Yesterday I had my first smoke- pork butt. I brined two boneless pork butts (6 lbs each) for 12 hours using Alton Browns recipe. Covered them with mustard and then coated them with Costco smoke rub. Smoked them for 10 hours at 225 to internal temperature of 195 (Maverick ET- 733), double wrapped them in aluminum foil for an hour and them pulled the meat. I used approximately 6 oz. of hickory (don’t have a digital scale yet). Great bark and meat was delicious. One thing though the meat did not shred easily, although once shredded it was great. I cooked port butts before in a slow cooker and they fell apart easily. I’ve also smoked port butts for two hours using a different smoker and then finished them in the oven at 225, again they fell apart easily. Any suggestions? See pictures.
First Smoke SI#2
- Thread starter GreenID
- Start date
AlienSockpuppet
New member
That's a beautiful tray of pig. I don't know why it might have been hard to shred. I've only done pulled pork in a smoker, so I don't know what it felt like with other slow cookers. Usually, I just let mine sit for 15-20 minutes then go after it with a pair of big serving forks. Sometimes I have impulse control issues. 
SuperDave
New member
GreenID, if I was instructing someone on doing pulled pork for the first time, I would tell them that the IT range would be 195 - 205. I usually pull at 200 to be safe. If your butts were a little on the tough side to begin with you may have just needed a little longer to break it down. I view 195 as the minimum and not necessarily as a guarantee temperature.
They look great Jackie. I usually get butts from Costco and they are bone in and a bit larger, 9 lbs or so. I have only done 1 at a time and some have taken 15+ hrs but the meat falls off the bone leaving a clean bone.
I agree with Dave that taking the IT to over 200 is a good policy. 8)
I agree with Dave that taking the IT to over 200 is a good policy. 8)
DivotMaker
New member
Jackie, I'm going to dissent with the crowd here. I do butts a lot, and always wrap/rest at "around" 195. The carry-over cooking, when resting, takes them to 200+. I've always found 200, before wrapping, yields a dryer butt. Crazy talk?? Maybe. But, I'll explain my rationale:
First, the butt has a lot of internal fat and connective tissue, so it's hard to really "dry out," unless you have a bad butt (it happens, just like any cut of meat). Don't let one butt make your mind up about how they all cook. I smoke 2-3 butts a month, and have maybe 1 out of 10 that just isn't as good as the rest. You mentioned this was a boneless butt; I believe that's part of your problem. For pulled pork, you will never beat the bone-in Boston butt cut of pork shoulder. The bone does amazing things to the cook, and boneless butts tend to dry out more. Your boneless butt may have very well been a picnic cut, too, which is the lower part of the front leg. Much more tough, and doesn't work near as well for pulled pork as the Boston butt.
Next, brining is a good thing - good job! I'm not familiar with Alton's brine, but I know mine works well (at least for me). Brine for Boston Butt
Alton Brown usually has some good stuff - I'm just not familiar with his butt brine.
And, the real magic happens, with a Boston butt, during the "stall!" That's when all that internal fat is rendering down into liquid goodness! That's also when the meat is tenderized. So, once it pushes through the stall, and starts climbing again, the meat is very close to its most tender point. Once you get in the 190s, it's done!
Bottom line recommendations: First, get a bone-in Boston butt from a good source (I find Sam's butts to be really consistently good, but you may go butcher shop). Next, continue your brining regimen. And, wrap/rest the next one at 195-198. You'll know it's tender when you remove the bone, after the rest. You just give it a little wiggle, and it should pull out clean as a whistle! Shouldn't have any trouble pulling it then!
But, I'll explain my rationale:First, the butt has a lot of internal fat and connective tissue, so it's hard to really "dry out," unless you have a bad butt (it happens, just like any cut of meat). Don't let one butt make your mind up about how they all cook. I smoke 2-3 butts a month, and have maybe 1 out of 10 that just isn't as good as the rest. You mentioned this was a boneless butt; I believe that's part of your problem. For pulled pork, you will never beat the bone-in Boston butt cut of pork shoulder. The bone does amazing things to the cook, and boneless butts tend to dry out more. Your boneless butt may have very well been a picnic cut, too, which is the lower part of the front leg. Much more tough, and doesn't work near as well for pulled pork as the Boston butt.
Next, brining is a good thing - good job! I'm not familiar with Alton's brine, but I know mine works well (at least for me). Brine for Boston Butt
Alton Brown usually has some good stuff - I'm just not familiar with his butt brine.
And, the real magic happens, with a Boston butt, during the "stall!" That's when all that internal fat is rendering down into liquid goodness! That's also when the meat is tenderized. So, once it pushes through the stall, and starts climbing again, the meat is very close to its most tender point. Once you get in the 190s, it's done!
Bottom line recommendations: First, get a bone-in Boston butt from a good source (I find Sam's butts to be really consistently good, but you may go butcher shop). Next, continue your brining regimen. And, wrap/rest the next one at 195-198. You'll know it's tender when you remove the bone, after the rest. You just give it a little wiggle, and it should pull out clean as a whistle! Shouldn't have any trouble pulling it then!
Tony,
Thanks for the insight and no I am not going to to let my first smoke of a butt discourage me. I got these butts from Costco, I have a Restaurant Depot near me and they have bone in 2 pack butts. I'll report back when I smoke butts again, my next smoke will be chicken halves.
Thanks for the insight and no I am not going to to let my first smoke of a butt discourage me. I got these butts from Costco, I have a Restaurant Depot near me and they have bone in 2 pack butts. I'll report back when I smoke butts again, my next smoke will be chicken halves.
DivotMaker
New member
You're fortunate, Jackie - have a RD near you! I'm jealous of you guys! My closest one is a 5 hour drive!! 
DivotMaker
New member
elkins20 said:
4 hours from KC, 6 from St Louis, and 5 from OKC! No matter how I slice it, I would have to make a RD trip a full day, with at least 8 hours of driving!
