First time pork butt

[(Pitbarrellboy)]

I have had a PBC for almost two years and only done some chicken or ribs. Mainly because I didn't have a thermometer to monitor overall temp of unit for 6+ hours. Well, I got the Smoke by thermoworks and decided I didn't have any more excuses. Took 8 hours, used the crutch, gave in at 197F rather than my 203F goal, but I am happy for my first time cooking something more than 2 hours!

[cmiller0711]

Awesome! It looks great and will only get better

[Mr. Bones]

Fine Job....
At first glance, I thought that ya' injected it with Port...
Howdy from Kansas Territory; Welcome to th' Pit!
Lemme gitchya a chair...

[kmhfive]

Great perseverance! But, I would beg just a little more patience with a hunk of meat like that.

First, 203F is just a number. A guideline. The real test is "probe-tender"; a close second is wiggling the bone to see if it has released. Since each cook is different, I start checking at about 190-195F. I keep cooking it until it is done.

Second, a big hunk cooked low-n-slow to convert all that connective tissue to gelatin needs a nice warm rest for two-four hours! This brings the moisture to the meat like you wouldn't believe! Make sure to leave time for the Cambro!

[(Pitbarrellboy)]

Thanks for that tip! It was not as tender as I had hoped and I think the resting would have probably helped. I let it rest about 30 minutes, but it didn't pull as easy as I would have hoped. I think the main thing I wanted was to cross the barriers of keeping the fire going for a long time in a good temp range. Now I am excited to focus on getting the technique down with tips like yours.

[DWCowles]

Beautiful!

[Steve B]

Great first attempt. Nice job brother.

[(Pitbarrellboy)]

Thanks! I think I have learned a lot and gained some confidence with just using the PBC for a long cook.

[Steve B]

Ain't it a great feeling to have a good cook or 2 under your belt. The confidence it instills upon us is uplifting.

Looking forward to seeing some more cooks from you my brother.

[hogdog6]

Looks great!

[Jon Solberg]

Nice!

[RonB]

I like your butt.

[HawkerXP]

Looks goood! PBC, PBC, PBC!

[JeffJ]

Looks great. For pork butt I like 195. It pulls very easily at that temp, especially if you cambro.

[fzxdoc]

Your first PB on the PBC looks great, and as others have said, you've now moved a good way up that learning curve. I bet your next pork butt will be spectacular. It's all about the next cook.

Kathryn

[PaulstheRibList]

Way to go!!!

[abandonedbrain]

I agree with kmhfive on probe-tender instead of cooking to a number. My latest cook was a 9# butt cooked for 8.5 hours on the PBC, no crutch, and when I pulled it off I poked it with the thermometer probe from my Smoke; it was nearly perfect at 197F. I let it ride to 202F (another 20-30 minutes) because I personally prefer a slightly drier pulled pork, but it still came off the grate in juicy pieces. I only let it rest on the counter for 20 minutes under a foil tent, no cambro, and just squeezed it with my silicone gloves. Only a few chunks needed to be Bear Clawed finer.

[Spinaker]

Nice looking cook.