Brined Pork Butt for Pulled Pork

[NDKoze]

Sorry no one got back to you. I was out of town on vacation and wasn't checking in.

First Boston Butts and Picnic Roasts are definitely NOT interchangeable. While you can smoke and pull a picnic Roast, it will not be the same nor as good as a Boston Butt. If you want sliced pork, the picnic is a great option.

Pulled - Boston Butt
Sliced - Picnic Roast

Next, a 5 pound butt is pretty small and can take a lot longer to smoke and the results may or may not be as good as a larger butt. To get down to a 5 pound butt, my guess is that it is a whole butt that was cut in half which is not ideal.

I would strongly recommend looking for Boston Butts that weigh a minimum of 7 pounds.

For a next day evening meal, I usually start smoking around 11:00pm-12:00am. The butt usually hits 190 (my preferred finished temp) around 12:00-3:00 the next day.

Stay away from using drip pans. The meat will be plenty moist and will not need any more fat drippings. The drip pans can mess with the temperature controller and are discouraged. You do want to use a water pan on the floor of the smoker resting up against the smoke box though.

I would prefer to get a probe where the plastic temp readouts do not go into the smoker. You just run the probe through the smoke hole and leave the temp readout plastic part of the probe outside of the smoker.

As far as opening the door, you should not need to nor would you want to open the smoker until your meat hits 190 degrees. If you must open the door, you would want to wait at least until after it had moved out of the stall.

[bbqnewbie]

Thanks, Greg - almost everything was answered.  Yep - still waiting - it's clearly not done yet.    In at 8:30 a.m. this morning (without the pink curing salt, as I mentioned) and it's now 6:10 PM and the I.T. is only 171F.  Geesh!!! (But SMELLS GREAT!!).  The thermometer I used is the typical SS probe attached to a 2.5' (?) long vinyl-cov'd sleeve over the wire.  I put the probe down the smoke hole and inserted it into the meat, avoiding the bone.  The thermo base sits on top of the smoker, indicating the read-out.  I'm assuming the heat from the smoker won't hurt the electronics in the base () - the wire is too short to place the unit on the wood shelf next to the smoker.  I'll just have to wait it out, obviously.  Looks like we won't be having this for dinner tonight!!!  Lesson learned - use a min. of 7# butt next time, start it much earlier and find out how important that pink salt is!!  Will follow up with flavor and tenderness when it's eaten  (if it's EVER finished!!).

[NDKoze]

Sorry, I missed the pink salt question. It is purely for a faux smoke ring.

Starting the night before and using a larger butt will ensure your food is ready by your evening mealtime.

For tonight, just wait it out and it will get there. Reheated pulled pork usually tastes even better than when it is fresh.

[bbqnewbie]

I pulled out the pork at 10:15 PM @ 187F I.T. based on my independent thermometer - I lost faith on the probe one I inserted into the meat.  It IS possible that I lost pwr. to the smoker for 30-45 min. this morning & I did open it up at 9 PM to use my independent therm.  That's almost 13 hrs., say, if I deduct the possible time out for the circuit breaker going off from other uses.   I must say:  it tasted OUTSTANDING.  I am really thrilled with this and will make again and won't bother with the pink  salt; don't need it - the less chemicals the better.  I used Div. Maker's brine (w/o the pink salt) for about 18-20 hrs. and was very happy with it.  I used a slightly diff. rub I made from a diff. recipe and was also thrilled with that.  I'd love to make a homemade, thinned bbq "sauce" to gently add to the shredded meat - just a little bit for that xtra bbq tang as opposed to adding bbq sauce from the bottle to the sandwiches.  Any suggestions, anyone?  Thank you soooo much for your responses, Greg.  It is sooooo appreciated!!

[DivotMaker]

Glad to hear you liked it, Arline!  2 points, though:  Don't over-brine, or you'll risk a really salty butt, some time.  Stick to 12-13 hours, and you'll be fine.  Second - the "pink salt" (#1 Instacure) is nitrites, not "chemicals!"  You get more nitrites, than this, in a plate of celery!  This is naturally-occurring substance that just "happens" to cure meat!  It creates that beautiful pink "smoke ring" that gives the meat great visual appeal (most folks associate the pink ring with "real" BBQ).  It's just for presentation, not to affect the taste.

Bottom line - don't believe all the tree hugger hype about nitrites; they get more in their salad than you'll get in 1 tsp added to a butt brine!

[SconnieQ]

Just a note about the "butt" vs "shoulder" vs "picnic". Like with many cuts of meat, both beef and pork, some of these terms differ regionally. Here where I live, the term "butt" is often NOT used. The picnic shoulder is ALWAYS labeled as a "picnic" shoulder. But the butt is often just called a "pork shoulder roast". So around here...if it is just labeled "pork shoulder", chances are it is NOT a picnic. I can tell just by looking at the shape of the meat and the bone, which roast it is. It's either going to have a blade bone, or look like a leg with a shank bone. It's pretty easy to tell the difference. But you can always ask the butcher. You want the upper shoulder. Good luck asking "butchers" at the grocery store though. I've found they are really clueless as to proper identification of cuts of meat.

[NDKoze]

Yeah, it is interesting how names change regionally. Another cut that has a wide variety of terms are Country Style ribs. Maybe not so much the terms, but the size of the country style rib can really very by region.

You wouldn't think that ND and WI would be that much different, but I rarely see the term pork shoulder. In ND, for the most part, we have Picnics and Boston Butts. Actually shoulder is more of a generic term that could be used for both the butt or the picnic.

[SconnieQ]

Yeah, it is interesting how names change regionally. Another cut that has a wide variety of terms are Country Style ribs. Maybe not so much the terms, but the size of the country style rib can really very by region.

  Country style ribs do seem like "mystery meat" sometimes! Pretty unpredictable. I don't know what it is about this area, but even so-called "butcher shops" give me a blank stare when I ask for certain cuts of meat, which granted, might not be found in your basic grocery case, but definitely show up on the most basic "cuts of meat" diagrams.

[bbqnewbie]

Has anyone got a pic of a RAW "official" pork butt and an "official" pork shoulder?  Here in San Diego, I've yet to find the label "pork butt" (always pork shoulder) and am told they are "one in the same" by the butchers.  For our family of two (when we don't have the kids or guests), I will HAVE to buy a small one 5# or so - which already is too much for us.  I hate to use prev. frozen meat.  Can someone show a pic of these two diff. cuts so perhaps I can choose with knowledge from the meat case at our markets for the better one?  As in, it was stated here to buy the TOP of the butt.  What would that look like?

[SconnieQ]

Here are a bunch of pictures that might help. The picnic (lower shoulder) is usually going to have a leg nub (shank) sticking out, and a round bone in the center. The butt (upper shoulder) will be a more rectangular shape, and the bone will have a long narrow shape (like a shoulder blade). The butt will also have more fat marbling. Picnic shoulders are also often sold with the skin on, but not necessarily.

[DivotMaker]

Arline, Kari's pics are great!  The easiest way to spot a Boston butt (roast) is the blade-shaped bone, vs. the round leg bone.  They both come from the front leg, but the Boston cut is the very top, where the leg meets the shoulder bone (blade shaped), and the picnic is below (like the ham shank, on the back leg).

Ask your local butcher for a bone-in Boston butt, and he/she'll know what you want!

[SconnieQ]

Ask your local butcher for a bone-in Boston butt, and he/she'll know what you want!

Real "butchers" who know their cuts of meat are a dying breed Tony. Most meat is processed in large facilities these days, and shipped to so-called "butcher shops" already broken down. Most people at the counter at a butcher shop have little to no knowledge about cuts. And the guy in the back might not be much better. Very few butcher shops break down whole animals anymore. If you find one, make sure you shop there and support their business! In my area, one company provides all of the Madison "butcher shops" with all of their meat. Fortunately this company, UW Provision has a retail store, and is open to the public. Between that and Costco, I've got it covered. I don't shop at any of the places in Madison that call themselves butcher shops, because I see the UW Provision truck pulling up and delivering their meat.

[DivotMaker]

I hear you, Kari!  REAL "butchers" are a dying breed!  But, even the most laymen of "butchers" should know what a Boston butt cut of pork shoulder is.  If not, we're in more trouble than we thought!

[SconnieQ]

Oh boy... I don't know... I think we are in more trouble than you think! It's bad.

[DivotMaker]

Oh boy... I don't know... I think we are in more trouble than you think! It's bad.