Dueling Pork Butts Smoked Recipes

SMOKED PORK BUTT WITH POTATOES AND CABBAGE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Place smoked pork butt in a Dutch oven or stockpot. Add water to cover and add brown sugar. Cover pot and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 2 hours. (A pork butt requires about 40 minutes per pound.)
• Halfway through the cooking process (after 1 hour), add the cabbage and peppercorns. Bring back to a boil, reduce the heat, and continue to simmer.
• About 30 minutes before the cooking time is up, add the whole potatoes. Return to a boil, reduce the heat, and continue to simmer, partially covered, until the potatoes and meat are tender.
• Transfer the meat to a cutting board and slice. Arrange on a platter with cabbage wedges and whole potatoes.

SMOKED PORK BUTT

Steps:

• If desired, soak the pork butt in a brine solution for at least 4 hours or overnight. There's a recipe for a brine on this site titled 'Basic Brine for Smoking Meat'. You should do this covered and in the refrigerator.
• Preheat an outdoor smoker for 200 to 225 degrees F (95 to 110 degrees C).
• In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, chili powder and any additional seasonings to your taste. Apply this liberally to the meat and rub it in with your fingers. Place a roasting rack in a drip pan and lay the meat on the rack.
• Smoke at 200 to 225 degrees F (95 to 110 degrees C) for 6 to 18 hours, or until internal pork temperature reaches 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).

SMOKED PORK BUTT ON THE GRILL

Steps:

• For the rub: In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, paprika, salt, garlic powder, cumin, oregano and black pepper. Rub into the pork butt and allow to sit at room temperature, 1 to 2 hours.
• For the wet mop: Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the apple juice, vinegar, mustard and pepper flakes together with 1 cup water. Cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• Prepare a grill for indirect low heat (if desired, add wood chips to the burner element on the direct side): For gas grills (with 3 or more burners), turn all the burners to medium-high heat; after about 15 minutes, turn off one of the middle burners and turn the remaining burners down to medium. For charcoal grills, bank one chimney starter-full of lit and ashed-over charcoal briquettes to one side of the grill. Set up a drip pan on the other side to avoid flare-ups. (Be sure to consult the grill manufacturer's guide for best results.)
• Lightly oil the grill grates. Cook the pork butt over indirect heat, keeping the temperature consistently at about 225 degrees F, 5 hours and 30 minutes. Continue to cook, basting the pork butt with the wet mop sauce every 20 minutes, until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 195 degrees F, 2 hours and 30 minutes to 4 hours and 30 minutes more. Transfer the pork butt to an aluminum pan, tent loosely with foil and allow the meat to rest 20 minutes. Use 2 forks to shred the meat and transfer to a bowl. Add drippings and any leftover mop sauce to the pulled meat to moisten further.
• Serve the pulled meat on the buns.

SIMPLE SMOKED PORK BUTT

Steps:

• Cut a few slashes in a crosshatch pattern across the fat cap of the pork butt. Rub mustard on top. Massage BBQ rub into the meat, getting it into the cuts. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate, 8 hours to overnight.
• Preheat a smoker to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Add wood chips according to manufacturer's instructions.
• Place pork butt on rack, with a drip pan underneath to minimize the mess. Smoke until internal temperature of meat reaches 200 to 203 degrees F (93 to 95 degrees C), 10 to 16 hours, depending on size of pork butt and outside temperature.
• Remove pork butt from smoker, wrap in foil, and let rest for 1 hour. Remove bone and shred pork.

BOB'S PULLED PORK ON A SMOKER

Steps:

• Place pork shoulder in a large pot and add enough apple cider to cover. Combine white sugar, brown sugar, salt, paprika, onion powder, black pepper, and garlic powder in a bowl. Mix about 1/4 cup sugar rub into cider; reserve remaining rub.
• Cover pot and refrigerate for 12 hours.
• Prepare smoker to about 210 degrees F (99 degrees C). Add enough wood chips to smoker.
• Pour cider brine into the water pan of the smoker; add onion and about 1/4 cup more sugar rub. Spread remaining rub over pork shoulder. Transfer pork to the center of smoker.
• Smoke pork until very tender, about 8 hours. Monitor hickory chips and liquid, adding more wood and water, respectively, as needed. Transfer pork to a large platter and cool for 30 minutes before shredding with forks.