Butt & Rib together: timing & challenges?

[jjdbike]

Hello everyone,

I’d like to host a dinner for neighbors who took care of our place while we were away, and a guest who is flying in from our previous home town.

I’d like to smoke St.Louis style ribs. Since I burning the wood anyway, I’d also like to smoke a pork butt for the freezer. Timing wise, my priority is having the ribs done and ready to serve for dinner.

I’ll be using my KBQ stick burner with mini splits of peach. I’ll start at 225 to add smoke, then ramp up to 259, and eventually 275.

I’ve done many butts, and am competent with rib… separately, but never together. This is the reason for this thread.

Pork Butt: The day before I’ll trim and inject for added moisture and flavor. The morning of I’ll drain off excess liquid and rub. I’ll smoke till well past the stall, wrap, remove when probe-tender. Into faux cambro and extend rest. Depending on timing, I could pull after dinner or do heated overnight rest in electric turkey roaster and deal with that the next morning.

Ribs: I’ll slather, rub, spritz, pull, wrap, unwrap, glaze, short rest and serve (5-6pm ish).

I’ve never done two different things together like this. What complications are involved? The biggest challenge I see is timing. I know that butts are forgiving. Injecting, wrapping, and extended hold should buy me even more forgiveness. It seems to me (purely speculation as I’ve not tried this before), the easiest way to do the ribs perfectly, serve and have fully rendered tender butt is to smoke both cuts together, perhaps start the butt an hour before ribs, and do extended heated overnight butt hold and deal with it in the morning.

Thoughts, concerns, suggestions are greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!!!
JD

[Mosca]

I’d start them both at the same time, then while eating the ribs let the butt keep cooking. Let’s say you put everything on the fire at noon, and eat at 6; then the butt will be done long after everyone has gone home and you’ve cleaned up. Depending on all the other factors (size, temp, the meat itself) that could be anywhere from 8 to midnight, but I’d guess 9 or 10. Cambro it for an hour, pull it, refrigerate it overnight and pack it the next day.

Or start everything at 11, or whenever suits your dining plans. But if you plan for it all to finish at the same time, you’ll be screwing around with the pork butt when you’d rather be eating with your friends.

[Donw]

Amen.

[LA Pork Butt]

+ 1 unless your cooker demands constant attention then I might consider putting the butt on ad adding the ribs to finish an hour before serving. Both the ribs and the butt can benefit from a hold.

[jjdbike]

I’d start them both at the same time, then while eating the ribs let the butt keep cooking. Let’s say you put everything on the fire at noon, and eat at 6; then the butt will be done long after everyone has gone home and you’ve cleaned up. Depending on all the other factors (size, temp, the meat itself) that could be anywhere from 8 to midnight, but I’d guess 9 or 10. Cambro it for an hour, pull it, refrigerate it overnight and pack it the next day.

Or start everything at 11, or whenever suits your dining plans. But if you plan for it all to finish at the same time, you’ll be screwing around with the pork butt when you’d rather be eating with your friends.

Thanks much for your reply.

I see the merits of your suggestion. My challenges are, I am an extreme early bird. I’m up at 4:00 and in bed by 8, also need to be done before dark. That’s why I thought about starting the butt earlier than the ribs. Remember, the KBQ cooks faster than other stick burners because of the airflow. Two fans cook like a convection oven.

I’ve never done an overnight heated rest of pork butt, but have done several times with brisket. Works great! Best brisket I’ve ever done or eaten. I would assume that if it works for brisket, it would also work for butt.

Thanks again.
JD

[Mosca]

Then I’d start both around 9-10 AM, wrap the ribs as they come off, and let the pork butt cruise until 5-6; interrupt company just long enough to take it off the smoke and wrap it.

[jfmorris]

I've done pulled pork and ribs at the same time. If you are an early bird, I would start the butt right after you get up, but run the KBQ at say 275. I think you could have it done by dinner at that temp, and just add all the ribs around noon. If the butt isn't progressing fast enough, wrap it in foil mid afternoon. If the butt is done sooner than the ribs, put it in cambro, and pull the meat an hour before dinner.

I took a butt in cambro to a backyard potluck, and the people there all gathered around me to watch me using my claws on the cutting board that I brought, to pull the pork. The hosts were from California and had never seen that done before. So I was the pre-dinner entertainment, as well as the main course!

[LA Pork Butt]

I hated the claws and switched to nitril gloves over garden gloves. But, I know there are folks who love their claws. Both methods get the job done.

[jfmorris]

LA Pork Butt I use nitrile gloves to pick through and discard fat and gristle.

[STEbbq]

I’d do it this way as well to avoid sleep time disruptions. Both meats will be done before bed or being held and cleanup will be complete.

[jfmorris]

Now you got me wanting to smoke a butt and ribs together, and fire up my offset to do it!

[Santamarina]

My plan is the same that Jim (@jfmorris) recommended. Start the butt when you wake up and add the ribs when it’s time. Shoot for both finishing together, and err on the side of the butt finishing first.

As you’ve experienced with brisket, butt does great in long holds. I’ve done many 12 hour holds for butt and brisket with great results.

Not having to worry about anything after dinner is key…enjoy your company and don’t worry about cooking!

[jjdbike]

My plan is the same that Jim (@jfmorris) recommended. Start the butt when you wake up and add the ribs when it’s time. Shoot for both finishing together, and err on the side of the butt finishing first.

As you’ve experienced with brisket, butt does great in long holds. I’ve done many 12 hour holds for butt and brisket with great results.

Not having to worry about anything after dinner is key…enjoy your company and don’t worry about cooking!

Yes, solid advice for sure.
Thanks gents!
JD

[DaveD]

I did this last summer using a combo of my SnS kettle to start things and Pit Boss Copperhead vertical pellet smoker for the later stages. I was cooking a bone-in butt and two racks of ribs, one SLC and the other baby backs. I cut both racks in half to make them easier to work with on the SnS grate, and ran the kettle at 225-250/105-120. Here's my timeline:

8am: butt on
12:30: put one half from each rack onto the grate alongside the butt.
1:30: Moved butt and SLC half-rack into Pit Boss at ~same temperature; it had picked up most of the smoke it was going to by then. Put second half of BBs on the kettle
2:30: Moved other half of SLC rack into Pit Boss
3:30: Foil-boated all pieces, everything now in Pit Boss the rest of the way
6:15: All meat finished for service together. Pulled the butt, sliced the ribs, service.

Definitely took some attention and fancy footwork to make this work, but it was very doable. If you are not planning to serve any of the butt, it will of course be less complicated.

Pics!

[bmillin]

You might be over thinking this. I have done butts, ribs and chicken on the same smoker all together, just timed it differently for each.

[jjdbike]

Thanks everyone!
Of course I’m overthinking this. It’s what I do…. OCD, the struggle is real🤢
JD

[BFlynn]

So I do my pulled more, more blasphemy style.

I cut the butts into thirds, dry brine, rub, and smoke about 260-270

a single pork but, done this way, takes me about 6 hours.

More surface area = more bark = more better.

StLs, in my PBC take about 4 hours.

I'm doing this exact combo on Sunday to thank a buddy who gave all of my freezer meat a good home, during the storm.

My plan is to start the pork butt 3 hours before the ribs. Gives the butt time to rest, and leaves some extra in case they run a little long

Normally, they don't stall long, cooking this way....but as soon as I count in that.... They will.

[Santamarina]

Honestly don’t know why I’ve never tried cutting a butt into smaller pieces. I guess I like doing 14+ hour cooks! 🤦🏽🤣🤦🏽🤣🤦🏽

[jjdbike]

So I do my pulled more, more blasphemy style.

I cut the butts into thirds, dry brine, rub, and smoke about 260-270

a single pork but, done this way, takes me about 6 hours.

More surface area = more bark = more better.

StLs, in my PBC take about 4 hours.

I'm doing this exact combo on Sunday to thank a buddy who gave all of my freezer meat a good home, during the storm.

My plan is to start the pork butt 3 hours before the ribs. Gives the butt time to rest, and leaves some extra in case they run a little long

Normally, they don't stall long, cooking this way....but as soon as I count in that.... They will.

Sounds perfect!
Thanks,
JD