Figure roughly 1.5 hours a pound but rely on that quick read temp !!!!!

It's fun to do so try to enjoy yourself,

BigMike's advice is spot on. Keep in mind, the 225 smoking temp is not set in stone. I generally cook butts and briskets at 250...mainly to speed up the process.

Tom,

You had two posts, the same actually, so we can consolidate the support, I've closed the other topic (but provided an answer there yesterday).

http://forum.cookshack.com/eve...1028883/m/8012945627

Tick, Tock, gee will it ever get here?

quote:

Originally posted by Davegeezer:
Welcome Tom.

My butts have been averaging 9 to 11 lbs. As BigMikeinNJ says, you've got to get to that 195 degrees internal temp. I have the 066 and getting there usually takes 12 or more hours depending upon the weight of the butt. Opening and closing the door every couple of hours to check the temp will prolong the cooking time so resist the urge for the first few hours. I use the the probe that came with the 066 to monitor the temp. And you can do the same with a quality temp probe designed to be left in the oven. Maverick makes one. Just thread the probe and cable through the smoke hole and into the butt and monitor the temp on the gauge. I also use an instant read to check the internal temp when the probe reads 195, just to be sure by sticking it in a couple of areas. Enjoy your smoker and the food it produces.

quote:

Originally posted by BigMikeinNJ:
Follow Smokin's 101
Make a decent rub, spread some mustard on the butt, then your rub, then pack on some brown sugar on top ...

But only if your rub doesn't already contain brown sugar, right?

i would like to try hog roast for the party.
should i do it myself or take help of caterer.

quote:

Originally posted by mark hog:
i would like to try hog roast for the party.
should i do it myself or take help of caterer.

What is the extent of your smoking experiences?

Do you have a hog smoker?

Do you own a pump injector and Sawzall? (needed for prep/processing)

If you have the equipment and know your way around pork shoulders/butts etc., I would say do some research (find feature).

My gut instinct suggests you hire a caterer and observe the whole process before going out on your own. Good luck.

quote:

Originally posted by mark hog:
i would like to try hog roast for the party.
should i do it myself or take help of caterer.

Welcome to the forum.

Start a new thread so we can keep the two subject separate and we'll try to help you out. It happens sometimes. People click reply instead of new thread.

quote:

Originally posted by Bob Barrows:

quote:

Originally posted by BigMikeinNJ:
Follow Smokin's 101
Make a decent rub, spread some mustard on the butt, then your rub, then pack on some brown sugar on top ...

But only if your rub doesn't already contain brown sugar, right?

You have a problem with using brown sugar in a rub and as a coating ??

Hey guys I got my smoker today and was lucky enough to be off work today. I did as the book said "2 oz of wood, pan of water, 275 for 4 hours. Just finished. As I pulled the wood tray out I noticed the wood was not ashy it was just one chunck on black wood, I used hickory. I thought I read the wood should turn to ash..my smoker is the 025

Tom

Congrats on the new smoker, you should start your own thread separate from this one, keep this one on topic that way.

Lok up near the top of the page, you will see a set of drop down menu options. One of them is NEW, CLICK and HOLD and you will see the DISCUSSION option, use that - and use it from the section that is appropriate. In your case that would be COOKSHACK SMOKER OWNERS forum.

YOU CAN check to see if the heating element is touching the bottom of the wood box JUST A BIT, it should be - you can gently pull up on it (do it unplugged please). Longer cooking times ensure a good thorough burn. If your wood was slightly damp that would impede the burn process. I keep all my wood inside out of moist air/rain.

quote:

Originally posted by BigMikeinNJ:

quote:

Originally posted by Bob Barrows:

quote:

Originally posted by BigMikeinNJ:
Follow Smokin's 101
Make a decent rub, spread some mustard on the butt, then your rub, then pack on some brown sugar on top ...

But only if your rub doesn't already contain brown sugar, right?

You have a problem with using brown sugar in a rub and as a coating ??

I guess so. My basic rub already contains a good proportion of brown sugar, and turbinado as well. I would think adding more would be overkill. But I could be wrong of course. Even though I'm happy with the way my butts turn out, I will give your recommendation a try.

H ave done the required breakin, Bought a pack of boston butts today. Came two to a pack for a total of 15 1/2 pounds. Going to put one on the smoker Sunday and freeze the other one. I have read the 101 page. Any last min advise?

Load on the rub and let the butt sit out for 30-45 minutes. The rub will get very wet soaking up meat juices allowing you to apply another heavy dose of rub...this will help develop more bark. Yum. Then throw the butt into a preheated smoker.

I am thinking about doing the vinager style. I have not seen where they say anything about using a rub for a eastern carolina style. I have read where they require moping it during the cooking. However, in the same breath I have read tons stating not to open the smoker till the temp reaches 200 degrees. So, I am a little lost here.

I hope the wood burns this time. I am in Colorado so its pretty dry here.

quote:

Originally posted by Tom65:
I am thinking about doing the vinager style. I have not seen where they say anything about using a rub for a eastern carolina style. I have read where they require moping it during the cooking. However, in the same breath I have read tons stating not to open the smoker till the temp reaches 200 degrees. So, I am a little lost here.
I hope the wood burns this time. I am in
Colorado so its pretty dry here.

Always rub my butts when I make pulled pork. and always use an Eastern NC vinegar sauce Them seem to compliment each other. Not lots of sugar in the rub though

John

Two points: first I do put some brown sugar and a taste of white sugar in my rub as a binder - but perhaps not as much as you do, so I don't think it hurts to apply the extra brown sugar on top. Sort of gives a nice bark to my pulled pork.

2nd point: dry wood. When I got my SM008 I bought some wood from a guy on eBay - cherry, red oak, hickory and maple. It's cut in 1x3 inch logs, each weighs about 1.3 oz. And it's kiln dried. I also bought some apple wood from another supplier which is parts of limbs with the majority of the bark cut off. Also kiln dried.

So when I upgraded to my SM150 the fella I got it from had a good bit of hickory he threw in. He got it at Home Depot in a big bag for less than $20.00. BUT you know what some of it is a little damp and doesn't burn all the way on ribs. Use it for a pork butt or brisket where you have a long and slow cook time and it's ash when you check the wood box. Remember that the heating element should JUST touch the bottom of the wood box.

So long story short, think about your wood source. I hope it's not trees from your Back 40. I've met folks that used wood from their property and couldn't figure out why their food had this nasty dark coating on it (creosote, from the excess moisture in the wood).

Hey Guys thanks for the info. Could one of you send me a rub break down for the butt when I am going to use the vinager sauce? I looked at the 101 but he did not mention a rub. I am going to use his sauce.

Reference to my wood I am going to use the hickory that came with my smoker from cookshack.

Also I see different people saying pull it at 190 up to 205. So, I guess I will aim for 200.

Cant wait till Sunday

Tom65,

I usually use a commercial rub like Cookshack Rib Rub on my pork butts so I am not much help there, but as far as temp goes I usually check it with a skewer at 190 to see if it goes in like butter, if it does it is done. Most of the time it is done, but not always.

Cooking my first pork butt in the morning. Going with the vinager sauce on the 101 page. Still have no idea about what to do concerning a rub. Any thoughts or should I not use a rub?

Just got home from work, I have the smoker lined with aluminum foil, hole poked in the bottom and ready to roll in the morning.. YAHOOO

I make a "cowboy rub" and I use paprika and brown sugar as my "binder" and to that I add onion powder, garlic powder, gruond cumin, ground coriander, ground red pepper flake, fresh ground black pepper, hershey's cocoa, and really finely ground coffee (I make espresso so the coffee is a powder in consistency). Mix that all together and apply as your rub. Drop me your email in a pm and I'll send you something I was gifted...

Mike

Check your INBOX Max, thanks for reaching out.

Mike

Hey Mike check your messages., Thanks

TOM

I sent you a PM, but what I need is your

EMAIL address so I can send you something.

Mike

so check your msgs

Tom you got mail.

OK, put the pork butt on at 9:00am. It is now 7:30pm and still going. Temp is holding strong at 223 to 226. Temp is at 165 using probe I opened one time around 4:00pm to splash on some vinager sauce. I bought two pork weighting a total of 15.56 pounsd so I am guessing it weights around 7 1/2 pounds

Tom,

I rubbed one of the two 7.5'ers I got at Sams on Saturday evening - put it in my SM150 at 8pm at 225 and used a hunk of red oak and a hunk of cherry wood. I got up around 6am and it was probing at 175. I mopped it while I had the door open and then let it run, mopping every hour. It wasn't until 10:00am that I had it at 195 - doggone gorgeous and tasty. It took 14 hours.

But learn something here, you go by internal temp of the meat and how it probes ALL OVER. Like Smokin' always says "it's done when it's done".

I also learned from Smokin' to hand pull. I do sort of slice my butt with a knife and then hand break that down, doing it by hand you catch the bits of fat and 86 them. I got a nice bark and some real tender white. I smoked a deep cast iron skillet of baked beans on the lower shelf for 4 hours. Man are they good... Hope the stuff I sent you earlier gets you thinking about what you want and how to get it.

Yea been on the smoker for 11 hours now and is just now hitting 170. Grrrrrrr, I am hungry y!!!!

Yeah Tom,

I learned the hard way. I'm an early riser, usually up around 05:30 to get my wife off to work, and used to try to start pork butts then. Too frustrating.

Now I get them prepped about 6pm and into my smoker about 9pm (kinda late for me to be up) and let the smoker do it's thing. Doggone in the morning I get my coffee and pack the wife's lunch and then check on the pork butt. Usually by then it's at 175 or beyond. When it's done I hold it in foil and pull a bit later. Smokin' said at his place they pull the pork at service time, otherwise it gets dry. Lots to learn here.

It's really worth the wait taking it to 195.

Actually, I think Smokin said they pull it to order.

quote:

Originally posted by MaxQ:
Actually, I think Smokin said they pull it to order.

Correct. Hence the name "pulled pork" not "pulled or chopped in a buffalo chopped to sit for a bunch of hours and dry out" pork

Max, check your email inbox...
See you guys in a week or so I hope.

Mike,

Would be willing to share the quantities in the rub that you previously posted?

Thanks.