Pork Butt

Here is the pork butt recipe from my smoke last week.


Rub:

• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup paprika
• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 3 Tbsp fresh cracked black pepper
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp dried basil
  

Sauce (this is authentic Eastern NC vinegar based sauce...they put this in our bottles as babies):

• 1/2 gallon apple cider vinegar
• 2 cup white vinegar
• 2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 5 Tbsp brown sugar
• 4 Tbsp red pepper flakes
• 5 Tbsp fresh cracked black pepper
• 5 tsp kosher salt

Bring this sauce to a simmer, but don't boil it.

A lot of folks rub their butts the night before and wrap them in saran wrap. I've done it that way, but can't tell any appreciable difference to doing it 30 minutes to an hour before I smoke. I usually coat the butt with cheap yellow mustard (you won't taste it; it just helps the rub to stick) and put a liberal coating of rub on the butt. Then I go fire up the smoker and when it gets to 200-225 I put the butt on.

Depending on when I need the butts done I cook them at anywhere from 225 to 275 degrees. I shoot for 190 degrees internal for my butts so they will pull well. You occasionally get one that needs 195-200 to be really tender. I assume this is due to the amount of connective tissue. With a little experience you can tell when you put a thermometer in the meat whether it is done or not.

For this cook I pulled one of the butts and chopped one of the butts. I add just a smidgen of my sauce when I pull the butt, then have it on the side for folks to add as they please.

Writing this post has given me a hankerin' for some pulled pork. Lucky for me I have some in the freezer I can pull out for lunch tomorrow. It freezes very well. If you vacuum seal it it'll keep for months, but mine usually doesn't last that long.