Pick up smoker?

[rickne]

Definitely a Boston Butt.  Preferably with the bone in. 

They usually ranged from 6-8 lbs.  I try to stay on the smaller side of that range if I can but you don't always have the choice.

Cooking times are all over the place.  Sometimes the meat has a mind of it's own.  Count on 1-2 hrs per pound.  Use a meat probe and cook to your desired internal temp.  Mine is 200 degrees INTERNAL Temp.  After it's done, give it long rest.  I let it rest a minimum of 2 hours and have held them as long as 8 hours.  Pull the meat and enjoy.

 

[NDKoze]

Mine was just shy of 8lbs and I smoked it at 225 for approximately 18 hours. But the ambient temps were around zero degrees when I smoked mine, so not sure if that affected things. You want to figure 1-2 hours per pound.

Like Rick said, every piece of meat is unique. So you need a good thermometer like a Maverick to monitor the internal temp. You want to get it somewhere between 198-203 if you want to pull it and 170-175 if you want to slice it.

After you pull it, double-wrap it in foil, and then place it in a cooler with some towels on top of it for a minimum of 30 minutes, but 1-2 hours would be even better. This allows the juices on the surface to ease back into the meat. Don't worry it will be plenty hot inside even after a two-hour rest.

Keep a look out for the stall that will occur around 165-180 or so. Each time is different. It can stall at a temp for up to three hours. But if you have time, just let it ride and it will work itself out and start going up again.

Check out the Pork section, there are lots of example of people's individual smokes and their experience.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

BTW, I brined mine and it turned out awesome. There are recipes in the Brine section for this.

 

[DivotMaker]

Can't add much to the great advice you've received on the butt, so I'll just add my endorsement of the Boston butt cut of pork shoulder.  I prefer bone-in, and usually average 8-10 pounds (what I can get in NW AR).  The cut is perfect for pulled pork, and is much better than the picnic cut.  Brining will produce some fantastic pulled pork!

 

[roblox84]

Thanks for the help guys, I will start a new thread on my first smoke Thursday or Friday.

 

[es1025]

Go for the #2 at a minimum.  If you have the space and the $$$ spring for the #3.  Use your tax refund...

 

[DivotMaker]

Hey Rob, here's something I posted awhile back about how the Boston butt got its name.  Kind of useless information, but I thought I'd share!  Who knows?  You might be on Jeopardy! some day!

"There are actually two cuts that come from the front shoulder of a pig; the picnic shoulder, and the Boston butt pork shoulder.  The Boston butt has absolutely nothing to do with the "butt" as we know it - it's actually the opposite end of Porky!  The Boston butt is the top cut of the shoulder, whereas the picnic cut is the lower part of the leg. 

The Boston butt got it's name in Colonial times when butchers would pack the "less desirable" cuts from the pig in barrels referred to as "butts."  They would then sell them cheap to travelers or ships.  "Less desirable" meaning anything other than the ham from the back legs, or loin from "high on the hog" (another obscure saying from days of old).  Funny thing is, the name stuck everywhere except Boston!

In bbq, I find the Boston butt to be more desirable meat than the picnic, simply for taste.  But, there you have it - how the "Boston butt" became the Boston butt"

 

[roblox84]

Go for the #2 at a minimum.  If you have the space and the $$$ spring for the #3.  Use your tax refund...

I actually already picked up my #2 smoker and it is pretty darn big. I think there is way more space then i'll ever need even for a summer barbeque party.

 

[roblox84]

Hey Rob, here's something I posted awhile back about how the Boston butt got its name.  Kind of useless information, but I thought I'd share!  Who knows?  You might be on Jeopardy! some day!

"There are actually two cuts that come from the front shoulder of a pig; the picnic shoulder, and the Boston butt pork shoulder.  The Boston butt has absolutely nothing to do with the "butt" as we know it - it's actually the opposite end of Porky!  The Boston butt is the top cut of the shoulder, whereas the picnic cut is the lower part of the leg. 

The Boston butt got it's name in Colonial times when butchers would pack the "less desirable" cuts from the pig in barrels referred to as "butts."  They would then sell them cheap to travelers or ships.  "Less desirable" meaning anything other than the ham from the back legs, or loin from "high on the hog" (another obscure saying from days of old).  Funny thing is, the name stuck everywhere except Boston!

In bbq, I find the Boston butt to be more desirable meat than the picnic, simply for taste.  But, there you have it - how the "Boston butt" became the Boston butt"

That's interesting, I wonder why the name didn't stick in Boston?

 

[DivotMaker]

Not sure why, but I'll try to find out!

 

[Walt]

Tony, that explains the term "butt" but why "boston"?

 

[Paul Case Luca]

I read this Boston before.... It was in colonial times and at the Boston port where in the barrel butts that porkj was shipped .... But my memory is for nothing at the age of 38. 

 

[DivotMaker]

That's right, Steve!  It was the Boston area where this practice of putting the "lesser cuts" in the wood butts was first practiced.  Since that was the main sea port, most of these barrels were sold to ships.  The shoulder cut with the blade bone, known as the "Boston butt," was unique to the Boston area butchers.  The name became common, once the cut was shipped around the country.  Still trying to find out why the name didn't stick in Boston!  I bet it's more common now, though.

According to the National Pork Board, the "picnic shoulder" (sometimes called the picnic ham) is a little more vague.  Best guesses say it's called that because the taste more resembles ham, when smoked, than the shoulder blade (Boston butt) cut does.  It's believed that it was often substituted for the more expensive ham cut (from the hind leg) for informal meals, like outings and picnics. 

Maybe we have a member from Boston that can answer the question about what they call them there!

 

[BHamel]

Just a small bit of advice for meat since your in the Fairlawn area.  I'm guessing Steve met you right off of RT18.  Next to BestBuy is a GFS store.  No membership is required there and they have some great cuts of meat, and some of it is only one or two days old.  The Brisket and pork shoulders are very well priced.  Just my 2 cents.

 

[old sarge]

Ohio has some of the best and tastiest pork and beef anywhere.  Grew up on that stuff. Still miss Bob Evans and White Castles.