Gone Hiking
Über Member
If anyone is new to smoking meats, pork butt/pork shoulder/picnic shoulder is one of the easiest and most forgiving things to make.
First, a few clarifiers: (US nomenclature, here. I don't know if it's different elsewhere.)
- Pork Butt comes from high on the front shoulder and is the generally regarded as the best for pulled pork.
- Pork Shoulder is lower and contains less intramuscular fat. It’s usually cheaper than Pork Butt.
- Picnic shoulder is the entire shoulder, containing both the Pork Butt and the Pork Shoulder. These are usually quite large.
A basic recipe is:
- (1) 8- To 10-Lb Bone-In (preferred) Pork Butt, but boneless will do, though it may need to be trussed
- Yellow Mustard
- Your favorite pork rub, plus an optional "accent" rub
- 1/2 Cup Apple Juice
- 1/2 Cup or less of Brown Sugar
- 4 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter, Cut Into 4 Pats
Instructions:
1. Trim excess fat from your cut of meat.
2. Rub with a thin coat of plain yellow mustard as a binder.
3. Season heavily with your favorite rub.
4. Place on smoker at 275*F with hickory or fruit wood. (Pellets, in the case of my Traeger.)
5. After 5-6 hours, when the internal temp hits 160-175*F, move the meat to a disposable aluminum pan. Add apple juice, then brown sugar and butter on top. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and place back on the smoker for another 2-3 hours.
6. When the internal probe hits 200*F, the meat should be done. Remove the foil and verify that it is probe tender, like soft butter. If not, cover and leave it heat for slightly longer.
7. Remove the meat and place onto a cutting board to rest for at least 45 minutes. The bone should pull out easily. SAVE the juices and pour into a fat separator. Also save the disposable pan.
8. After the resting period, pull/shred the pork by hand, or with the aid of bear claws if you like. To minimize cleanup, place the pulled/shredded meat back into the disposable pan. The meat will likely still be very hot, so I prefer to wear nitrile gloves with thin cotton glove liners underneath.
9. When the meat has been pulled/shredded, mix back in most of the fat-separated cooking liquid. Taste, and then add more seasoning if needed, and/or a spicier "accent" seasoning for a little kick.
10. That's it. It's almost impossible to screw up. Serve and enjoy. Leftovers vacuum-seal and freeze very well.
Some pics of today's pork butt smoke:
First, a few clarifiers: (US nomenclature, here. I don't know if it's different elsewhere.)
- Pork Butt comes from high on the front shoulder and is the generally regarded as the best for pulled pork.
- Pork Shoulder is lower and contains less intramuscular fat. It’s usually cheaper than Pork Butt.
- Picnic shoulder is the entire shoulder, containing both the Pork Butt and the Pork Shoulder. These are usually quite large.
A basic recipe is:
- (1) 8- To 10-Lb Bone-In (preferred) Pork Butt, but boneless will do, though it may need to be trussed
- Yellow Mustard
- Your favorite pork rub, plus an optional "accent" rub
- 1/2 Cup Apple Juice
- 1/2 Cup or less of Brown Sugar
- 4 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter, Cut Into 4 Pats
Instructions:
1. Trim excess fat from your cut of meat.
2. Rub with a thin coat of plain yellow mustard as a binder.
3. Season heavily with your favorite rub.
4. Place on smoker at 275*F with hickory or fruit wood. (Pellets, in the case of my Traeger.)
5. After 5-6 hours, when the internal temp hits 160-175*F, move the meat to a disposable aluminum pan. Add apple juice, then brown sugar and butter on top. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and place back on the smoker for another 2-3 hours.
6. When the internal probe hits 200*F, the meat should be done. Remove the foil and verify that it is probe tender, like soft butter. If not, cover and leave it heat for slightly longer.
7. Remove the meat and place onto a cutting board to rest for at least 45 minutes. The bone should pull out easily. SAVE the juices and pour into a fat separator. Also save the disposable pan.
8. After the resting period, pull/shred the pork by hand, or with the aid of bear claws if you like. To minimize cleanup, place the pulled/shredded meat back into the disposable pan. The meat will likely still be very hot, so I prefer to wear nitrile gloves with thin cotton glove liners underneath.
9. When the meat has been pulled/shredded, mix back in most of the fat-separated cooking liquid. Taste, and then add more seasoning if needed, and/or a spicier "accent" seasoning for a little kick.
10. That's it. It's almost impossible to screw up. Serve and enjoy. Leftovers vacuum-seal and freeze very well.
Some pics of today's pork butt smoke:
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