wood for pork butt ?

Hickory is the right wood.Let us know how it
comes out.

I was using hickory a while for everything. I've had my smoker for about 2 months and love it. However, I was able to get some apple wood and have done quite a bit of pork in my smoker with it and really like the results. My wife says the hickory is a little strong and the apple is a little milder. I will have to agree and no my wife is not a whiner,,,,,thank God! I just got some pecan and am waiting for it to dry so I can try it. The fun part of all of this is the experimenting. And, even the screw up have been delicious.



Iowa man

ONE OTHER THING

When I did my first butt,,,,,,,let's see, I was about 14 and playing football and there was this girl..... I mean my first pork butt was about 6 pounds and the book said I should expect about 7 hours I think. Well it took 14 hours and after reading on here for the last 2 months that is what it to be expected. The butt was the first thing I did and when I went over the 7 hours I started freaking that something was wrong. Well,,,,after reading and paying attention on the forum you really have to believe Smokin when he says, "it's done when it's done". Get a thermometer. I got one this 2 weeks ago from a outlet mall for $19.00 and it works great. Has a temp alarm and everything. Fisherman hooked me up.

Anyway the butt I smoked was delicous. I foiled it the last 4 hours and cranked up the heat.

I'm not a pro but my notes say 225 degrees and let her go until she's done.

Sharing the love,,,,,,,,

Iowa Man

quote:

. My wife says the hickory is a little strong and the apple is a little milder.

Say, Iowa Man (and, Iowa Woman!), we Crackers like hickory, but I think your remark is an interesting and underdiscussed topic in BBQ.

And God knows, we need more to discuss!

I think these regional "tastes" or "preferences" are worth some study. I think I like rather "in-your-face" BBQ. I had a fabulous brisket in New YORK the other day ------ perfect in every way ----but so mild as to be.....forgettable? The menu said "we use oak and fruit wood."

I haven't travelled enough (never been to Alaska, for example, the very hub of Aleutian barbeque} so I don't know for sure, but I think there are BIG regional, and even personal differences, in how BBQ should taste...from the smoke point of view!

What do you think of that?

How do you come up with a recipe?

How can we be a nation united with that sort of disparity in grub?

Well, I'm a liberal-minded man. All I'm against is par-boiling ribs. And fat pine smoke on a Boston butt.
(I knew a guy who roasted a shark on a burning rubber tire. Nightmare.)

i2,that shark must have been when he was off the south coast lookin' for square grouper.

quote:

i2,that shark must have been when he was off the south coast lookin' for square grouper

Tom, the guy was an Australian.

Does that explain it?

He was a graduate student, famous for wild parties and Mystery Roadkill Stew.

He still lives in the USA. The Ausies don't want him back.

sfent,
I finally really nailed the perfect butt last weekend(sounds nasty putting it that way) I had never been able to time it right and kept taking it off too soon. I started this one the night before and just planned for 20 hours if needed. It was a 6 lb boston, started at 200 for about 8 hours woke up and bumped it to 225. Mopped it a few times with Smokin's mop and it was done in about 17 hours. Three kids 9-5 had seconds and the wife agreed. It is done when it is done 205 that baby just fell off the bone.

ok guys... its a lot of input, i am going to try it on sunday, the last question is exactly how much wood do i use per pound of shoulder, there will be no other meat in the smoker( model 55) and i will used hickory, i do not want to over smoke it !! thanx sfent

sfent,I don't know that you can go with ounces/lb.,but I'd think if you started with 6oz.-8oz. in that 55 and used that as the basis for your next cook you will be OK.

You can always use more next time, or add some half way through the cook.

The rub that you use to build your bark and the pullin' sauce you use when you mix it will contribute most of the rest IMHO.

There are other techniques you can use to build more bark surface and temp.changes for smoke,but I'd suggest you just put it in,take Smokin's notes and enjoy the process.

I'm not sure it is worth all the study and tricks to turn out what should be a forgiving and great eatin' butt.

Heck,I'm so confident you'll do great;I recommend doing at least two.

They won't last long enough to worry about how to store them.

okay, let's start the controversy Tom.

I think in a 55 that 6 to 8 ounces will be too much hickory. I wouldn't go with more than 4 for a first time out. As you know it's very easy to oversmoke in the CS, I just want the first experience to be good.

So, anyone agree? disagree?

Smokin'

I agree with Smokin I smoke alot of pork and I only use 2 small pieces of hickory or apple, and some times I mix the two, I like a medium smoke flavor not to strong. There are never any left overs!! I'm doing a 8 lb. pork butt for the this weekend and 3 chickens. The pork will be rubbed with honey and pumpkin pie spice then pulled for sandwiches yummmmyy!!!

Smokin',I originally posted a max. of 6 oz. and then edited it to say 6 to 8 oz.

I wouldn't disagree about starting low and increasing with each cook.

Maybe the fact that I blend a lot of apple and keep the cooker pretty full moves me to the higher figure.

That being said,I have oversmoked assorted poultry,I have taken ribs past the point of good smoke,I have put smoke on some seafood that made it weird,I have put even minimal smoke on fine beef that shrouded the great beef flavor,I have ruined assorted foods with mesquite,I have taken the fat in 'coons,'possums,deer to holding rancid flavors,I have changed cabbage based vegetables to a skunky flavor,but in almost 35 years of smokin',on everything imagined-I have never oversmoked a shoulder/butt on "Anything that ran as CLEAN a smoke as a CS "to the typical southerner's taste IMHO.

As they say over at Ray B's,"flame me if you will,I'll be happy to compare experiences"