Has anyone tried the 5 hour pork butt on kickassbbq.com?


 
Kevin,

I did a version pork butt "quick cook" yesterday (from the cooking section of this site). Pre-injected them and rubbed them down of course. Put one 6.5lb butt on at 12:37P and it had an internal temp of 200 degrees by 6:10p..."Not bad". I ran it at about 255 for the first 3 1/2 hours, then after I foiled it I ran it up to the 280-290 range. I tightly foiled when the butt hit an internal temp of 165 degrees, this was around 4:00.
When it hit 200 a little after 6:00 I pulled it and let it rest for about 45 mins. I opened the foil and the butt was falling off the bone, "perfect". The bark was present but it didn't have the crunch (due to the moisture trapped in the foil). It had a nice smoke ring but for some reason the meat wasn't very smokey?... I used 3 small chunks of apple and 3 chunks of hickory, haven't fiqured that one out yet? All in all it was pretty good, and a great time saver..just wish it had more "smoke". Still prefer the "long smoke", but this method is good for time issues.

Good Luck,

Stu
 
Interesting. I plan on running my WSM in the 325-375 range the entire time. I will monitor internal temp throughout and pull around 195. Rest in foil in cooler for a few hours before pulling. I think I've decided to set the butts on some carrots or onions (will potatoes work??) in the pan b/c I don't like the "mush" feel that I will get from letting them sit in their own juice. Any other tips from anyone that has tried this? They need to be ready to eat around 4:00 pm. I will try and get them on the WSM around 7:00 am.
 
What is the purpose of foiling loosely for the last few hours? Is that to help retain some moisture since you are cooking at a higher temp? If I am injecting, maybe I will skip the foil while on the heat.
 
I don't use a pan under the butts...at least not directly. I put a foil lined ceramic flowerpot base where the water pan would go. This collects the dripping...and a lot of the excess fat.

When you foil at 165° or so, be sure its tight. When you actually go to pull the meat, (after it's hit target and rested) add back the juices that have collected in the foil. Those juices carry a lot of flavour...including smoke. A lot of which comes from the bark dissolving...just slightly...in the juice.

I did my butts at roughly 320° and they were done in five and six hours. Running as hot as 350°-375° you should be done well within your desired limit.
 
PHENOMINAL! Ended up just doing 1 injected 6 lb butt. Temps stayed between 340-370 with ease for the first 3 hours (no water pan). Did not lift lid at all. Tented with foil and went another 1.5 hours around 290. Pulled at 195, in cooler for 3.5 hours. As good if not better than any long butt cook I've done. 4.5 hours total on the WSM. Injecting may have helped retain moisture at the high heat (I think). I doubt I'll ever do another butt at 225. Glad I tried it. Was nervous about running 350++ but was more than pleased with the final result.
 
After reading this thread over the last few weeks I decided to give it a try with some modifications. Had a 6 1/2 lb butt and a 5 lb cube roll (I think chuck roll is the equivilent). Started at 10am on Saturday morning for a party that night for 12. Went with 1/2 filled water pan and ali trays for both pieces of meat. Butt on top grid and cube roll on bottom. Had big problems getting up to 300 + and only managed it after 3 1/2 hours. Up till then only at about 260. After two hours decided to get rid of trays and put both pieces of meat on top grid. This helped increase temp to about 280. After three hours, then added more light charcoal and that seemed to do the trick. Got up to about 330. The cube roll reached 195 at about 5.00pm and the butt got to the same at about 6.30pm. Both then had chance to rest as I pulled them at 8.00pm. Both came out great and the Maltese friends we had over loved them. Served them with my version of BBQ beans and my wifes potato salad. It was a great evening and I even had some left overs to vac and freeze for sandwiches later.
 
I love that old threads stay on this site for so long. It is great to look at old questions that may arise when I have not done a technique in a long time. I am smoking two butts this way tomorrow.

Any new advice on the subject. I think I am just going to follow it to the letter as I did last time.

Clay
 
Thanks for bumping this topic up Clay, I am excited to give this a try!
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I just took Ed's class this past July. It was great and I learned alot. I've done the 5 hour pork butt several times now and each time everyone has raved how good it was. I've been using a kettle with a Smokenator but I just got a WSM this week so I'll be firing it up this weekend.
 
OK - one question for those following this thread: at the 3 hour mark, do you LIGHTLY TENT the pork butt that's in the foil pan, or TIGHTLY WRAP the foil to the aluminum foil pan (making it like "air tight")? I want to try this because I really don't care to nurse the WSM overnight. All the PBs I've done so far in the WSM have been early morning starts/ early to late evening dinners....
 
It has been two years almost since I did this technique....although doing it tomorrow with two butts. One on top and the other on the bottom.

I plan on using pans for each butt, hot water in water pan at start. At the three hour mark I will tightly foil the pans.

I do plan on removing the pans and foil for the last hour, or half hour, to evaporate or harden the bark. This does depend on my start time for a 7 pm party. If I start too early I will not remove foil since I will foil anyways for holding in a cooler.

Some other adjustments I plan on is putting wood on top of the coal so they get smoke right away. I see in a post from me two years ago I did not get much smoke flavor the way I tried it before. I am only going to use hickory as well.

I am all ready for a great meal. I have made my cole slaw, potato salad and NC BBQ sauce alreay and it is sitting in the fridge. Tomorrow I will be making Kerri's BBQ beans (highly siggest!!!!!) and dessert, which may consist of homeade banana split ice cream sandwhiches. I will cut them in cubes and pass those at the end of the pary...right when I feel the party starting to move towards the sleepy go home part.

So hungry!!!!!!!!!

Clay
 
During a Waterfront Festival in Pacnorwest, I had an opportunity to shoot the breeze with a pit master whose Pulled Pork stand was getting the Lion's share of business.

He had the standard Tow Along Wood Fired Pit. Over the course of two days he cooked and pulled 80 Butts of pork.

His method was to Sear the outside, go immediately to foil and in his words "let the inside boil". He wasn't spending any more than 5 or 6 hours on a butt.

He said, "They (customers) never know the difference".

He must have had enough used foil to fill a standard dumpster.
 
Originally posted by Mike Willis:
OK - one question for those following this thread: at the 3 hour mark, do you LIGHTLY TENT the pork butt that's in the foil pan, or TIGHTLY WRAP the foil to the aluminum foil pan (making it like "air tight")? ....
Click to expand...

I've been wraping the PB tightly to the foil pan. But this may be at the three hour mark, or as much as four. The key is the temp, once the PB gets to 160 it can't take anymore smoke anyway. Might as well speed the cooking process up with foil. I take the foil off at 195 and go another thirty minutes to an hour. This firms up the bark and brings the PB to 200-205. Don't forget to add a cup of liquid when you foil, this will keep it from drying out.
 
once the PB gets to 160 it can't take anymore smoke anyway.
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Oh yes it can. The notion that smoke stops adhering to meat at some given temp is a Q myth; it's a fallacy.

You can add liquid if you wish but it is unnecessary. 'Drying out' comes from overcooking (and can happen with liquid in the foil, though butt needs plenty of overcooking to dry out).

When I cook high heat butts I neither pan nor foil. Neither are necessary. Not foiling makes the cook go a bit longer though. My last came in at ~1 hour/lb.
 
The butts trned out great. I kept second guessing myself towards the end. tHis always happens when I have not cooked in a while. The bark was a bit on the soft side, but this could have, and I sure it was, from resting for three hours foiled in a cooler.

The guest did not know the difference though. I am just hard on myself for a good product.
 
Originally posted by K Kruger:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">once the PB gets to 160 it can't take anymore smoke anyway.
Click to expand...
Oh yes it can. The notion that smoke stops adhering to meat at some given temp is a Q myth; it's a fallacy. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Yep, what Kevin said. The smokering stops forming at 140º but the meat will continue to take on smoke till you take it off the smoker or wrap the meat in foil.
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Clay, glad to hear the butts came turned out good for you.
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I've been wraping the PB tightly to the foil pan. But this may be at the three hour mark, or as much as four. The key is the temp, once the PB gets to 160 it can't take anymore smoke anyway. Might as well speed the cooking process up with foil.
Click to expand...
Perhaps I'm reading this different than Kevin and Bryan, but in a way I think the author's opinion is correct. After 140º no smoke ring is forming, by 160ºF the author may no longer be interested in smoke (perhaps in the authors experience the meat has already had as much smoke applied as he cares for) so getting the 'tender' done quickly to maintain as much moisture as possible is now the focus. That's a bunch of if's but it's plausible to me from a certain point of view.
 
He said, "They (customers) never know the difference".

And there's the point of this technique, guys. The bark is NOT the same as a low slow, neither is the overall flavor.

However, not unlike having different types of steaks and roasts, a meal is a meal, and not everything calls for a porterhouse or a prime rib.

This technique is fine for speed, and everyday use. If you want the subtle taste of the "king" you still have to go low and slow, sorry.

There are complex chemical flavor compounds that just don't form in 5 hours, and there are also hi temp flavors that DO form that may or may not be desired. I'm not a fan of the dark, dark bark I see on some high temp cooks - black is not a good food color.

To each their own, and let the situation be your guide.
 
never cooked pork butt before; saw this thread and decided to try it out today... 8lb pork butt.

-removed pork butt from vacuum seal packaging
-washed w/ tap water
-placed pork butt on "big green egg" rib/roast rack, fat-cap facing down
-lathered pork with mustard, then added walmart rib-rub, garlic powder, and minced onions
-used a large foil pan for a drip pan; added a little water, some aforementioned seasoning and some apple vinegar (not sure why I did this, just seemed right at the time
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).
-filled wsm charcoal grate following rough ratio:
-- 60/30/10 (60% charcoal/30% lump coal/ 10% pecan wood). All mixed together.
-lit about 25 charcoals in the chimney and once ready, placed on top of aforementioned fuel mixture.
-put wsm center drum onto charcoal bowl and placed foil pan on that (middle) grate.
-placed top grate on and placed BGE rack w/pork butt on that top grate. placed lid on and put thermometer in one of the vent holes (10:30am).
-temp at 250F within 30 minutes
-temp at 350F at one hour mark
--temp stayed at 350F for duration of cook- awesome!
-cooked pork butt from 10:30am - 4:30pm
-removed pork butt from wsm and attempted to place/wrap in foil; pork butt fell to pieces... delicious, tender, juicy pieces with very nice and somewhat crispy bark. temp of meat was about 210F
-double wrapped pork in foil... less than 30 minutes, family and me could not wait any longer; devoured like a school of pirannah.
--bark was all the rave
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I'm quite 'stuffed' as of this writing
-very simple to cook
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ps. since getting my wsm, I have put my Brinkmann grill king deluxe and grill pro out on the street curb... and they were quickly snatched up. I don't care... the WSM is that awesome!
 
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