SES
Well-Known Member
I've smoked pork tenderloin, ribs, chicken, brisket…etc, but never smoked a Boston butt. Giving it a shot today. To wrap or not to wrap, that is the question.
Boston Butt 1st Timer
- Thread starter SES
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You will want to wrap it. If you have a meat thermometer pull it when the temperature stalls and it has a nice color on the bark you like. It is usually 160s-170s. Keep it low and slow 250 degrees or lower. Takes longer but it is worth the wait. Wrap in foil or butcher paper and back on the pit. I like to take mine to 203-205 degrees before I pull it. Put it in a dry cooler and let it rest at least 3o minutes. Two or three hours is better if you have time.
SES
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the info. That's about what i do with my briskets, except I wrap them at 180 degrees
Definitely wrap. Smoking only gets so far before it dries out. You need the wrap so the rendered fat & juices can help "braise" the meat when it gets through that 165° plateau. I generally smoke 3 hours, pull and wrap, then stick it in a 250° oven for about 6 hours. After that, I'll stoke the flame, open the foil, and finish it like that another hour.
Once it's wrapped in foil, all it knows is heat. I'm not so much of a purist that I insist on burning charcoal through the wrapped phase. I'd rather have a tasty and consistent cook, than to warm my heart with the knowledge that I smoked it up until the end.
Once it's wrapped in foil, all it knows is heat. I'm not so much of a purist that I insist on burning charcoal through the wrapped phase. I'd rather have a tasty and consistent cook, than to warm my heart with the knowledge that I smoked it up until the end.
I've never wrapped a butt. I wrap them after they come off the smoker. I've never had one be dry either. I've brined and dry rubbed them and smoked them with only dry rub with no brine. They all turned out super juicy. The trick is wrapping them in foil and towels as soon as they come off and then sticking them into a cooler for about 3-4 hours
backyardtndeer
Well-Known Member
I don't wrap until they get around 185'ish, or when i raise the temp. I keep my smoker at 225, I do bump it up to 255 after wrapping. Fill the water pan before starting.
Yep, me too. I brine 24 hrs. Slather in cheap mustard, rub , smoke low and slow , then wrap and put in cooler. Always good and never dry. A guy I know does hundreds of them for fundraisers . He cooks them over hickory in a pan and covered. Taste like he baked them in an oven.
I forgot to add I also inject my pork butts. Not required but I do find its adds a lot of extra moisture and just makes it better in my opinion.
hard to mess up a butt or ribs. to wrap or not to wrap, charcoal, wood, etc etc. a purist will dig a pit.
higher temps dont really matter, just keep it 225 or above. i smoke a 6 to 8 pounder for around 4- 5 hours at and crunch, raise temp to 275 and cook to 203'ish and rest for at least 30 min or so. sometimes ill do 2, and wrap one and not the other. curiously theyll both finish at the same time, ill pull and mix them together for a little more bark texture. most of the time ill just wrap, to me its more juicy and tender but with softer bark. but thats just me.
if im crunched for time i may remove the bone or cut the butt into two pieces. i always remove a lot of the fat cap and tie. it doesnt make a difference in the finished product except youll have more bark with 2 pieces. i finish like my step grand dad did at his joint, spicy vinegar but not too much. you want to taste the meat and a hint of smoke, not apple cider or vinegar.
how can you screw up a shoulder or any piece of meat for that matter? roll smoke, or dirty smoke as i call it. in a small cooker i only putting a fist size of flavor wood in per hour for 4-5 hours and just a small wisp of smoke comes out. a piece of meat will absorb all of the smoke its going to in about 5 hours anyway. pull it too early, not really ruined but youll have sliced pork instead of pulled pork, sometimes i like sliced pork. the meat really shouldnt have any overpowering smoke, apple cider, vinegar, etc flavors.
higher temps dont really matter, just keep it 225 or above. i smoke a 6 to 8 pounder for around 4- 5 hours at and crunch, raise temp to 275 and cook to 203'ish and rest for at least 30 min or so. sometimes ill do 2, and wrap one and not the other. curiously theyll both finish at the same time, ill pull and mix them together for a little more bark texture. most of the time ill just wrap, to me its more juicy and tender but with softer bark. but thats just me.
if im crunched for time i may remove the bone or cut the butt into two pieces. i always remove a lot of the fat cap and tie. it doesnt make a difference in the finished product except youll have more bark with 2 pieces. i finish like my step grand dad did at his joint, spicy vinegar but not too much. you want to taste the meat and a hint of smoke, not apple cider or vinegar.
how can you screw up a shoulder or any piece of meat for that matter? roll smoke, or dirty smoke as i call it. in a small cooker i only putting a fist size of flavor wood in per hour for 4-5 hours and just a small wisp of smoke comes out. a piece of meat will absorb all of the smoke its going to in about 5 hours anyway. pull it too early, not really ruined but youll have sliced pork instead of pulled pork, sometimes i like sliced pork. the meat really shouldnt have any overpowering smoke, apple cider, vinegar, etc flavors.
mountain man 71
Well-Known Member
What is the internal temp do you cook to?
I've never wrapped and never had a dry butt. But I'm also very picky about the meat being used. I'm not going to waste the money time and effort by using discount piggy parts lol
It depends, but usually 205. The butt should tell you. Look up YouTube videos of the "jiggle test" for brisket, and you should be able to do something similar for a butt. When you go to remove it be careful because it will usually want to fall apart, so wrap it tight in foil (I double wrap) and then towels before dropping in the cooler for 3-4 hours. That's when the magic really happens
slugger118
Well-Known Member
I also smoke my butts with the fat part on the top side. That keeps the butt moist with the fat drippings while it is cooking low and slow at 225 degrees for about a hr per pound.
If you do it this way not need to wrap. I do wrap ribs in the 321 method.
slugger118
Well-Known Member
I do this with my buttroast. Not my ribs.
Wrap if you don't like bark. Don't wrap if you do. Wrapping is mainly to get you through the stall from evaporative cooling. High humidity from a water pan will also help with that. Once wrapped you can oven finish. I do that if I need to smoke something else at a different temp. You'll never is a BBQ joint pulling a load of butts out to wrap them. At least I haven't anyway.
7mm08
Well-Known Member
Great instructions there. Exactly how I do it. I use to do it over apple juice but that slowed it down even more.
