Pork Butt on the Smoker

Pork Butt on the Smoker

Pork butt on the smoker, which also goes by the name of pork shoulder or Boston butt, is among the most budget friendly and forgiving cuts of meat to smoke. For this reason, I recommend it for anyone new to cooking on a smoker.

Typically selling for just a few dollars per pound, you do not have the pressure of cooking a $100+ brisket. Plus, it is an incredibly easy and delicious meat to smoke, making it ideal for both beginners and seasoned pros alike!

Why Cook Pork Butt on the Smoker?

BBQ meat is smoked low and slow to break down the connective tissue and render out the fat. This is because most of what is perceived as moisture in meat, is actually rendered fat.

The goal with smoking a great pork butt is to be able to build up a nice bark (aka crust), while still keeping the interior moist. You want to build a beautiful bark, while still being able to pull apart the pork butt with little effort!

I have always had the best results with a simple salt, pepper, and garlic seasoning. This allows the flavor of the meat to shine through, while still building a perfect bark.

Smoking the pork butt low and slow (and utilizing “the stall”) will produce an awesome bark, with plenty of that smoky taste we all love!

What is the Stall?

Large cuts of meat go through a stall period. This occurs at an internal temperature of anywhere from 140 to 160 degrees. The temperature can stay at this level for an extended period of time.

The scientific term for this phenomenon is called “evaporative cooling”. Which is just a fancy term for sweating.

Much like how we sweat to stay cool, meat does the same thing!The meat will continue sweating (keeping the internal temperate from rising), until enough moisture has been released.

The “Texas Crutch”

You can push also through the stall by using the “Texas Crutch”. Which is a trick first popularized by a few Texas pit masters in which you tightly wrap the meat with aluminum foil or butcher paper during the stall period.

This is a great technique to use if you are pressed on time, and want to finish the cook faster.

I usually prefer to let the brisket get through the stall on its own. Building bark throughout. I then wrap as soon as it is through to stall to preserve moisture.

What Exactly is the Bark?

Bark is the incredibly rich and tasty crust that forms on the surface of smoked meats. It is what adds such a complex, smokey flavor to your barbecue.

The bark is a big reason we enjoy eating smoked barbecue. Without it, we might as well just throw it in the oven, and save the hassle.

Bark is a result of several chemical reactions taking place during the low and slow cooking process. Spices, moisture, time, and fat all contribute to the amount of bark that will form during the smoke.

Use moisture to build bark:

Moisture is an important factor when smoking barbecue, and greatly influences bark formation. This is why we spray (or spitz) the meat with an apple cider vinegar solution.

• Smoke sticks to moist surfaces more so than dry surfaces. Moisture also helps to lower the temperature of the meat. Which in turn slows down the cook time, and helps build more of that tasty bark!

How to Cook Pork Butt on the Smoker

Preparing for the Smoke

For this recipe, I was able to score a decently priced Pork Butt through Wild Fork Foods. They offer a great selection, and can ship to most locations next day!

Dry Brine When Possible

Dry brining is a technique which uses salt and air to dry the surface of meat. The salt and air work in unison to redirect moisture inside the meat. This allows additional moisture to be retained during the smoke.

Unlike a wet brine, dry brining will not add any extra flavor to the meat (except for some saltiness). This is important when making smoked barbecue, where you want to let the taste of the meat to shine through!

• First, generously season the surface of the meat with kosher salt.
• Then, place uncovered in the fridge for 24-48 hours.
• Finally, remove and season meat generously with pepper and granulated garlic.

Use Plenty of Pepper

Pepper plays a vital role in building up the perfect bark. Bark forms as the result of chemical reactions between fat-soluble and water-soluble spices.

In this recipe, the pepper and garlic act as fat-soluble spices. Unlike salt, they will not penetrate into the meat during the smoking process.

This allows the spices to remain on the surface of the meat. As smoke is introduced over a long period of time, these spices react with the smoke to produce the highly sought after bark.

Larger cuts of meat can take more pepper and salt than you think. Don’t be afraid to apply the seasoning liberally!

Use a Smoke Tube

The following advice only applies to pellet grills. While pellet grills are extremely convenient, you do lose some smoke flavor compared to an offset smoker.

To impart more smoke flavor, try using a smoke tube like this one here.

This will help to introduce more smoke throughout the cook. You can even cold smoke with these smoke tubes. How awesome is that!?

Smoking the Pork Butt

1. Start by dry brining the pork butt with an even coating of kosher salt.
2. Then, place the pork butt on an uncovered tray in the fridge for 24 to 48 hours.
3. Remove the pork butt and apply an even slather of yellow or dijon mustard.
4. Season liberally with pepper and granulated garlic.
5. Next, set smoker to 250 degrees.
6. Fill the smoke tube with pellets and ignite until flaming, for 10 minutes. (optional).
7. Blow out the flame and transfer the smoke tube to the pellet grill. (optional)
8. Place the pork butt on the smoker with the thickest part / fat cap towards the heat source.
9. After an hour spritz pork with equal parts apple cider vinegar / water.
10. Continue spritzing every 30 minutes until internal temp measures 175 degrees.
11. Pull off pork butt at 175 degrees and wrap tightly with butcher paper or foil.
12. Return the pork butt to the smoker and continue to smoke at 250 degrees.
13. Remove the brisket when the meat reaches 200-205 degrees, and meat is probe tender. 
14. Allow the brisket to cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.

What kind of smoker?

There are hundreds of different types of smokers on the market. From pellet grills to offset (reverse flow) smokers. You can even modify some charcoal grills to smoke.

Offset “stick burner” smokers generally produce the best smoked food. But it means maintaining a real fire which can be tough.

On top of cooking and prepping the meat, you will need to learn how to maintain constant temperatures, fire management, and have a proper place to store all the wood.

Pellet grills:

Pellet grills offer convenience. You can set and forget while the grill does all the work. Sure, you lose a fraction of the smoke taste, but what you gain in convenience more than makes up for it!

The convenience that pellet grills provide lets you focus on the most important thing, the meat! This is why I recommend them for those new to smoked barbecue. I was able to pick up a very affordable Z grills pellet grill, that I absolutely love.