Cooking Boston Butt for Slicing

[jfmorris]

I guess it’s a sign that I’ve posted way too many cooks to Facebook and now Instagram when people I know message me on Facebook asking me to cook their meat. Had a lady from church message me tonight saying that she has two 10 pound "pork roasts" and she doesn’t know how to cook them, and as she does not need all that meat, could I smoke them and keep one for myself? of course, I am all for free meat, so I said yes, and confirmed they were Boston butts/shoulders, and asked if she wanted it pulled for her or just wrapped in foil. This is where it gets wierd. She said "most of us like it pulled but I have someone picky that wants it sliced". When I told her that slicing and pulling are different cooking temperatures, she said cook for slicing.

She is dropping these off on Tuesday along with a case of bacon I went in on a large group order for, but now I am wondering what temperature to pull a butt for "slicing" off the smoker at? 170F maybe? Anyone have any ideas? And won’t it be chock full of unrendered fat? I sure wish I had not asked her, and just given her back a pan of pulled pork. How can someone not like that?

Any advice is appreciated!

P.S. I searched for this topic on the site before asking and could not find anything about sliced butts...

[Cheef]

I used to go to a place in Saint Louis that would debone-slice-hit them with smoke and then grill them to finish. They are delicious done that way. They called them pork steaks.

[jfmorris]

So they sliced them before cooking. Sounds interesting - I have seen some people online discussing pork steaks and it’s mostly from the Saint Loius area. Most be a regional thing.

[Brian_M]

Pork Steaks are pork butt/boston butt that are sliced before cooking. The steaks are usually cut 1/2-3/4 inches thick, but most butchers will custom-cut thick ones (one inch or so) for you.

They may be a regional thing. They were first sold in St. Louis. They are a grilling and smoking staple in Southern Illinois. I have six dry-brining now to put in the PBC later today.

[jfmorris]

This blog seems to have a line on this:

http://howtobbqright.com/blog/?p=1679

is that the way I should go?

[barelfly]

I have not cooked a butt for slicing, but referencing a temp sheet I have for my particular smoker, it shows 175* as final temp. So close to what you mentioned in your original post.

Hope that helps a bit.

[jfmorris]

Thanks - confirmation is helpful!

[Daddio on the Patio]

If you wanted to do a combo of sliced and pulled just to be nice, you could cut it first and cook each hunk accordingly.

I’ve never done sliced, but I would think a target of 170ish would be good to shoot for.

[jfmorris]

Great idea. I’ll offer to cut it in half and do half for slicing and half for pulling.

[DWCowles]

Malcom Reed will not steer you wrong. His videos are very educational.

[Oakgrovebacon]

I have I have done several by deboning them, smoke for 3-4 hours at 225-250 then put into a foil pan and loosely cover with foil. Bump the heat up to 275 range and cook to probe tender. (203-205). Then cool and chill. ( refrigerate overnight) slice with a sharp knife into 1/4-3/8 inch slices. Stack in a crockpot or pan to reheat. Always a hit! Slice a third or half of it and shred or chop the rest.

[Oakgrovebacon]

I had no clue that pork steak was a regional thing as I grew up with them in Southern Illinois (80 miles east of St. Louis) we always grilled them and then put them in a baking dish with sliced onions and finished in the oven until fork tender.. available in all grocery stores sliced about 1/2” thick with bone in them. Butchers cut them on bandsaw to get through the bone.

[Rjbachtold]

I had no clue that pork steak was a regional thing as I grew up with them in Southern Illinois (80 miles east of St. Louis) we always grilled them and then put them in a baking dish with sliced onions and finished in the oven until fork tender.. available in all grocery stores sliced about 1/2” thick with bone in them. Butchers cut them on bandsaw to get through the bone.

I second that. After moving to an hour east of KC, I had no idea Pork steaks were a regional thing. They do have them here and over in Hannibal, MO where I used to live. I think they’re really good. Call it heresy but I think they’re as good if not better than a run of the mill beef steak. Very juicy.

[SierraBBQGuy]

St. Louis pork steaks from Steven Raichlen

https://barbecuebible.com/recipe/st-louis-pork-steaks/

[Troutman]

Sorry I’m on my cell so difficult to reference but I just did a post on pork steaks. I had them cut thick, like 1 1/2” and treated them like ribs. Smoked to about 150*, wrap in foil with brown sugar and butter, brought up to probe tender 195* then seared with sauce. My family will not eat pulled so this satisfies them and tastes great, like large pork chops.

[dshaffes]

My in-laws are from St. Louis and I've been cooking pork steaks for quite awhile. The technique involved will yield something quite different than slices of smoked pork butt. Although the same cut of pork, it's like the difference between a baked potato and a french fry. In my opinion, I would smoke the butt like normal and use the money muscle for slices.

[HorseDoctor]

jfmorris I just did a pork butt roast in the oven. Pulled it at 185-187 and it was perfectly sliceable. Could cut one in half and pull one half at 185 & other half at 205 +/-. That way your friend gets some of each with little or no extra work on your part.