Smoked Pork Butt- Hour 5

Since the weather was particularly nice today, I decided to get up early and throw a bone-in shoulder on the smoker. It's already starting to bathe itself in that luscious porcine goo as the heat, brown sugar, and hickory smoke work their magic.



Only 8 more hours to go...

What's your favorite cut of swine, HBT?

Why do you have to have a favorite when it comes to pork? We are doing a non-traditional Easter this Sunday. I am going to smoke a couple of butts and we will enjoy it with slaw, beans (cooked in the smoker so the juice from the butts can drip in the pan), etc. and homebrew. If the forecast holds it will be in the low 70s. Should be a good day, although it will require an early start.

"Non-traditional" is pretty subjective. Add deviled eggs, and it sounds like a proper Easter Sunday in the South!

Pork butt is the best for making pulled pork. Plus, now we all said butt at least once. And that's funny!

SynthesisError said:

"Non-traditional" is pretty subjective. Add deviled eggs, and it sounds like a proper Easter Sunday in the South!

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Agreed. I guess I called it non-traditional because we usually have a brunch with our adult children and their families and this year we are doing something different. We probably will have deviled eggs because the younger daughter usually brings them when we do any kind of cookout. I am already getting hungry!

NICE. What are you smoking on?

I haven't smoked a whole lot of pork cuts. Just butts. And a few shoulders once, which is kinda the same thing. Delicious, though!

Pork butts are our favorite with pork spare ribs coming in a close but definite second.

Right now I'm smoking on a large thin-walled rectangular grill. I keep a fire going in an old rusty springform cheesecake pan with the bottom removed, and keep it pushed as far away from the top vent as I can get it, with the meat directly under the vent. I prefer it when I'm just smoking one cut at a time, because it doesn't take much fire at all to keep it at 250-275.

454k30 said:

Pork butts are our favorite with pork spare ribs coming in a close but definite second.

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I'm with you on the spare ribs. I like them Tennessee-style, un-trimmed, with lots of dark brown sugar and chili powder, and a little cinnamon. I smoke them for 4 hours, foil-wrap with cider vinegar for 2 hours, and throw them back on the grate for the last hour. So good, you don't need sauce.

NickTheGreat said:

NICE. What are you smoking on?

I haven't smoked a whole lot of pork cuts. Just butts. And a few shoulders once, which is kinda the same thing. Delicious, though!

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I use an old stainless steel Army field oven made by The Coleman Co. in 1951. There are a bunch of pictures in my gallery. Here's one: http://cdn.homebrewtalk.com/images/1/0/6/3/2/3/dscn4387-56431.jpg.

DirtyOldDuck said:

I use an old stainless steel Army field oven made by The Coleman Co. in 1951. There are a bunch of pictures in my gallery. Here's one: http://cdn.homebrewtalk.com/images/1/0/6/3/2/3/dscn4387-56431.jpg.

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That's a beast of a smoker... Looks like you could fit half of a hog in that thing.

SynthesisError said:

That's a beast of a smoker... Looks like you could fit half of a hog in that thing.

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I's a great smoker. My FIL had two of them down at his shop that he and his buddies used for years to make jerky after hunting season. I told him that if he ever decided to get rid of them, I would buy one. One day he showed up at the house and told me to help him unload it.

The bottom of the smoker is open so I built a stand two cinder block layers high and put a grate across the hole before setting the smoker on it. The smoker itself is two sections, each with its own door so you can tend the coals without opening the main section with the meat. For long cooks I can remove the coal pan and insrt of propane burner if I want. The main section has 5 removable racks so you can fit a lot of meat or whatever in it. I usually put a large water pan on the bottom shelf and cook on the top one or two. Once heated up, it is very easy to hold temp around 250.