Smoked Pork Butt
This is a simple smoked pork butt recipe that ensures you get tender and juicy meat everytime. You can even pull it at the end to get pulled pork if you want
Ingredients
- 6-8 lbs Pork butt
- 3 tbsp Mustard
- 1 cup BBQ Sauce
- 1/3 cup BBQ Rub
Instructions
- Trim the fat and leave at least a ¼-inch layer of fat on the pork butt to help protect the meat from drying out during cooking.
- Score the fat cap: Create a diamond pattern in the fat cap. This will allow the rub to penetrate the meat more deeply, enhancing flavor.
- Before applying the dry rub, use using a binder like mustard, apple cider vinegar, or mayonnaise. This will help the rub adhere to the meat and prevent it from washing off during cooking.
- To start smoking, set the smoker to 225°F, place a pan of water on the far left side, and carefully position the pork butt fatty side down.
- Insert internal thermometer probes, set a timer for 2.5 hours, and spritz with apple juice every 30 minutes.
- When the internal temperature of the pork butt hits about 145-155°F, remove it from the smoker and wrap it in aluminum foil.
- Lay out two layers of aluminum foil or butcher paper. Using protective gloves to avoid burns, take the pork out of the smoker and place it on top of the paper. Wrap it tightly with the temperature probe in, and set it back on the smoker.
- Once the internal temperature reaches 195°F to 203°F, carefully remove the pork butt from the smoker and let it rest in an aluminum pan, wrapped or unwrapped, for at least 30 minutes.
- To ensure it’s cooked through, you can check if the shoulder bone pulls out cleanly or test the meat’s tenderness by twisting a fork.
- Shred the meat using two forks, your hands, or bear claws—just be sure to wear protective gloves if you use your hands to avoid burns.
- After pulling the meat, taste it and decide what seasonings you want. Our favorite BBQ sauce for pulled pork is Lillie’s Q Carolina Sauce.