Pork Butt Question


 
JRAiona

JRAiona

TVWBB Gold Member
Hi guys. I have what may be a silly question but I want to do a pork butt to make pulled pork doing something along the lines of The Renown Mr Brown. There is only my wife and myself and an 8-10 lb pork butt would be a lot for just the two of us. I was thinking about getting a smaller boneless pork butt. Would that work for this application and is there anything different I would need to do?
 
I have cooked smaller boneless pork butts before and it seems to me the biggest difference is that they cook a lot quicker. But as far as the meat goes it was really good. For me controlling the temp so it cooks slow is the biggest factor for success.
 
I'm no expert but yes I would shoot for the 210-225 range. My temps always fluctuate about 15 degrees or so.
 
Another idea JR. Do the 8-10 pound and what you don't eat you can freeze. When you reheat it, just use some apple juice and it will turn out great. The leftovers can also make great taco's or burrito's. Enjoy
 
Shoulder is shoulder, whether it is big or little. Cook it relatively slow and it makes pulled pork.

Personally, I am not a fan of boned shoulders. I think the bone adds flavor to the meat, and beyond all the temperature probing you can do, when the bone slips out of the roast effortlessly, it's done. If you're waiting for connective tissue to break down (which you are) there's no better sign that the process is complete.

I'll also join the choir singing about leftovers. It is just the wife and me, too. But, I rarely opt for a shoulder less than 8 pounds. We have pulled pork for a couple meals. Then some gets chopped up and added to fried rice. Then some gets crisped up on a flat top and made into carnitas burritos. Then some gets chopped and mixed up with cubed potatoes and sweet peppers and topped with a fried egg for pulled pork hash. If we grow tired of it before it is gone, the rest goes in the freezer until we get the urge for any of the many ways we use it.

I'm staring out the window at my BGE with a 9 pounder in it that I put on about an hour ago. I truly doubt any of it will make it to the freezer
 
I usually cook around an 8lber bone in for me and the wife. We freeze leftovers along with me taking some to work for lunches. It never goes to waste
 
Well JR, unlike some others here I do boneless pork butts (or DID...I let my Costco membership expire). It's just the wife and me, but we did just fine coming up with meals for all the leftovers. Carnitas tacos, pork burritos, green pork chili and using shredded pork and cream cheese as stuffing for ABTs are just a few ideas for leftovers, so don't let the size concern you.

As an aside, I smoke mine using the high heat method. We couldn't notice any difference between HH and L&S, so I stayed with the shorter smoking times of the HH method.
 
When on sale I would buy whatever weight is available. You could always divide in half and cook one side and freeze the other.
Bone in Butts are $.99 per lb this weekend, bought a bunch and chunked one 9lb for carnitas for dinner and the other part is for teriyaki pork t-morrow.

Tim
 
Mike Willis said:
...
As an aside, I smoke mine using the high heat method. We couldn't notice any difference between HH and L&S, so I stayed with the shorter smoking times of the HH method.
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Glad to see I am not the only one who smokes shoulder at higher heats. I keep it between 300 and 325 and get done in 7 or 8 hours. I like the texture better than 225 for 12ish hours and I don't have to obsess overnight.
 
I'm in the middle of a cook right now. I've done high and low heat. Right now I'm kind of splitting it down the middle and trying to stay in the 275 range. I don't know how much it matters. I posted a cook I did on an offset and I was in the 350 range, never wrapped and was very happy with the results. This cook I'm doing on the 22.5 WSM. We'll see how it turns out! I'm at about 11 hrs right now. This pork butt is super thick so its being stubborn. I didn't wrap. I intended to wrap with butcher paper but it seemed like it was going to cook fast . Now I'm not going to bother.
 
I have just my daughter and I that cook for. I will usually grab a two pack from Sams Club and smoke them both. Mid to high heat (275-290). We eat it hot the day of the cook. I leave a portion or two out for the following meals. The rest gets put through the FoodSaver. I have found that I can boil the food saver bags to warm the meat and the remaining fat goes into the meat rather than rendering out into the pan. Perfect for mid week dinners.
 
Jeff F said:
Shoulder is shoulder, whether it is big or little. Cook it relatively slow and it makes pulled pork.

Personally, I am not a fan of boned shoulders. I think the bone adds flavor to the meat, and beyond all the temperature probing you can do, when the bone slips out of the roast effortlessly, it's done. If you're waiting for connective tissue to break down (which you are) there's no better sign that the process is complete.

I'll also join the choir singing about leftovers. It is just the wife and me, too. But, I rarely opt for a shoulder less than 8 pounds. We have pulled pork for a couple meals. Then some gets chopped up and added to fried rice. Then some gets crisped up on a flat top and made into carnitas burritos. Then some gets chopped and mixed up with cubed potatoes and sweet peppers and topped with a fried egg for pulled pork hash. If we grow tired of it before it is gone, the rest goes in the freezer until we get the urge for any of the many ways we use it.

I'm staring out the window at my BGE with a 9 pounder in it that I put on about an hour ago. I truly doubt any of it will make it to the freezer
Click to expand...

What Jeff said! I always do 10lbs plus with bone. You can practice your craft and branch out to other styles of food with left overs. I always try to learn new Asian dishes. I've really been on a taiping trip lately. Those dudes really embrace the piggy and do an outstanding job at it
 
I really like seeing folks that have tried the high heat method and have had great results. I guess I have always been afraid to do this since I've done it the same way for so long. My only try at high heat was with ribs and it was a total failure. Might have to try it on a butt though. Great comments by our members.
 
I always make too much, so I have plenty to freeze for quick pulled pork later. A Foodsaver vacuum sealer, is one of my most used gadgets.
 
Robert T said:
I really like seeing folks that have tried the high heat method and have had great results. I guess I have always been afraid to do this since I've done it the same way for so long. My only try at high heat was with ribs and it was a total failure. Might have to try it on a butt though. Great comments by our members.
Click to expand...

I have a harder time with shoulders at high heat. Ribs? forget it. Now brisket is were it's at with High heat.
 
I have been doing bone in pork butts (generally around 8.0 lb. each). There are only two of us but I nearly always do two butts at a time. It takes no more time or fuel (for all practical purposes) so I get "two for one". My wife portions out the pulled pork with the Food Saver and into the freezer it goes.

I follow Harry Soo's recipe and cook mine on the various smokers at 275 degrees after injecting.

Keep on smokin',
Dale53:wsm:
 
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