Brined Pork Butt for Pulled Pork
- Thread starter DivotMaker
- Start date
DivotMaker
New member
I followed this recipe last week. I followed the entire recipe except that I used Costco Pork Barrel Rub All-American. Turned out fantastic - all my guests were amazed at how tender and moist it was. I highly recommend this method. I put a pig shoulder on at midnight and it was done at 3pm at 200 degrees. Let it rest 30 minutes.
I'm getting ready to put another one on right now
I'm getting ready to put another one on right now
DivotMaker
New member
Thanks Mike!! Glad you liked it!
JSRFrench
New member
9 1/2 bone-in $0.98 per lb grocery store Boston Butt brined 15 hours rubbed with home grown Cajun spices using an apple / pecan combination model 3 set at 230* for 10 hours & perfect results today.
Appreciate all the recipes & advice - I read & use.
Appreciate all the recipes & advice - I read & use.
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Dockmaster
New member
Thanks for the brine recipe, Tony. I've brined turkeys & chicken but just used plane saltwater. My wife brined pork chops and added a little maple syrup to the brine and it was good. Will try your recipe my next butt, probably shortly after Thanksgiving. Are those "Bear Claws" in your photo? Do they work as good as they say? Thanks a lot.
DivotMaker
New member
Hey Steve, hope you like the butt brine! Yep, bear claws in the photo. I love them - well-worth the money!
I have an 8 lb pork butt which was prepped with DM's Pork Butt Brine in the SI3. When I was trimming, there was a deep layer of connective tissue nearly separating the butt, so I placed the Auber PID temp probe in the bone end, being careful not to touch the bone. I had a Maverick handy so I stuck one probe in the other end.
It's currently stalled at 169 deg (9 1/2 hours) according to the Maverick. However, I noticed a 12 point difference in temp between the two ends of this small butt. Because I am using the Auber to automatically decrease the SI3 to 140 deg after an internal temp of 193, I felt I needed to move the probe from the bone end. While opening (I really didn't want to) I also placed my second Maverick probe back in the bone end.
To recap, I now have the Auber temp probe and a Maverick probe in one end (reading 169 and 170 deg - 1 degree difference) and a second Maverick probe in the bone end which is reading 156 deg. Should I go with the non bone end since this is in the range of the stall described by others?
It's currently stalled at 169 deg (9 1/2 hours) according to the Maverick. However, I noticed a 12 point difference in temp between the two ends of this small butt. Because I am using the Auber to automatically decrease the SI3 to 140 deg after an internal temp of 193, I felt I needed to move the probe from the bone end. While opening (I really didn't want to) I also placed my second Maverick probe back in the bone end.
To recap, I now have the Auber temp probe and a Maverick probe in one end (reading 169 and 170 deg - 1 degree difference) and a second Maverick probe in the bone end which is reading 156 deg. Should I go with the non bone end since this is in the range of the stall described by others?
DivotMaker
New member
SuperDave said:
+1! Bone = bad. Meat = Great!
DivotMaker
New member
Yeah, TJ, the bone end gets hotter, faster. I think the bone serves as a heat conductor into the meat. But, that also makes the whole thing cook more evenly. Bone-in meat always seems to cook better, imo.
It was shy of that magical 8 lbs (but it was the largest available at the grocery store) so I wasn't too surprised that it took 16 hours (2 hrs per pound) to get to 191 deg. Was shooting for 193 but I wanted to allow enough time to rest. Double wrapped in foil and rested for 90 min. Got a little color from a decent smoke ring thanks to the Instacure. Great comments from the family about the moist and tender meat. This will become one of my smoking staples!
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DivotMaker said:
I found that that bone end was the lower temp side. This was confirmed with 2 temp probes (the Auber and one of the Maverick probes) in the meaty end, and only the other Maverick probe in the bony end. I chose to disregard the probe in the bony end.
I sort of have that finding with grilling bone-in steaks where the meat around the bone is less done.
DivotMaker
New member
I agree, TJ! I think I said it backwards. The bone is really like a "heat sink," more than a conductor. It absorbs the heat, and makes the meat cook more evenly. Your experience is right! What I do know, for sure, is bone-in meat cooks better! lol. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!
nvw-ssv
Member
Just finished a set of (2) butts in the #2, using DM's brine recipe. 9 # and 7.3# for a total of 16.3lbs. in the #2, crammed in TIGHTLY.
Brined for 15 hours in the fridge in my Sam's Club bucket of DM's brine, rinsed well, patted dry and back into the fridge with olive oil/rub for about 7 hours. Used 3.0 oz. white oak and 3.0 cherry from Smokinlicious.com (excellent quality!!!)
Placed into the smoker at 9:20 pm on Wed. night. From 40*F to 140*F in exactly four hours on an Auber program of 145* for 45 mins, 235* until 190*F. After staying up those four hours watching Heisenberg learn to cook.....I was awakened not much later by my Maverick 733 probe alarm (on the smaller butt) at 188*F at 6:15 am on Thursday morning. The other butt was same temp. with Auber probe (larger butt)
These butts were purchased from Sam's and never frozen - is this normal to finish so quickly? They were touching on the rack and couldn't have had much more than a half inch at the back and the door..... Yeah, I did check with my trusty digital thermometer in several places of each butt to confirm these IT's.
Does approx. ONE hour per pound sound OK? Currently in foil wrap and towels for a couple hours....eating tonight at 7 PM......what should I do to preserve the taste for tonight? Need ideas
Jody
Brined for 15 hours in the fridge in my Sam's Club bucket of DM's brine, rinsed well, patted dry and back into the fridge with olive oil/rub for about 7 hours. Used 3.0 oz. white oak and 3.0 cherry from Smokinlicious.com (excellent quality!!!)
Placed into the smoker at 9:20 pm on Wed. night. From 40*F to 140*F in exactly four hours on an Auber program of 145* for 45 mins, 235* until 190*F. After staying up those four hours watching Heisenberg learn to cook.....I was awakened not much later by my Maverick 733 probe alarm (on the smaller butt) at 188*F at 6:15 am on Thursday morning. The other butt was same temp. with Auber probe (larger butt)
These butts were purchased from Sam's and never frozen - is this normal to finish so quickly? They were touching on the rack and couldn't have had much more than a half inch at the back and the door..... Yeah, I did check with my trusty digital thermometer in several places of each butt to confirm these IT's.
Does approx. ONE hour per pound sound OK? Currently in foil wrap and towels for a couple hours....eating tonight at 7 PM......what should I do to preserve the taste for tonight? Need ideas
Jody
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BedouinBob
New member
Jody, it could. Depends on the meat. The times are average and are really guidelines. You will find that the meat will tell you when it is done. So at about 190 deg pull the meat and let it rest for 30 minutes. If these were bone in make sure your probes are not in the bone. That could make the temp run high.
nvw-ssv
Member
Thanks Bob. I checked in several different places on both butts and kept getting 187+ numbers with my digital kitchen thermometer. So, I just decided to take them out, wrap them in foil and put in a cooler , and pulled them 2 hours later.
What I found was - more fatty output than last time, no big deal....and the bone didn't slide out as easily - though it wasn't a chore to remove. I'm very PLEASED with the flavor and attribute that to DM's brine. Probably (tonight) will put this in the oven at 250*F for about an hour, let rest for 30 minutes, and then thoroughly impress the guests. Very happy overall with this cook, though it only netted 8 lbs from 16.30 lbs. precooked. One of the butts had a huge bone, almost 1.5 times the size of the other one. And I keep very little fat in the final product. Another good day for the #2.
What I found was - more fatty output than last time, no big deal....and the bone didn't slide out as easily - though it wasn't a chore to remove. I'm very PLEASED with the flavor and attribute that to DM's brine. Probably (tonight) will put this in the oven at 250*F for about an hour, let rest for 30 minutes, and then thoroughly impress the guests. Very happy overall with this cook, though it only netted 8 lbs from 16.30 lbs. precooked. One of the butts had a huge bone, almost 1.5 times the size of the other one. And I keep very little fat in the final product. Another good day for the #2.
