Smoked Pork ButtAn easy low & slow smoked pork butt recipe using a Weber kettle charcoal grill with make ahead NC bbq sauce (dip).
INGREDIENTS: 8-9 lbs. bone-in pork butt 1/3 cup Gusto's Georgia rub 1/4 cup Gusto's NC Dip 6oz. white vinegar 6oz. apple cider vinegar 1/4 cup thin barbecue sauce 6oz. apple cider (or apple juice) Wood chips or chunks |
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DIRECTIONS:
Grill used: 22" Weber Charcoal Premium
Grill temperature: 225-250°F
Cook time: Approximately 9 hours
Internal meat temperature: 195-203°F
BBQ SAUCE/DIP: Pour both vinegars and the NC Dip into a sauce pan over medium heat. Stir until all of the sugar has evaporated but do not boil the mixture. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. When cooled, transfer dip to an airtight jar and store in refrigerator. *** For the best flavor, try to make the barbecue sauce (dip) a few days ahead to give the spices and vinegars time to meld. ***
WOOD CHIPS: Because we wanted to use four different types of wood in this smoke, we went with wood chips to better control the portions of each wood type. We used about about 3 cups total of oak, hickory, pecan and cherry: 1.5 cups oak + 1/2 cup cherry + 1/3 cup pecan + 1/4 cup hickory - all presoaked in water for 30 minutes. (Save the liquid from wood chips to use in the cook). You can also use wood chunks of your choosing (3-5+ / 3" chunks) without presoaking in water.
PREPARE YOUR GRILL FOR INDIRECT HEAT: (This recipe was performed on a 22" Weber kettle charcoal grill) Place a disposable aluminum pan in the middle of the bottom rack and stack your charcoal all around the outside of the pan and partially up the walls of your kettle grill (avoid allowing the charcoal to touch the pan, if possible).
Prepare a small chimney starter of heated charcoal and gently shake the lit charcoals around the insides of the grill onto the unlit charcoal, still avoiding the aluminum pan. Place top grill grate in its place over the lit coals. Close the lid of the grill and adjust all vents to wide open. Heat your grill to 225-250°F. When the temperature reaches about 200°F, close your vents about 2/3 of the way (or however it will work for you to maintain the correct temperature).
PREPARE THE PORK: Trim the pork butt of excess fat on the bottom. The fat cap on top can be trimmed to 1/4" and scored, if desired. Apply Gusto's Georgia rub on all sides of the butt. Allow the meat to sit at room temperature while your grill comes to temp (about 30 minutes but no longer than 40).
Pour one cup of liquid from the wood chips into the aluminum pan in grill (water, apple juice and water, etc. also ok). Spread a large handful of the drained wood chips over the hot coals, replace the top grill rack and grill lid and wait for the smoke from the chips to turn a bluish color. Place pork butt directly onto the rack over the aluminum pan. Place a food probe thermometer into the side of the pork to monitor the internal temperature of the meat. Return the grill lid to the smoker and allow pork cook for one hour.
In the meantime, strain 1/4 cup liquid from the NC Dip and place into a food safe spray bottle along with 6oz. apple cider (or juice). Every hour during the first few hours of the cook and before you wrap the pork in tin foil, you will spritz the pork with this mixture. Check also to see if you need to add more wood chips if your smoke dies down. If so, add another handful to the coals. After you wrap the pork in foil, you will no longer need to add the wood chips.
Watch the temps on your grill to keep the temperature as close to 225-250°F as you can. Also, you can add a small handful of wood chips every hour for the first few hours, if desired. Don't add too much wood of any kind or your food will taste acrid!
When your pork reaches 160°F (after about 3 hours), double wrap the entire butt in two sheets of heavy duty aluminum foil, pouring a small amount of the NC dip mixed with you favorite thin bbq sauce before tightly closing the foil. Place the temperature probe back into the meat and cook until the internal temperature reaches 195-203°F (another 4-5 hours). The pork is done when the bone cleanly and easily pulls away from the meat.
With meat claws or using heavy duty bbq gloves, shred, pull, or chop the pork to your liking! (Optional: Add a little more rub spices and NC Dip to the hot pork for an extra kick.)
Grill used: 22" Weber Charcoal Premium
Grill temperature: 225-250°F
Cook time: Approximately 9 hours
Internal meat temperature: 195-203°F
BBQ SAUCE/DIP: Pour both vinegars and the NC Dip into a sauce pan over medium heat. Stir until all of the sugar has evaporated but do not boil the mixture. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. When cooled, transfer dip to an airtight jar and store in refrigerator. *** For the best flavor, try to make the barbecue sauce (dip) a few days ahead to give the spices and vinegars time to meld. ***
WOOD CHIPS: Because we wanted to use four different types of wood in this smoke, we went with wood chips to better control the portions of each wood type. We used about about 3 cups total of oak, hickory, pecan and cherry: 1.5 cups oak + 1/2 cup cherry + 1/3 cup pecan + 1/4 cup hickory - all presoaked in water for 30 minutes. (Save the liquid from wood chips to use in the cook). You can also use wood chunks of your choosing (3-5+ / 3" chunks) without presoaking in water.
PREPARE YOUR GRILL FOR INDIRECT HEAT: (This recipe was performed on a 22" Weber kettle charcoal grill) Place a disposable aluminum pan in the middle of the bottom rack and stack your charcoal all around the outside of the pan and partially up the walls of your kettle grill (avoid allowing the charcoal to touch the pan, if possible).
Prepare a small chimney starter of heated charcoal and gently shake the lit charcoals around the insides of the grill onto the unlit charcoal, still avoiding the aluminum pan. Place top grill grate in its place over the lit coals. Close the lid of the grill and adjust all vents to wide open. Heat your grill to 225-250°F. When the temperature reaches about 200°F, close your vents about 2/3 of the way (or however it will work for you to maintain the correct temperature).
PREPARE THE PORK: Trim the pork butt of excess fat on the bottom. The fat cap on top can be trimmed to 1/4" and scored, if desired. Apply Gusto's Georgia rub on all sides of the butt. Allow the meat to sit at room temperature while your grill comes to temp (about 30 minutes but no longer than 40).
Pour one cup of liquid from the wood chips into the aluminum pan in grill (water, apple juice and water, etc. also ok). Spread a large handful of the drained wood chips over the hot coals, replace the top grill rack and grill lid and wait for the smoke from the chips to turn a bluish color. Place pork butt directly onto the rack over the aluminum pan. Place a food probe thermometer into the side of the pork to monitor the internal temperature of the meat. Return the grill lid to the smoker and allow pork cook for one hour.
In the meantime, strain 1/4 cup liquid from the NC Dip and place into a food safe spray bottle along with 6oz. apple cider (or juice). Every hour during the first few hours of the cook and before you wrap the pork in tin foil, you will spritz the pork with this mixture. Check also to see if you need to add more wood chips if your smoke dies down. If so, add another handful to the coals. After you wrap the pork in foil, you will no longer need to add the wood chips.
Watch the temps on your grill to keep the temperature as close to 225-250°F as you can. Also, you can add a small handful of wood chips every hour for the first few hours, if desired. Don't add too much wood of any kind or your food will taste acrid!
When your pork reaches 160°F (after about 3 hours), double wrap the entire butt in two sheets of heavy duty aluminum foil, pouring a small amount of the NC dip mixed with you favorite thin bbq sauce before tightly closing the foil. Place the temperature probe back into the meat and cook until the internal temperature reaches 195-203°F (another 4-5 hours). The pork is done when the bone cleanly and easily pulls away from the meat.
With meat claws or using heavy duty bbq gloves, shred, pull, or chop the pork to your liking! (Optional: Add a little more rub spices and NC Dip to the hot pork for an extra kick.)
THE PROGRESSION OF SMOKING A PORK BUTT ON A CHARCOAL GRILL:
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This is how easily the bone should pull from the pork: |
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