Boston Butt

[sherpa]

I am thinking about a different way to make some BBQ with a Boston Butt.
Instead of using a smoker I was thinking about putting the butt on the fire ring outside and letting it soak up some smoke from a small fire inside the fire ring. (I was going to use red oak and hickory wood) I would then bring it in and finish cooking it in the crockpot. We have had a lot of good success using the crockpot.

What do you think, anyone else every fixed a Boston Butt for BBQ on an open fire?
Sherpa

 

[dmccarty]

I smoke our butts..., hmmm, let me rephrase that, I smoke port butts in our BBQ. :shocked: Not sure that sounds right either. :laughing: How about I put port butts in our grill/smoker! Yeah, that sounds right! :thumbsup::laughing:

The problem with butts is that they are big and take a long time to cook on the grill/smoker. Your idea of using a crock pot is a good idea. We stopped using pork butt because of the fat and length of time to cook and now just smoke pork loin. Yum. :licking: I can cut the loin into 4-5 inch lengths which makes for faster cooking and easier placement in our grill. Our grill is a 7n1 from Cabellas and is about the size of a smoker so there is not a lot of room in it.

A guy at work uses pork butt in a slow cooker and he really likes it that way. I think smoking the port butt first then putting it in the slow cooker would be really good and convenient.

I don't use charcoal when cooking meat. Instead I use small pieces of wood I get when splitting firewood. This is all oak with some hickory. I use it and small dead branches to smoke/cook the meat. The dead branches are nice to use because they usually are damp so the smoke real nice. The 7n1 we have has a lid which helps smoulder the fire for more smoke. Working with an open fire is going to be interesting to keep the heat away from the meat but get the smoke to the meat. If you get the grill high enough above the heat so you smoke but not cook the meat, it would be doable. Otherwise, I am not sure how you would get the smoke to the meat. Maybe use a dutch oven or other big pot to put over the meat to help capture the smoke?

Later,
Dan

 

[hosspuller]

I've come to almost the same conclusion... Smoke the Boston Butt a bit in my offset grill then finish with a few hours in the kitchen oven. I was getting too much smoke flavoring cooking it the whole time in the grill. Works very well for me.

 

[tow653]

Most of my fellow Missourians and a few others will know what I'm talking about. Have butcher cut butt into 1/2 to 3/4" "steaks" and cook on grill,either direct or in-direct. Read article in paper that large percentage of Boston butts are consumed in a 3 or 4 state area centered around Mo.,consuming what we refer to as "pork steaks".

 

[sherpa]

I like the idea of using a dutch oven.
I guess just turn it upside down on top of the Butt to hold the smoke in?
Sherpa

 

[s219]

One thing to think of with the crock pot is that it will braise the meat, since it will trap moisture in the pot. Braising is an OK technique for tough meats (pot roast, etc) but I probably wouldn't like to do this to a nice tender pork butt. If it were me, I'd finish cooking in the oven, not the crock pot.

For certain meats, I do smoke them for about 2 hours and then finish the cooking in the oven for another 4-6 hours. No need for smoke the whole time; in fact, it could be too much smoke if done the whole time.

You may also be able to butterfly the butt to reduce cooking time. I have done this with other meats/cuts, but never tried with a pork butt. The general idea is to increase surface area and reduce thickness, which improves smoking and reduces cooking time.

 

[sherpa]

Another question concerning the smoking wood?
I have some fresh cut red oak, just been on the ground a week and I have some seasoned red oak that was split last year. Which would be best or does it matter?
I slpit some of that fresh cut red oak just now and it is good and moist.
sherpa

 

[2LaneCruzer]

IMHO, and I found agreement elsewhere on this...USE THE SEASONED WOOD! Green oak smells good, but it really is hard on the old gastrointestinal tract. FWIW, I use a combination of Mesquite (about 1/2), and the remainder about half and half blackjack oak and either hickory or pecan. I put it on when I start the meat and don't add any. I usually put a couple medium sized chunks in the BGE, and put the hot coals on top; and then add a couple hands full on top of the coals. I cook the shoulder at 225-250 until it gets to 195. I also use my own rub mixture(I will be glad to share if anyone cares enough to ask), which I put on the shoulder the night before and let it sit in the frige overnight. If I do say so myself, the results are excellent!

 

[Car Doc]

They say a real BBQ cook can make good BBQ in a hub cap on the side of the road. So Id say go for it all you can do is ruin a piece of meat or create a nice recipe you will use and modify for years good luck. :thumbsup:

(What would I do? Smoke it for 3-4 hours like that and then double wrap it in foil and put 1/2 bottle of Stubbs pork marinade in the foil and put it back on the fire pit or in the oven @ 275 till it hits 205. Pull it off the heat and dump all the juice out into a plastic container and freeze it so I could get the fat off. Then after 2-3 hours sitting Id pull it apart and dump the de-fatted juice over it after warming it up in the micro and serve it.)

edit; I always put a piece of foil on the rack when I put foiled meats back on the grill saves tearing a hole in the foil from sticking to other burnt on stuff when you take it off I hate loosing the meat juices. :thumbsup:

edit: while typing my answer I see you are also wondering about green wood I wouldn't use it it will be bitter and like 2lane says its bad for ya seasoned is the only way to smoke. hth

 

[s219]

Yeah, don't use green wood -- smoking/burning with it will release some unsavory flavors. I tried it once, thinking it wasn't any different than soaking my seasoned chunks in water, but it was a big mistake.

 

[Alan L.]

I usually smoke my but 6-8 hours then finish in the oven, because the oven has a probe and I just stick in there and set it for 188 and the oven beeps and cuts off at that point. My son in law does butts in a crock pot and they turn out good too.

 

[sherpa]

I was wondering how a pressure cooker would do on a butt?
Anyone ever tried that?
sherpa

 

[Car Doc]

Well I know people who just add liquid smoke and cook stuff in the house so I dont know why that wouldn't work. You can cook anything in anything its all a matter of technique. :thumbsup:

 

[brin]

With using a pressure cooker, which would work fine especially with liquid smoke like cardoc said and add some vinegar and bbq sauce with some water or cooking it inside in the over or dutch oven....the only suggestion I would have is whichever inside method is done...you might want to finish it off on the grill...just on about 350 deg on the outdoor grill to let the fat run off....Cooked inside off a grill you will retain all the fat.....that's not good for us.

 

[dmccarty]

I was wondering how a pressure cooker would do on a butt?
Anyone ever tried that?
sherpa

You could and it would cook faster. Problem is that it would be steamed/boiled not grilled. Liquid Smoke is supposed to work but I have never used it. It is just what it says, liquid smoke. I have done either butt or pork loin in the pressure cooker. It is faster but not as tasty as from the grill/smoker. It has been years since I used the pressure cooker for meat. The grill/smoker is just that much better.

I suppose one could use the pressure cooker and then brown afterwards. Or brown the outside and then pressure cook.

Later,
Dan

 

[Redbug]

I have had Butts steaked out like Tow653 mentioned. And boy...are they good on the grill.

Now you went and done it...my mouth is watering...

 

[Car Doc]

I also know of people that par boil ribs first then grill them so as to tenderize them Applebys and Chilli's do it that way also fwtw.

So I spose if I was going to do a pressure cooked butt now I think about it...I would probably braise it in the pressure cooker real good on all sides then add a couple cups of water and a bay leaf and some pork and poultry seasonings and some liquid smoke and give it 30 minutes @ 10psi. If it needed more cooking I would do it in a pan. my .002 elifino

Fact I just searched and its 1.5 hrs first (i was way off there) and then take the lid off add veggies etc and finish it for 30 minutes back up at pressure. hth

 

[dmccarty]

I also know of people that par boil ribs first then grill them so as to tenderize them Applebys and Chilli's do it that way also fwtw.

So I spose if I was going to do a pressure cooked butt now I think about it...I would probably braise it in the pressure cooker real good on all sides then add a couple cups of water and a bay leaf and some pork and poultry seasonings and some liquid smoke and give it 30 minutes @ 10psi. If it needed more cooking I would do it in a pan. my .002 elifino

I have been watching the first Julia Child cooking shows from the 60s. That lady was smart. Almost 30 minutes of video, start to finish, no breaks, just cooking. Not many people could do what she did. I just watched her cooking a chicken dish where she first brown the chicken, course with black and white TV it was real hard to see any browning :laughing:, then the chicken went into the pot to finished cooking.

It seems most of the time, that cooking shows or cook books say to brown the meat and then finish cooking.

I have a large pork loin defrosting so I can cook it this weekend. :licking: Gonna make some more Johnny cakes to go with the smoked pork loin. :licking::licking::licking:

Later,
Dan

 

[Car Doc]

Oh I know what you mean Dan the browning is where all the flavor comes from in gravy etc. I am a food network junkie and all this talk about butts now I am going to have to smoke one this weekend thanks a lot Sherpa and all the rest of you guys! :licking: :laughing:

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Oh I know what you mean Dan the browning is where all the flavor comes from in gravy etc. I am a food network junkie and all this talk about butts now I am going to have to smoke one this weekend thanks a lot Sherpa and all the rest of you guys! :licking: :laughing:

Hmmm. Good Idea...I have 3 in the freezer right now; I like the smaller ones in the 4-5 pound range, that are covered in the fishnet. Better get it defrostin!