Help with Pork Butt Boston Roast

[SteveSpy]

Alright guys, here we go... I smoked my first pork butt this weekend and it was a failure. Well, it was tasty but it wasn't falling apart and that is what I was after, where you unwrap it and it's coming apart. Instead what I ended up with was a chunk of ruber-y meat that I had to cut with a carving knife... It tasted good but I was going for that texture where the meat is completely rendered, and that is not what I got... Here is my story:

I started with a 3.5lb piece of Boston Butt Roast that I bought from the local grocery store, no bone.

I seasoned it with mustard and pork rub, wrapped it in cellophane and put it in the fridge overnight.

At 7am I took it out, unwrapped it and let it sit on the counter for an hour.

At 8am I placed it on the SmoteFire at 225.

At 12pm I wrapped it in aluminum foil, and shoved it on my oven at 250 degrees. At 2pm it was at 195 internal at which point I transferred it to the cooler, wrapped it in towels and let it sit. I carved it at 430pm.

Talk to me, team... where did I go wrong here? I'm thinking I needed a 9lb bone in butt roast and not a pre-trimmed one with the bone. Aside from that, what else could I possibly have done wrong here?

 

[ktskas]

I did an 8.5# bone-in the other day with basically the same steps. I took mine to 170*, wrapped it in butcher paper and finished it in the oven. Pulled it out at 205* and was able to pull the bone right out. It shredded beautifully.

 

[SteveSpy]

I did an 8.5# bone-in the other day with basically the same steps. I took mine to 170*, wrapped it in butcher paper and finished it in the oven. Pulled it out at 205* and was able to pull the bone right out. It shredded beautifully.

What temperature in the oven? Did you trim the fat on the top at all before smoking? Can you tell me the times? How long did it smoke for?

 

[ktskas]

225*in the oven. No trimming as the fat cap was only about 1/2". Probably 12 hrs to 170*, then 4 to 205*.

 

[SteveSpy]

225*in the oven. No trimming as the fat cap was only about 1/2". Probably 12 hrs to 170*, then 4 to 205*.

T H A N K Y O U ! ! ! ! ! !

This means that if I am planning to do brisket and a roast, I might as well smoke them both overnight at the same time...

 

[SteveSpy]

T H A N K Y O U ! ! ! ! ! !

This means that if I am planning to do brisket and a roast, I might as well smoke them both overnight at the same time... My real challenge will be to find enough space in my EX4!!

 

[Bruno]

Go bigger, take it to 205, let it rest for at least an hour.

 

[JpsBBQ]

Yeah I go for the @ 8# range of bone in butt. Best advice I can give is contrary to others. When you wrap at 170 IT simply place the butt in a deep foil 1/2 pan and cover tightly with foil. Next, make sure you have invested in a fat separator. Once the butt is 205 you’re done. Remove the butt and set aside. Pour the rendered juices through your fat separator and let settle. Pull the pork. Lastly, reincorporate the juices from the fat separator to the pulled pork.

I cannot stress enough what a game changer this is. Both moisture and flavor are considerably better.

Good luck and cheers!

 

[Bruno]

Yeah I go for the @ 8# range of bone in butt. Best advice I can give is contrary to others. When you wrap at 170 IT simply place the butt in a deep foil 1/2 pan and cover tightly with foil. Next, make sure you have invested in a fat separator. Once the butt is 205 you’re done. Remove the butt and set aside. Pour the rendered juices through your fat separator and let settle. Pull the pork. Lastly, reincorporate the juices from the fat separator to the pulled pork.

I cannot stress enough what a game changer this is. Both moisture and flavor are considerably better.

Good luck and cheers!

You know when you hear something you should definitely do but it seems kinda hard? Well this is it! Great info.

 

[abmet]

I’d definitely go higher than 195 IT, I usually go around 205. I quit wrapping too, at least for me I like the bark better.

 

[AHoneyman]

I’d definitely go higher than 195 IT, I usually go around 205. I quit wrapping too, at least for me I like the bark better.

Have you tried paper? I do not use foil. I also use a pan and catch the juice to reapply after pulling/chopping.

 

[abmet]

Have you tried paper? I do not use foil. I also use a pan and catch the juice to reapply after pulling/chopping.

I did once, did like it better than foil. Might have to try it again.

 

[Bluesmoke]

You could have had just a tough piece of pork. Sounds like you did things right, sometimes it is just the meat itself.

 

[Tbone707]

I agree with above 195 is too low. You need it to hit 204-205 ish, I say ish because every piece of meat is different so you need to probe it for make sure the probe slides in and out like butter. Let is rest for a min of 1 hour and then shred it.

 

[Tyler6590]

I'd start checking at 195. I have never rested based on temp only. I would take a thermopen and make sure you feel barely any resistance to none. Typically, any slight resistance there is will render while resting. Sometimes this is at 200... sometimes 205. Depends on the meat. Fortunately, if you are a little over pork butt will be forgiving. Just my opinon.