# Do you cook a Boston Butt, fat side up or



## Barbarainnc

fat side down? So what is the best way??  Maybe this should go under Cooking on the grill ??


----------



## urmaniac13




----------



## Andy M.

Cook it fat side up.  Boston Butt is a slow cooking piece of meat and the fat melting wil help keep it moist.


----------



## Constance

Ditto on that...


----------



## shannon in KS

urmaniac!!


----------



## Andy M.

urmaniac13 said:
			
		

>


 

Hey, watch it!  These guys were no bums!


----------



## AllenOK

That's how I smoke mine, fat-side up.  Of course, I cheat a bit, and only smoke it for 4 - 5 hours.  After that, it's in the house, wrap it in plastic, then in foil, and into a 250°F oven for another 4 - 5 hours.  Always moist and tender.


----------



## Aurora

AllenMI said:
			
		

> That's how I smoke mine, fat-side up. Of course, I cheat a bit, and only smoke it for 4 - 5 hours. After that, it's in the house, wrap it in plastic, then in foil, and into a 250°F oven for another 4 - 5 hours. Always moist and tender.


 
Forgive my denseness, but what kind of plastic do you use to wrap the butt?  Saran and other plastic wraps are not rated for browning units, conventional ovens, stovetops or toaster ovens and will melt when in contact with foods high in fat or sugar.


----------



## AllenOK

That's one of those things most folks don't realize.  Plastic wrap, by itself, will melt when it's used in an oven.  However, when the plastic wrap is covered with foil, it will hold up.  I've seen this trick done for years working in restaurants, and have done it myself a few times at home.


----------



## QSis

AllenMI said:
			
		

> That's one of those things most folks don't realize. Plastic wrap, by itself, will melt when it's used in an oven. However, when the plastic wrap is covered with foil, it will hold up. I've seen this trick done for years working in restaurants, and have done it myself a few times at home.


 
Yes, at smoker or oven temps as LOW as 250.  I use that technique, too, only to speed up the cooking time at BBQ competitions if I'm afraid that the meat won't be done enough by turn-in time.  Otherwise, if you have enough time to cook it,  it's not necessary to wrap when cooking  low-and-slow butts, in my opinion.

Lee


----------



## amber

I've never cooked a boston butt, but most roast are best cooked fat side up, it adds moisture to the meat.


----------



## Raine

Fat side up, then the fat can render down through the meat for flavor & mositure.


----------



## dashingdoxie

how long should you smoke a 3.5 # pork butt?


----------



## jennyema

I don't know the answer but gratuitously posted so that you could see my *dashingdoxie*, pictured at left.

I brown all sides on the grill and then cook fat side up in the oven.

And Licia -- loved the pic!


----------



## Hopz

I trim as much of the fat off my butt as I can get, before smoking.

This way I can use my butt rub all over the butt and it will still be there (at least the flavor). As we say- the fabulous "Mr. Brown is in town"... Mr. Brown being the smokey, crusty, tasty outside of the butt after cooking.


----------



## Gretchen

If you are slow cooking your 3.5# butt as for pulled pork, do it at 250* for 6-8 hours.
If you smoke the pork for the 4 hours and then put in a 250* oven uncovered (no wrap of any kind) you will get a meltingly delicious piece of meat with a nice brown crust to add to your pulled pork.


----------



## Barb L.

*Boston butt*

I have always done my Butt in the crock pot-w/dry rub - would like to try it in the oven -  what would be the oven temp. 250 ? and how long, I usually do a 6-8lb. one !  Will it brown nicely at this low temp ?  Thanks for your help !!


----------



## candelbc

This weekend for a family camping weekend I am dry smoking a 10 pound Brisket and 3 - 6 pound Boston Butts... It should be a NICE meal.. 

This last weekend I did a Boston Butt and ended up taking MUCH longer than I had planned, and I finished the rest in the oven at 300..

My question is this.. I can only assume that the slower you cook this, the more fat will drip out. What internal temperature do you want the middle of the butt to come to?

Note: The reason the Butt took longer in the smoker is cause I was hovering around 150 degrees. I think that might be slightly too cool for a thick cut of meat like this.. From this post, I think I will aim for 200-250..

-Brad


----------



## Andy M.

225-250 F is the ideal temp range for a butt.  The internal temperature should end up around 200 F. to make it pullable.


----------



## Gretchen

Barb L said:
			
		

> I have always done my Butt in the crock pot-w/dry rub - would like to try it in the oven - what would be the oven temp. 250 ? and how long, I usually do a 6-8lb. one ! Will it brown nicely at this low temp ? Thanks for your help !!


 
It will brown beautifully. Cook that size for 8 hours at 225-250*.

As for finishing the butt in a 300* oven, that is roasting temperature. It would have been better to finish it at 225-250* for a longer time. A temp of 150* is basically not safe.
Any temp above 190* will be pullable. I have only recorded the temp one time in the INNUMERABLE numbers of pork BBQs I have done, just to see if that was the temp. I have been doing this recipe for pulled pork for more than 40 years and was not even aware of the "end temp" until a few years ago. Always went by time and temp.


----------



## lulu

I have no idea what a Boston Butt is but I have tears running down my face as I read this.  Someone had better burst my bubble and clarify.

I would normally type ROFLMAO but maybe it better be ROFLM "B B" O!


----------



## Andy M.

Sorry to burst your evil bubble, Boston Butt is a cut of meat from the front shoulder of a hog.


----------



## Barb L.

lulu said:
			
		

> I have no idea what a Boston Butt is but I have tears running down my face as I read this.  Someone had better burst my bubble and clarify.
> 
> I would normally type ROFLMAO but maybe it better be ROFLM "B B" O!


  Now you have me laughing -- too cool !!!


----------



## Dave Hutchins

I like the wrap in plastic and foil route my pork all ways comes out juicy and so tender a baby could eat it .  I have done this commercially for years with no complaints.


----------



## kitchenelf

Dave Hutchins said:
			
		

> I like the wrap in plastic and foil route my pork all ways comes out juicy and so tender a baby could eat it .  I have done this commercially for years with no complaints.



Just a question - have you ever smoked/cooked it NOT wrapped?  It still comes out juicy, tender, and almost butter-like.  Then there is the "bark" that is the REAL treat for those standing first in line!  OR, are you talking about in the oven.  I have also placed mine on a rack in the oven (not in a pan), placed a pan of apple juice below, set the oven at 225º.  Cooked to an internal temp of about 190-something and it was awesome.  Of course, it was a rather huge piece of meat and took 20 hours to cook.  But boy, was it good.


----------



## Dave Hutchins

*Pork Butt*

I smoke mine first for 3-4 hours then wrap and finish in the oven
sorry if I mis led you


----------



## kitchenelf

I'm so easily lead astray too!    OK, got it now!


----------



## Uncle Bob

I mostly am a fat cap _remover _on Boston butts! I also remove what is known as the "false cap" that lies underneath the fat cap. Sometimes this is where you find a hidden lymp node. There is plenty of fat in the butt muscle to keep it moist and tender. Rubs/mops/sauces on the fat cap are wasted! Smoke flavor laid on the fat cap is wasted (unless you eat fat) Also, you create more surface area for bark!!!!
 
That being said, do what makes you happy! I do!! 
 
Beef brisket is another story.
 
Fun, and enjoy!!!


----------

