Pork Butts

Certainly not all pork butts are created equal, especially if you are talking about portions and not the whole shoulder. I have found that Sam's Club butchers cut some pork differently than most other stores, and it was surprising to me to find they seem to cut the same no matter where the Sam's Club store is. I'm not a butcher but I find that generally there are two very different muscles. My SO calls them the "white meat" and the "dark meat." The former is lean and can be a bit tougher, and the latter is juicier and more tender. Just my observations.

These come straight from the packer...whole butts.  I guess I'm trying to decide whether or not to start going to Costco...both are 2 hours away...

thanks for the reply

What are you using to smoke these, and what temps are you smoking them at?  Low and slow is the way to cook pork butts.  You have to take them to 195 degrees IT, and then start probing them with a skewer.  When the probe goes in and feels like warm butter, they are done.  I would kick your temp up to 250 or 275.  It isn't temp and time, but the internal temp of the meat, and the feel of it when it comes out.  Pork butts, and briskets should feel and wobble like Jello when it is done.

I smoke 'em in my FE100...I use hickory pellets from Cookshack...I put them in a cold smoker and set the temp at 224 ... smoke 'em for 15 hours...I usually have 10 to 16 butts ... pulling temp is over 200 but still have a couple butts that part of the meat next to the bone is hard.  I'm thinking its gotta be the pork itself because not all of them are like this and it doesn't make a difference on what self I have them on.

The bone retains heat and I bet you are overcooking the meat next to the bone.  You are smoking the butt more like a brisket in my opinion.  The pork has a higher fat content and can be cooked at a higher temp and less time.  I smoke mine at 275 and spritz it every hour for about three hours until there is a nice bark and the fat cap splits.  Then I wrap it with foil and start temping after two hours until I hit somewhere in the 200 -205 deg range, make sure not to temp the bone inside.  Pull it and let rest for an hour.

Try injecting one ounce/# apple juice prior to smoking. I start @ 226 then wrap in foil & rotate after 12 hours (during stall) and increase to 276 until they hit 200.  Always perfect.

I buy my pork at Sam's and get rave reviews.  

IMHO 16 butts is too much  for a FEC100. (The 100 signifies it will cook 100#s of pork.)   

I have over loaded both my old 009, and 045.  They take a little longer to come up to temp, but cook just fine as long as you keep the door closed.

southdakota posted:

These come straight from the packer...whole butts.  I guess I'm trying to decide whether or not to start going to Costco...both are 2 hours away...

thanks for the reply

 

I have found that the Costco here in town only carries boneless pork butts which I do not like to cook.  I have always preferred bone-in butts.  That being said, when the butts I am smoking are done, I wrap them in foil and put them in a cooler or a Cambro to sit for a few hours.  This allows them to cook a little more but in a moist environment.

ribdog posted:

I have found that the Costco here in town only carries boneless pork butts which I do not like to cook.  I have always preferred bone-in butts.  That being said, when the butts I am smoking are done, I wrap them in foil and put them in a cooler or a Cambro to sit for a few hours.  This allows them to cook a little more but in a moist environment.

Alot of times in my neck of the woods, the picnics will have the bones (and skin for that matter) while the boston butts are typically boneless.  I tend to prefer the flavor of the picnics anyways and I get the bonus of some cracklins on the side...  I wouldn't even think about smoking a boneless shoulder.