Yesterday was my second cook on my Weber 18" kettle. Previously I did ribs, so this time I tried a pork butt. Bought a Smithfield 7 1/2 pound butt and followed Meathead's instructions from the start: dry brined a day ahead of time, rubbed with Memphis Dust morning of, etc.
I woke up at 4am and had the meat on the grill by 4:30am. I had a couple of small pieces of oak and apple, so I added 2 of each during the first hour and a half. I probably had 3/4 chimney worth of unlit charcoal that I added 1/2 chimney worth of lit coals to when I started it up. Used same setup as last time except I added a drip pan below this time.
I have noticed that some people name their grills, especially Mr. Bones, so I debated this weekend on what to name mine. It was during the pork butt cook yesterday that I came up with it. My grill is just a used, 18" grill, nothing fancy to it, a bit on the small side, with a fire brick inside to hold back the charcoal. But I fired this thing up yesterday morning and it held a temp of 250F for NINE HOURS solid yesterday. I was blown away by how long this thing lasted before I eventually had to add a little more charcoal to finish things up. Didn't matter if I opened the top to check things, add water, etc. - just super dialed in. And it's helped me serve up two very tasty meals of ribs and pulled pork now, so I'm naming it "Rudy." Just like Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger, this grill might seem too small, might look unimpressive, doesn't seem like it could hang with the big boys - but it's surprising in performance; making up in heart what it lacks in polish.
The butt took about 10 1/2 hours to reach the magical 203F mark. That was a bit early for my guest arrival time, so I put it in the oven on 170F to hold for a half hour or so before shredding it.
There was plenty for the 8 people we had over, with leftovers. For this cookout, I also made the Lexington vinegar sauce and the Carolina Gold sauce from Meathead's recipes and they were both delicious as well. Pulled pork is one of my favorite foods, so it's nice to know I can make that myself anytime I want to now. Thanks again to The Pit for all the info and advice!
I woke up at 4am and had the meat on the grill by 4:30am. I had a couple of small pieces of oak and apple, so I added 2 of each during the first hour and a half. I probably had 3/4 chimney worth of unlit charcoal that I added 1/2 chimney worth of lit coals to when I started it up. Used same setup as last time except I added a drip pan below this time.
I have noticed that some people name their grills, especially Mr. Bones, so I debated this weekend on what to name mine. It was during the pork butt cook yesterday that I came up with it. My grill is just a used, 18" grill, nothing fancy to it, a bit on the small side, with a fire brick inside to hold back the charcoal. But I fired this thing up yesterday morning and it held a temp of 250F for NINE HOURS solid yesterday. I was blown away by how long this thing lasted before I eventually had to add a little more charcoal to finish things up. Didn't matter if I opened the top to check things, add water, etc. - just super dialed in. And it's helped me serve up two very tasty meals of ribs and pulled pork now, so I'm naming it "Rudy." Just like Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger, this grill might seem too small, might look unimpressive, doesn't seem like it could hang with the big boys - but it's surprising in performance; making up in heart what it lacks in polish.
The butt took about 10 1/2 hours to reach the magical 203F mark. That was a bit early for my guest arrival time, so I put it in the oven on 170F to hold for a half hour or so before shredding it.
There was plenty for the 8 people we had over, with leftovers. For this cookout, I also made the Lexington vinegar sauce and the Carolina Gold sauce from Meathead's recipes and they were both delicious as well. Pulled pork is one of my favorite foods, so it's nice to know I can make that myself anytime I want to now. Thanks again to The Pit for all the info and advice!
Comment