BBQ Pork Butt or Shoulder

kitchenelf · Sep 21, 2004

For a BBQ shoulder here's what I do - I use my smoker.

Coat outside with olive oil and kosher salt (NOTHING ELSE!!!!!)

But if you want to do a rub try this:

The Rub
1/3 cup (85 ml) firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons (30 ml) garlic powder
2 tablespoons (30 ml) paprika
2 tablespoons (30 ml) ground white pepper
2 tablespoons (30 ml) ground black pepper
1 tablespoon (15 ml) ground cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon (15 ml) dry mustard
2 teaspoons (10 ml) ground sage
2 teaspoons (10 ml) ground thyme
1 teaspoon (5 ml) ground allspice

The Mop & Sauce
2 cups (500 ml) cider vinegar
1 cup (250 ml) corn oil
1 tablespoon (15 ml) Tabasco® or similar hot red pepper sauce

Use mop sauce through the cooking process - but the more you open that lid the longer it will take to cook - I like to cook mine to an internal temperature of at LEAST 200°F (100°C)

NOW, BACK TO MY INSTRUCTIONS WITH ONLY SALT AND OIL*****

Put apple juice in the water pan and plenty of it. Soak wood chunks (NOT CHIPS) for about 45 minutes) in either apple juice or water.

Place shoulder on smoker fat side up, close lid, and smoke for about 10-12 hours - up to 18 hours will have it absolutely falling off the bone and provide a beautiful smoke ring!!!!

I like a vinegar based bbq sauce - if you don't have one hollar - I'll post it.

Sharon · May 9, 2005

Kitchenelf,

Have you ever frozen the pulled pork and used later?

We want to make pulled pork for a graduation party but don't want to have to be doing this right before the party. We were wondering if we could make it ahead and freeze it.

Raine · May 9, 2005

Yes, there are 3 ways you can do it. Freeze the butt whole, and then thaw and reheat whole, pull it after heated.
This will help retain the moisture. However, when cooling the butts down for the freezer make sure you follow proper cooling procedures to insure no spoiled meat.

Second you could pull it, and then freeze it. The less you pack it (pan or bag) the easy it will be to reheat.

Thirdly, if you have a food vacum bagger you could pull it and seal it, then reheat it by dropping the bag into boiling water.

Sharon · May 10, 2005

Thanks for the info. We are new at this so really appreciate the advice.

htc · Jun 19, 2005

Elf or Rainee, I want to attempt this pulled pork recipe this upcoming weekend. Two quick questions:

-Do I need to leave the dry rub on overnight?
-What is "real" charcoal?

I currently buy the stuff you can get at any local grocery store (i.e Kingsford brand, etc). A friend mentioned if I am going to smoke for an extended period of time, I should try real charcoal not the small briquette stuff I am currently using. I want to go try to find this, but don't know what it's called.

Thanks!!!

AllenOK · Jun 20, 2005

"Real" charcoal is Lump Hardwood Charcoal. You may have to do some searching to find it. There's only two places around here that sell it, Lowe's and Menard's.

nytxn · Jun 20, 2005

Walmart sells it here... as do most grocery stores... You can also find it at a Grill specialty store.

Raine · Jun 20, 2005

Yes, you can put the rub on overnight.

Kingsford is the most popular brand, and will work just fine for long cooks.

Actually lump usually burns a little quicker.

kitchenelf · Jun 20, 2005

You will also be using soaked Hickory chunks, right? (I get those at Lowe's Hardware) - that's where the flavor comes from IMHO. I soak about 7 or 8 chunks in apple juice for about 45 minutes. Then add along with the charcoal. I have had some pretty adament conversations about the apple juice in the water pan and I can tell you without a doubt that it flavors MUCH better than filling the pan with water.

I think everyone else answered your question about the "real" charcoal.

htc · Jun 20, 2005

Thanks for all of the advice everyone! I will definitely go get apple juice or cider to put in the pan. I am also going to go pick up the chunks of hickory. :chef:

Constance · Jun 20, 2005

My husband does a tasty smoked pork butt. He just rubs it with Bayou Blast and slathers ordinary mustard all over the outside. He has one of those barrel smokers, and spends all day at it. (250-275 degrees, at least 1-1/2 hours per lb.) When he has the smoker going, he usually does 2 pork butts and a couple of turkeys (those we just rub with olive oil and either Bayou Blast or sage/salt/pepper inside and out).
We generally have company when he does that, so a lot of it gets eaten, but nothing goes to waste.
I freeze small packages of the pulled pork and smoked turkey to put in with beans (soup, green or baked), mix with BBQ sauce for sandwiches, or use for burritos.
Then I boil the turkey carcasses...makes great broth for a gumbo, or any soup for that matter.

htc · Jun 20, 2005

Oh, one more thing I forgot...how hot should I try to keep my smoker???? I pulled a recipe off of recipezaar that says an oven temp of 250-275. Just wanted to see if that number changes when cooking outdoor.

Raine · Jun 20, 2005

Just remember your cooker is just an outdoor oven. Sure you can! It make just be a little more work to keep a steady temp, depending on the outdoor elements of the day. If you have trouble keeping it where you want it, you may have to adjust the cooking time.

We take recipes I find in cookbooks for cooking things in an oven, and convert them to cooking outside. We practice cooking it, storing, etc for competitions.

Pilgrims cooked in wood fired ovens.

There is just something about eating food cooked outdoors.

Keep practicing, asking questions, trying the different ways of doing it.

It really is best when you just keep it simple.

Raine · Jun 20, 2005

Also, try to learn your hot and cold spots of your cooker.

An easy and inexpensive way to do that is to test the cooker with can biscuits.

Water in the water pan can also help you control the temps.

htc · Jun 25, 2005

This might sound like a dumb question, but why do you cook the pork until about 200 degress? I have seen other recipes say approx. the same temp. Doesn't pork become fully cooked at like 160 or 170 (forgot which one). Wouldn't the pork get dried out (even if I do spray every hour w/ mop sauce)?? Or does the temp change since we're slow cooking stuff?

Oh, my Dad got me a pork butt, but it's boneless, so the cooking time should be a lot less. No pulling an all nighter!

The meat has been on the grill since 7am this morning and is at a temp of about 150 now...soon... :chef:

kitchenelf · Jun 25, 2005

The pork won't be "pullable" at 160 degrees. You would be able to slice it but that's all. No, it does not dry out at all. It tends to be dryer at 160 degrees. Cook fat side up for most of the way then turn over. I don't know that the cooking time would be that much less even if boneless. Rainee would know for sure.

I don't even use a mop - I just leave mine alone for about 10 hours. At about 200 degrees internal temp it starts pulling apart and is wonderful!

htc · Jun 25, 2005

Ok, thanks! I've tried as hard as I can to leave it alone, I did panick a few times when the cooking temp in the smoker showed that it dropped below 200 deg. I added more coals to get the temp back up to about 225. This has been interesting trying to get the temp to remain consistent.

kitchenelf · Jun 25, 2005

I cheat - I have an electric smoker - it has spoiled me - I feel like Ron Popeil - set it and forget it!!!!

htc · Jun 25, 2005

I had access to an electric smoker for a while, but when I read a thread that said I would still have to cook it because the meat wouldn't reach the correct internal temp, I just gave up and never used it. Seemed like too much work and I guess I just didn't get it! :ermm:

Raine · Jun 25, 2005

We don't have any experience cooking a boneless butt. However, it is the fat that you are trying to render. So you may need to allow just as much time. Better to have it done early and hold it, than it not be ready to eat when you are.

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