# Cooking Boston Butt Question...



## MrBob001 (Dec 6, 2007)

forgive my ignorance..I am new to this forum..usually participate in medical forums since I practice medicine for a living...Here is my very basic question..I am going to be cooking 6 boston butts (7-9 lbs each) on a Southern Grill designed for cooking pigs "pig pickin'" (those of you that live in the Carolinas know exactly what kind I am talking about...

What temp and how long for the butts..I have cooked many whole pigs but never the butts and have no idea about how long I should expect to cook these slow cooked babies.....so I can plan when to be done of course....any help here? 
MrBob001


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## Bilby (Dec 6, 2007)

Mr Bob, barely understand your question cos I am a long, long way away from the Carolinas but I am sure there are heaps of people who will be able to give you some of the answers you seek.  I just came on to say, "Welcome"!


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## Uncle Bob (Dec 6, 2007)

Welcome to DC Mr. Bob....

225*--250* to an internal temp. of 190*+.... Use a thermometer not a clock to determine doneness. 1 to 1/5 hours per pound would be a good ball park time to plan your day!

Enjoy and Have Fun!!!


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## MrBob001 (Dec 6, 2007)

Uncle Bob said:


> Welcome to DC Mr. Bob....
> 
> 225*--250* to an internal temp. of 190*+.... Use a thermometer not a clock to determine doneness. 1 to 1/5 hours per pound would be a good ball park time to plan your day!
> 
> Enjoy and Have Fun!!!



thanks....U.B.     That was what I was looking for...

Bill...a grill like I am talking about is constructed from an old discarded oil tank...around 500 gallons...and it is put on wheels to pull behind a car or truck. it is usually gas operated (propane/bottled) and they are designed in many ways. they are usually "personalized" here in the south so that "grillers" jockey for "bragging rights" on how great our grill is compared to our neighbors. We drag them to all kinds of events and usually cook pigs on them and  the product is served right off the grill with the eaters just pulling meat off the pig hence the name "pig pickin". How each cooks their pig is generally some sort of silly secret (do you flip yours? No I never do...well I do, and if you don;t it don;t cook right, ....Oh I never flip mine.,...well then you don;t know how to cook a pig....yak yak yak....(LOL)) you get the picture....Cookin' a pig in the south is considered some sort of an art form....(LOL again)

thanks for the welcome...I look forward to participating

Bob


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## Uncle Bob (Dec 6, 2007)

MrBob101 said:
			
		

> How each cooks their pig is generally some sort of silly secret (do you flip yours? No I never do...well I do, and if you don;t it don;t cook right, ....Oh I never flip mine.,...well then you don;t know how to cook a pig....yak yak yak....(LOL)) you get the picture....Cookin' a pig in the south is considered some sort of an art form....(LOL again)


 

And everybody knows that a Whole hog cooked in Mississippi is 12 times better than anything that was ever cooked in North Carolina..or South Carolina,,or anywhere else for that matter...Even Australia Bilby!!


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## Andy M. (Dec 6, 2007)

Uncle Bob said:


> And everybody knows that a Whole hog cooked in Mississippi is 12 times better than anything that was ever cooked in North Carolina..or South Carolina,,or anywhere else for that matter...Even Australia Bilby!!


 

There you go exaggerating again, Uncle Bob.  The real number is closer to 11.9 times better.


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## MrBob001 (Dec 6, 2007)

Uncle Bob said:


> And everybody knows that a Whole hog cooked in Mississippi is 12 times better than anything that was ever cooked in North Carolina..or South Carolina,,or anywhere else for that matter...Even Australia Bilby!!



that probably is true since the hurricane took all your Hardees and McDonalds... Everyone knows that in Mississippi food from a backyard grill is better than anything you can get anywhere else (LOL)


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## Uncle Bob (Dec 6, 2007)

MrBob001 said:


> that probably is true since the hurricane took all your Hardees and McDonalds... Everyone knows that in Mississippi food from a backyard grill is better than anything you can get anywhere else (LOL)


 
Amen to that brother....Especially MY backyard...

Uncle Bob
Small Town Mississippi
Population 61....


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## MrBob001 (Dec 6, 2007)

Uncle Bob said:


> Amen to that brother....Especially MY backyard...
> 
> Uncle Bob
> Small Town Mississippi
> Population 61....



Population 61???????  Well........maybe Red Springs ain;t smaller after all...we have 64 (LOL)

Have a nice day  UB, you win


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## MrBob001 (Dec 6, 2007)

MrBob001 said:


> Population 61???????  Well........maybe Red Springs ain;t smaller after all...we have 64 (LOL)
> 
> Have a nice day  UB, you win



new sig.......


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## john a (Dec 6, 2007)

Must be my smoker but I've never had one take less than two hours per pound. Absolutely do it to a temperature, not time. Best investment I ever made was a Thermapen.


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## Bilby (Dec 6, 2007)

MrBob001 said:


> thanks....U.B. That was what I was looking for...
> 
> Bill...a grill like I am talking about is constructed from an old discarded oil tank...around 500 gallons...and it is put on wheels to pull behind a car or truck. it is usually gas operated (propane/bottled) and they are designed in many ways. they are usually "personalized" here in the south so that "grillers" jockey for "bragging rights" on how great our grill is compared to our neighbors. We drag them to all kinds of events and usually cook pigs on them and the product is served right off the grill with the eaters just pulling meat off the pig hence the name "pig pickin". How each cooks their pig is generally some sort of silly secret (do you flip yours? No I never do...well I do, and if you don;t it don;t cook right, ....Oh I never flip mine.,...well then you don;t know how to cook a pig....yak yak yak....(LOL)) you get the picture....Cookin' a pig in the south is considered some sort of an art form....(LOL again)
> 
> ...


LOL  Just can't imagine anyone doing that over here!! Maybe in some of the outback communities.


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## MrBob001 (Dec 6, 2007)

Bilby said:


> LOL  Just can't imagine anyone doing that over here!! Maybe in some of the outback communities.



What....constructing a cooker outta an old oil tank or yappin about how to best cook one?


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## Bilby (Dec 7, 2007)

Oz BBQ in the burbs - flashy gadgety thing that dominates the garden patio (not really the outdoors anymore cos it's too hot and too many flies!) where the men stand around with a tinny (or for the more upwardly mobile glass of red) in one hand looking at the BBQ while the seafood, meat and vegetable dishes (that were prepared by the women) cook, meanwhile discussing the footy or the V8's.  The women are located in a different part of the outdoor area around all the salads and nibblies (that they prepared). The food isn't discussed by anyone just about and the BBQ itself is only discussed for opening minutes.

Well that's in my experience anyway...  ;-)


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## TanyaK (Dec 7, 2007)

Sounds very much like a South African BBQ in the burbs Bilby  

I've never heard of  Boston butt - is it like eisbein ?


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## Bilby (Dec 7, 2007)

TanyaK said:


> Sounds very much like a South African BBQ in the burbs Bilby


Haha!! The universal leveller!!


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## MrBob001 (Dec 7, 2007)

TanyaK said:


> Sounds very much like a South African BBQ in the burbs Bilby
> 
> I've never heard of  Boston butt - is it like eisbein ?



It is the shoulder of the hog.......


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## Bilby (Dec 7, 2007)

Should I ask why a shoulder is referred to as a butt, or is it one of those things I may be better off not knowing about?? LOL ;-)


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## GotGarlic (Dec 7, 2007)

MrBob001 said:


> What....constructing a cooker outta an old oil tank or yappin about how to best cook one?



Or pulling the meat right off the pig on the grill?


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## MrBob001 (Dec 7, 2007)

GotGarlic said:


> Or pulling the meat right off the pig on the grill?




Well...truth be known, we're just bunch of savages down here in North Carolina...you Virginia yankees have a bit more class than us rednecks.....we still eat with our hands here and use forks and knives to stab each other (LOL) ....actually I believe you folks do it just like we do...serve yourself right off the grill choosing which part of the meat you want....

Also another thing some do (shudder) is pull the meat off and chop it up fine in a pan and add a vinegar based sauce (which I think ruins it, but some believe is the only way to serve it) to it. It's then called Carolina Style Barbeque.....yuk


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## Uncle Bob (Dec 7, 2007)

MrBob101 said:
			
		

> Also another thing some do (shudder) is pull the meat off and chop it up fine in a pan and add a vinegar based sauce (which I think ruins it, but some believe is the only way to serve it) to it. It's then called Carolina Style Barbeque.....yuk


 
Careful Mr. Bob There's folks here who will get all perturbed talking bad about Vinegar BBQ sauce. In fact...ya might even get sent to the "Wood Shed" I sure would hate to see ya........... Naw, I wouldn't...I ain't seen nobody sent to the Wood Shed in a long time. It'll be fun!! So go ahead and say it again!!


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## Dodi (Dec 7, 2007)

What on hearth is a Boston Butt?? , I knew a kick in the bott, but Boston Butt never heard of before!!
Have a good day cooking your "you know what" I hope you have a good weather, here in my small England it is glooooomy, I would mind a bit of what you having

Excuse my French!


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## Andy M. (Dec 7, 2007)

The Boston butt is the top portion (shoulder area) of the front legs of a hog.


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