5 lb Pork Butt, How Long?


 

Jason Howard

TVWBB Fan
I just picked up my first pork butt, its 4.77 lbs.

Just curious...about how long do you think it will take? I know they can stall out, or take less time than expected, but is 1.5 hours per lb a good rule of thumb at 250ish?

Thanks!
 
Jason - all other things being equal, that sounds about right - 9 - 10 hours. Is it a bone in pork butt? I've never cooked one that has been boned, but some folks report that those may take a little longer. They feel that the bone conducts heat into the middle of the butt and helps the cooking time - who knows?

Of course, some folks here, when you ask "How long does it take?" reply "until its ready! They are right, of course.

I always make sure I give myself at least a couple of hours to spare time before its time to pull and serve the butt.

Just be sure to resist the temptation to try to push the butt through the plateau by upping the heat. In my experience, that yields a finished product that doesn't have the tenderness or texture of a butt that is allowed to work itself through the plateau at a steady temperature.

Of course, there are those who say that you can cooking a butt just as well at 300 for a lot less time, but I'm not of that opinion just yet.

Have fun with it - My wife is from Houston and we were married there. I sure do miss the excellent Tex-Mex, but I don't miss the traffic!

Pat
 
The rule of thumb I've been using is 1.75 hours per pound. Then round up to the next whole number. For example, I just bought a butt today that is 4.29 pounds (for the weekend cook).

4.29 x 1.75 = 7.5075

So I figure it will take about 8 hours of cooking. Then I add a couple of hours for resting (also to give me a little wiggle room on the cooking time). So, that gives me 10 whole hours of cooking and rest.

Of course, it's not an exact science, so times could vary depending on all the variables involved. I just know when I use 1.75 hours per pound it works out well. Also, it's better to get done early than to be waiting on the thing to finish.
 
The great thing about butts is that if they finish early, holding for a few hours is not a problem. So plan on the long end and you should be fine.
 
Thanks for the replies.

It is a bone in butt.

I'm planning to start it about midnight tonight with the hopes of having pulled pork sandwiches for lunch tomorrow (maybe late lunch). My sidekick (Maverick ET-73) will be keeping an eye on things.

I'll let you know how it goes.
 
Chugging along nicely, the butt went on at about 11:45 last night, and is currently at 184 with the smoker at 245.

I'll start a new thread with pics of the finished product...I can't wait to try it!
 

 

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