Super-easy great pork shoulder

[joefoosh]

Busy week, but wanted to cook up a boston butt to have for visiting family here.
7.85 lb butt.
No pre-marinade. Just scored the fat side, slathered it all over with mustard, rubbed on some brown sugar, Chachere’s, garlic powder, and paprika.
Used two probes to be secure about internal temp readings. Middle grill, fat side up.
Put three apple wood chunks in the box.
Set it at 225 to cook to 200 internal temp and left it alone.
Started it at around 6:00pm and figured it’d be done around lunchtime the next day. But when I got up at 6:00 this morning, it was ready and already cooled back down to 135 (it was a cold morning here).
We didn’t even cover it resting, just let it cool a bit and cut the bark up and pulled out the bone. It’s VERY tender and juicy. Awesomely tasty, ESPECIALLY the fat bark pieces!
It rendered down to just over 4 1/2 lbs.

 

[old sarge]

Butts are pretty much hands off. Yours turned out well.

 

[Paul B]

Looks great, I never thought of scoring mine.
Here's a sample of mine:

 

[barelfly]

Excellent smoke! Thanks for sharing.

I need to remember to score the caps when I smoke these.

 

[OldeSmoker]

Thanks for sharing. Looks like a very successful cook. I like the idea of scoring the fat cap as well. Welcome!

 

[joefoosh]

I’ve been repeating this basic butt roast smoke with a few rub variations, all turn out good and are easy.
Regarding the SCORED fat on top, I’ve found that everybody here in Mississippi loves those pieces, especially with rubs that are sweeter (like with brown sugar).
They’re like a cheap version of bite-sized pork belly bits or, as we call those, PORK CANDY!

 

[Glock_21]

I'm going to have to try that scoring technique.

I rarely get a pork butt done in 12 hours.  Most of mine seem to run 18 hours or more.

 

[lcdearman]

I've been removing the fat cap. I am cooking 2 butts later today so I am going to try scoring one of them. I'm also going to soak 1 block of wood (out of the 3 I plan to use) to see if it will extend the smoke generated by my #2 analog. From what I have read, it should delay the smoke from that block until after the water evaporates.