Pork butt for larger gathering

[DrJimmy2112]

BBQ Sages, I’d like some advice and counsel. I am tasked with cooking 25-30 pounds of pork shoulder/butt for pulled pork for a graduation party this Saturday. I have my Oklahoma Joe’s Bronco and my OG Grilla pellet grill as cookers.
My to-do list is long, so I’m looking to expedite the cook, but still make for a quality end product. It’s been over a year since I’ve done a pork butt, and I’ve never done one on the bronco, but I really want to do at least some of this by hanging the meat in the bronco over the coals.
I was thinking of getting those boneless double packs of pork shoulder butt from Costco, butterflying each, seasoning with kosher salt and Memphis dust, then hanging them on hooks until wrap time.
It’s unclear to me what to do after that. There’s not a lot of room on the grates of a bronco. I could use the Grilla for some of the pieces after that. I’m worried about how much time doing that amount of meat will take on the bronco, and how much I can do at one time.
I will have to rest the meat for a while, then reheat for the gathering on Saturday, in crock pots. What do you masters think? Is my plan generally a sound one?

[SheilaAnn]

I like the idea of boneless right out of the gate! I am no expert at your cookers, especially “real estate” to cook with. And no time to do a practice run (that you could freeze and have for service, especially since you are reheating ala crock pot). Run a little higher temps to save some time, too. Long to-do list! Recruit help for the little things. As a former caterer, if you think it can wait until later, it can’t. Keep us posted!

[mrteddyprincess]

I've had good success with using oven bags and or crockpot liners. Smoke the pork shoulders and put directly into the bags after you pull it and season it. I store it in the fridge and reheat in the bags. With the bags being a closed system, you lose very little moisture.

A little added broth and some more dry rub really makes the pork shine when it's served.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Brian

[Steve R.]

Use a second rack in the Bronco for what won't fit on the top one. That would solve the wrapping issue.

[realdocBBQ]

Those boneless butts from Costco are all but butterflied themselves when you get them. I mean seriously, when they cut that bone out, it's all about speed to those guys and they aren't shy about it. Usually you can open one of them and make a single cut and it is completely butterflied and laid out flat.

I use a method where I cut them into large chunks and smoke them, they do very well on a direct fire kind of application. You don't have a lot of room, but they cook a lot faster, you could do them in 2-3 batches. I dunno, without a lot of surface area, it's tough.

[bbqLuv]

How many pork butts in 25-30lbs? 7lbs x 4 butts = 28lbs

Is there enough cooking space for 4 butterflied pork butts? If so, that is a good way go.
More surface area for more bark.
The last pork butt cooked was butterflied and was best pilled pork to date.



Hope to read review and see pictures.

[DrJimmy2112]

Well, after a morning stop at a retinal specialist, with blurry vision I picked up 28 pounds of boneless pork butt at Costco. Two packages of two butts each. The butchering resulted in multiple lobes some fairly thinly attached. I cut each butt into two pieces, so now I have eight pieces of different sizes. They’re all being dry brined overnight.
Here in Wisconsin, we have incredibly bad, smoky air from the northern wildfires. Hopefully it’ll be clearer tomorrow, and I can enjoy hanging the butts in the bronco. I may end up putting some of it on the grilla.

[Jerod Broussard]

Best to trim blindfolded anyway.

[bbqLuv]

Sounds like a good plan.
Question: will the smoke from up north flavor the butts? I hope not.

[DrJimmy2112]

Well, I tried to fit it all into the Bronco but it was too crowded. 3 smaller hunks went into the Grilla OG. All wrapped in the 170F range when the bark was set. Held in the cooler 2-4 hours once probe tender (at 203-209F). Pulled and refrigerated until the next day then reheated with chicken broth and extra Memphis Dust.
I was concerned that I’d run out of meat at the party so we got 3 rotisserie chickens. I pulled and shredded that meat, and served in a crockpot seasoned with Meat Church Texas Sugar rub.
the pork was well received but the chicken was the surprise star of the show! Which was somewhat humbling, but what can you do.
Thanks for the helpful comments Pitmasters!

[Sweaty Paul]

Sounds like a great success! Congratulations!

[bbqLuv]

The rotisserie chicken from Costco?
Sounds like you done did good, good on you!

[DrJimmy2112]

bbqLuv yes Costco. And thank you 🙏