Pork Butt Rub Time


 
D

D Reinknecht

TVWBB Member
I am planning on doing a couple of pork butts for the 1st time on the smoker this weekend. I am picking them up in a hour and wanted to put them on early this evening so they are done early tomorrow. All the recipes I found say to rub the butts and let them sit overnight which means I shouldn't start them until tomorrow. The missus is out for the night so cooking them tonight into tomorrow is ideal, but I want don't want to lose flavor. What is the minimum time the butt's should sit with the rub prior to smoking them? Will I lose alot of flavor if they only have the rub on for 4-5 hours before rerubbing and smoking?
Any advice would be appreciated - This forum has been a HUGE help in the past.
Thanks!
 
I have always let them sit overnight, but I think you would be fine with them sitting for 4 or 5 hours. I rub the roasts sometimes with yellow mustard, and it seems to help the bark form. You might consider this as well.

As long as they're cooked low and slow, pork butts will taste good probably even without the rub!
 
You will be fine at the 4 or 5 hours. I have done them overnight and I have waited until 5 minutes before going on the WSM to rub and can't really tell much difference. Salt in the rub is the main ingredient that will "work" on the meat, most of the other spices don't really absorb into the butt in my opinion, but the salt will draw some moisture out. The rub is used mostly just to create a good bark on the outside. Now a marinade is a different story, the longer it's injected the more flavor you get. Just my opinion anyway, others may have better advice.

Randy
 
Thanks for the advice. I just got them and will put them on around 3:00 today. With any luck I can catch some sleep before the sun comes up tomorrow. I'll let you know how it goes.
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I'm also not sold on the idea that you have to rub and then let them sit overnight, unless you are trying to dry cure the meat (in which you would let it sit for several days or longer). I put butts on the smoker right after rubbing.
 
I tend to rub night before but then do a 2nd layer just before smoking...the rub has turned into a paste by then and can handle another layer.

This would probably occur within 3-4 hrs also, so you could do the same.
 
Originally posted by Reinknecht D:
Thanks for the advice. I just got them and will put them on around 3:00 today. With any luck I can catch some sleep before the sun comes up tomorrow. I'll let you know how it goes.
wsmsmile8gm.gif
Click to expand...

Messed it up, since I went to sleep 4 hrs ago and awoke to find the smoker at 200.(slept right thru the alarms..) Internal temp at 165 but I don't know what it got to. Half the butt falls apart picking it up but the bone is still in rock solid. I foiled them and am going to try the oven at 265 for an hour or so and see if the internal temp comes up and the bone gets looser...but I don't want to dry them out (had a small piece and it was tasty and juicy but I fear it never came up to temp and 1/2 will be tough...)
 
Originally posted by Reinknecht D:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Reinknecht D:
Thanks for the advice. I just got them and will put them on around 3:00 today. With any luck I can catch some sleep before the sun comes up tomorrow. I'll let you know how it goes.
wsmsmile8gm.gif
Click to expand...

Messed it up, since I went to sleep 4 hrs ago and awoke to find the smoker at 200.(slept right thru the alarms..) Internal temp at 165 but I don't know what it got to. Half the butt falls apart picking it up but the bone is still in rock solid. I foiled them and am going to try the oven at 265 for an hour or so and see if the internal temp comes up and the bone gets looser...but I don't want to dry them out (had a small piece and it was tasty and juicy but I fear it never came up to temp and 1/2 will be tough...) </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I should add 4 hours ago was around 1:15 a.m (they went on at 1:45 p.m.)
 
Originally posted by Reinknecht D:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Reinknecht D:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Reinknecht D:
Thanks for the advice. I just got them and will put them on around 3:00 today. With any luck I can catch some sleep before the sun comes up tomorrow. I'll let you know how it goes.
wsmsmile8gm.gif
Click to expand...

Messed it up, since I went to sleep 4 hrs ago and awoke to find the smoker at 200.(slept right thru the alarms..) Internal temp at 165 but I don't know what it got to. Half the butt falls apart picking it up but the bone is still in rock solid. I foiled them and am going to try the oven at 265 for an hour or so and see if the internal temp comes up and the bone gets looser...but I don't want to dry them out (had a small piece and it was tasty and juicy but I fear it never came up to temp and 1/2 will be tough...) </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I should add 4 hours ago was around 1:15 a.m (they went on at 1:45 p.m.) </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Butts at 190, foiled and in the cooler. Catching a few hours of zzz's. I'll let you know how they taste
 
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