12-Step Pork Butt

Simple 12-step method for perfect smoked pork butt (pulled pork). Low and slow until fall-apart tender.

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Prep Time
30 minutes
Total Time
10-12 hours
Servings
10-12 people
Difficulty
intermediate
#pork-butt#pulled-pork#smoked#bbq#pork-shoulder

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October 12th is National Pulled Pork day, which I’m convinced is just a marketing scheme - but it is a good time to reflect on my smoked meat journey. Pulled pork is what got me into smoking meat. For years, my favorite thing to get from BBQ restaurants was a pulled pork sandwich. Pork butt was the first thing I smoked. My neighbor shared one he smoked on his Weber Smokey Mountain and gave me some tips. Since then I’ve smoked a ton of pork butts. Whenever someone asks me how to get started with smoked meat, I always point them to the pork butt because it is very forgiving. It’s one of the easiest things to smoke, but to keep it moist you have to wrap it in foil after you have a nice bark. And to keep it well seasoned you have to add more rub after you pull it. Needless to say, I don’t need to order pulled pork sandwiches anymore. Let me know in the comments how you got into smoked meats. What was the first thing you smoked and on what smoker? #pulledpork #nationalpulledporkday #smokedmeat #bbq
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Oct 12, 2024

October 12th is National Pulled Pork day, which I’m convinced is just a marketing scheme - but it is a good time to reflect on my smoked meat journey. Pulled pork is what got me into smoking meat. ...

📹 Recipe Video

youtube • 0:44

Quick Pork Steaks. Today we’re grilling pork steaks in 30 minutes. There are only 3 of us in the house, so when we get a pork butt, we like to use it many ways. I’ll smoke half of it for pulled pork. Grind some of it for dumplings. And use the rest for pork steaks or pork bulgogi. My wife marinated these steaks in a korean style sauce. Let me know if you want me to try to get that recipe from her. Pork steaks are a very easy cook. I grilled them indirect with lump charcoal and wood chunks for 20 minutes. Flipping them over half way through. And then moved them over to the direct side to crisp up the fat and add sear a little. I’m experimenting with a new mop sauce, so I lightly mopped a couple of them right before wrapping. You want to take them to about 185F degrees so they are tender but also have some texture. I then fully wrap in foil and put them back on the indirect side until we were ready to eat. Make sure you monitor them here so they don’t burn. It only took about 30 minutes to cook these, but they were pretty thin. So you might have to up that time if yours are thicker. I’ll put that mop sauce in the description. Give it a try and let me know how it turns out. Mop sauce: 1 cup apple cider vinegar 1/2 cup water 1/4 cup ketchup 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 tablespoon mustard (yellow or Dijon) 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon onion powder 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional) 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, for heat) Salt and black pepper to taste Jonny #bbq #porksteaks #grilling
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The highlight of our year is a 50 person week-long family and friends camping trip on the Columbia river. As usual, I planned on cooking most of the week, but hadn’t planned on pre-smoking any meat. Our good friend, who organizes the event, texted me the Friday before kick off to see if I could do pulled pork sandwiches for Monday night dinner. I’m always looking for a reason to smoke some meat so I was happy to help out. I ran down to Costco and grabbed the two pack of boneless pork butt. I’d rather get bone-in butts, because it’s less work, but that’s all I could find. I patted it down with a paper towel and then cut it into smaller sections instead of tying it. When doing smaller pieces, it will cook faster and you’ll have more surface area for the bark to develop. I slathered in sriracha and then applied this Franklin rub that a friend from Austin gave me, and topped with some black pepper. I let it rest in the prep tub and then in the fridge overnight. I smoked it at 250 until the bark was looking nice, about 175 internal. As suggested by a bunch of you, I’m trying Bear Mountain pellets, which turned out great - no clogs and minimal dust. I then wrapped it in foil and bumped the smoker to 275. I poured on the rendered fat that I caught in the drip pans as it was smoking. It was really nice out and we wanted to go on a short hike, so I let the smoker go and then remotely shut it off with the app when it hit 205 internal. I let it rest in a blanket until it dropped to 160 and then pulled it with my hands. I put cotton gloves under my nitrile gloves to protect my hands from the heat. I added the juices from the foil and then tasted it. At this point, I’d usually add more rub if it needs it. But, in this case it was good as-is. I then popped it in the freezer until we headed out to camp. Come Monday night I griddled it up and added some Trader Joe’s sriracha BBQ sauce and smoked provolone cheese. Turned out great. Lots of happy campers. #bbq #camping #howto #pulledpork #smokedmeat
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When you’re in Denver and are looking for an authentic Texas style bbq joint definitely consider Post Oak BBQ. They named it Post Oak because that is the type of wood used in central texas style BBQ. They have it shipped over from Austin to get that specific flavor profile. They have won a bunch of awards for their bbq and it’s warranted. I personally think it is as good as the barbeque I get in texas. They were serving beef ribs when I was there, so I couldn’t pass that up, but also wanted to try the brisket. Since I was the only one eating I didn’t want a full half pound of brisket, so I just got a bite. The beef rib was good, but if I go back I’d just get the brisket. It was a really flavorful prime cut from goodstock, which is actually run by Nolan Ryan. It had the perfect amount of salt and pepper, tender and moist. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the beef rib, I just wish I had two stomachs. I also got a pulled pork sandwich and a pork rib. You tune in for honesty, so I have to say the pork didn’t blow me away. They do add some sauce when they pull, but I feel like it also needs more rub on the inside and more bark on the outside. For sides, I got the Jalapeno Bacon Mac n Cheese and Elote. The Mac was great. Rich, creamy and spicy. I wasn’t a fan of the Elote. If you get the Mac, you don’t really need the elote as they are similar in flavor profile. I’d probably go Texas caviar if I return. So, if you decide to go to Post Oak, get the brisket, mac, caviar and call it good. As an aside, if Post Oak happens to see this video, I highly recommend getting the line guys some cotton gloves and a cut glove. They were trying to pull the pork with only nitrile gloves and it was too hot. And a cut glove to protect the digits. #bbq #denver #sreviews #denverco #texasbbq #brisket #beefribs #denvercolorado #denverfoodie
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Pork Butt 3 Ways Today I’m going to turn this $20 10lb pork butt into 20 pulled pork sandwiches, 50 dumplings and two pounds of pork bulgogi. I’m going to smoke half of it, grind a quarter of it and slice the other quarter. As I’m preparing each section, you’ll notice that I’m removing any veins, glands, and hard fat - basically anything that doesn’t look appetizing or won’t render. I cut it in half and then cut that side in half again. I’m carving out the money muscle for the dumplings and the other side for slices. For the ground meat, I’m going to cut it in chunks so it fits into my grinder. For the slices, I cut that in half so it fits on my slicer. I then cleaned up the half I’ll smoke and scored the fat cap. I put the parts I’m going to grind and slice in the freezer for a couple of hours. And also put the grinder parts in the freezer so everything stays cold. I slathered the pork butt with sriracha, applied a rub and then put it in the fridge until I was ready to smoke it. I ground the chunks once through with the coarse plate and again with the fine plate. And then cleaned the grinder out with some ice cubes. Then I just sliced the other section for the bulgogi. This is definitely a great way to utilize the whole pork butt and fed my family for at least a week. #bbq #mealprep #smokedmeat #pork #food
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Smoked Pork Butt Half I like to wrap when the the fat cap squishes like this and the bark is nice and dark. Rest for as long as you can. This one rested at room temp for a couple of hours in a blanket and tub. Cooler and towels work too. Always add the foil juices back in and always add more rub after shredding. You can also add vinegar or a thin bbq sauce. I’m using this for pulled pork and tacos so I didn’t want to add anything sweet at this point. The bone should come out clean when you pull it. I take it from here, throw it on a pan to crisp it up, add sauce, cheese, bun, onions for my sandwich. #bbq #smokedmeat #pulledpork
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It’s national pulled pork day! When I smoke a pork butt for the family I don’t like to put sugar or hot spices during the cook because we’ll later add bbq sauce for pulled pork sandwiches, lime and salsa for tacos, or gochujang for korean bibimbap bowls. I start with a 10+ pound butt with a big money muscle. I’ll then trim off any hard fat that won’t render. Pat it down with a paper towel Apply a mustard binder Rub with salt, pepper, garlic, and onion - no sugar or hot spices. Smoke it fat side up at 250 for 9ish hours I’ll then wrap when the fat cap has split, is fully rendered, and squishy. I’ll continue to cook it at 250 until it probes tender. Right around 200 degrees. I then take it off the heat and let it rest. Right before we eat I pull with the bone or my hands. We’ll have a good meal and then freeze the rest to eat in the coming days. #affiliate #bbq #bbqtips #pulledpork #pork #nationalpulledporkday #pulledporkday #howto #learnontiktok #smokedmeat #webergrills
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When you’re in Denver and are looking for an authentic Texas style bbq joint definitely consider Post Oak BBQ. They named it Post Oak because that is the type of wood used in central texas style BBQ. They have it shipped over from Austin to get that specific flavor profile. They have won a bunch of awards for their bbq and it’s warranted. I personally think it is as good as the barbeque I get in texas. They were serving beef ribs when I was there, so I couldn’t pass that up, but also wanted to try the brisket. Since I was the only one eating I didn’t want a full half pound of brisket, so I just got a bite. The beef rib was good, but if I go back I’d just get the brisket. It was a really flavorful prime cut from goodstock, which is actually run by Nolan Ryan. It had the perfect amount of salt and pepper, tender and moist. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the beef rib, I just wish I had two stomachs. I also got a pulled pork sandwich and a pork rib. You tune in for honesty, so I have to say the pork didn’t blow me away. They do add some sauce when they pull, but I feel like it also needs more rub on the inside and more bark on the outside. For sides, I got the Jalapeno Bacon Mac n Cheese and Elote. The Mac was great. Rich, creamy and spicy. I wasn’t a fan of the Elote. If you get the Mac, you don’t really need the elote as they are similar in flavor profile. I’d probably go Texas caviar if I return. So, if you decide to go to Post Oak, get the brisket, mac, caviar and call it good. As an aside, if Post Oak happens to see this video, I highly recommend getting the line guys some cotton gloves and a cut glove. They were trying to pull the pork with only nitrile gloves and it was too hot. And a cut glove to protect the digits. #bbq #denver #reviews #denverco #texasbbq #brisket #beefribs #denvercolorado #denverfood @Jonny, Backyahd BBQ
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Rent’s Due BBQ @Rentsduebbq is smoking Texas style BBQ just outside of Seattle in North Bend, Washington. It was the closest thing to Texas BBQ that I’ve had in the Seattle area. This was the first time I met the pitmaster, Harrison, but it felt like we've been friends for years. I wanted to try everything so I asked if he could throw together a sampler for me. It was all tasty, but if I was forced to choose, I’d go for a slice of the brisket point, pulled pork, and chicken. Check out his calendar for special events and catch him Saturday’s 12-sold out in North Bend near the Safeway. 12600 412th Ave SE North Bend, WA 98045
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Ingredients

Recipe yield: 10-12 people

  • 10 lb (4.5 kg) Pork Butt (Boston Butt)(with large money muscle)
  • Yellow Mustard(for slather)
  • Hot Sauce(for slather)
  • Worcestershire Sauce(optional for slather)
  • Kosher Salt(generous amount)
  • Coarse Black Pepper(generous amount)
  • Garlic Powder(generous amount)
  • Onion Powder(generous amount)
  • Heavy Duty Foil(double layer for wrapping)

Equipment Needed

  • •Smoker or grill
  • •Foil
  • •Probe thermometer
  • •Paper towels

Instructions

12 steps
1

Buy the butt

Get a pork butt that's 10+ pounds with a big money muscle (the separate muscle cap on top).

Tips

  • •Bigger is better - more bark surface area
  • •Money muscle is the prize cut
2

Trim hard fat

Remove any hard fat that won't render during the cook. Leave soft fat.

Tips

  • •Don't over-trim
  • •Hard fat feels waxy
3

Dry the surface

Pat down with paper towels to remove excess moisture.

Tip

  • •Dry surface = better bark
4

Apply slather

Coat with mustard and hot sauce. This helps rub stick and adds flavor.

Tips

  • •Yellow mustard is traditional
  • •Add Worcestershire for umami
5

Apply rub

Season generously with kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.

Tips

  • •Don't be shy with rub
  • •Cover all surfaces evenly
6

Smoke low and slow

Smoke at 250°F (121°C) for approximately 6 hours until bark is set and internal temp is around 165°F (74°C).

Time:~6 hoursTemp:250°F (121°C) smoker temp

Tips

  • •Use hardwood or fruitwood
  • •Spritz every hour after 3 hours
7

Check the fat

Poke the fat cap - it should feel squishy, not firm. This means fat is rendering.

Tip

  • •Squishy fat = ready to wrap
8

Wrap in foil

Wrap in two layers of heavy-duty foil. Return to smoker and continue cooking.

Tips

  • •Double wrap prevents leaks
  • •Can add liquid (apple juice, etc.) before wrapping
9

Cook until probe-tender

Continue cooking until internal temp hits 195-203°F (91-95°C). Probe should glide through like butter with no resistance.

Time:2-4 hoursTemp:195-203°F (91-95°C) internal

Tips

  • •Temperature is a guide
  • •Tenderness is what matters
  • •Don't rush this step
10

Rest

Remove from smoker and rest for at least 1 hour (wrapped in towel in cooler for longer holds). This lets juices redistribute.

Time:1+ hours

Tips

  • •Can hold 4+ hours in cooler
  • •Juices will reabsorb during rest
11

Shred

Use the bone to shred the meat. Remove and save the money muscle for you and your closest friends.

Tips

  • •Money muscle is ultra-tender
  • •Remove any unrendered fat while shredding
12

Serve

Enjoy with BBQ sauce, coleslaw, and pickled red onions on buns or by itself.

Tips

  • •Sauce on the side lets people choose
  • •Save leftovers for tacos, nachos, pizza

You've completed all 12 steps. Time to eat.

Important Notes

Total cook time varies based on size and smoker temperature. Plan for 1.5-2 hours per pound at 250°F (121°C). The probe test is more important than exact temperature.

Pro Tips

  • •Start early - this is an all-day cook
  • •Don't open smoker unnecessarily - loses heat
  • •Stall around 165°F (74°C) is normal - just be patient
  • •Wrapping speeds up cook and keeps meat moist

Gear for This Recipe

Check out the gear we use and recommend for this recipe.

SmokersWireless ThermometersButcher PaperKnivesFuel