New Member - Cook Question

dh27564

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strongsville ohio
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Pro34
New to the forum and a somewhat novice at smoking meat.

I have a Traeger BBQ075.02 grill and having about 12 friends over for pulled pork this weekend. I had hoped to get a 10# pork butt but my butcher is reluctant to provide one that size. I have ordered 2-6# pork butts instead. I know that the general rule is 1 hour per pound to reach 205 but does that change when smoking 2 at the same time?

I always allow a bit more time to complete the cook “just in case” so what should I look for with 2 on the smoker? Just curious as to how soon I should start the process.

Also, Hickory? Mesquite? Combination? Something else?
 
What matters is the temperature you are cooking at, not how many pork butts are there in the Traeger. So if it normally takes you 6 hours for 1 pork butt it will be the same for two.

It takes me a lot longer (more like 2 hours per pound) to cook a pork butt because I usually cook at lower temperatures. But that is just me and it is not necessary to do it that slowly. Pork butts are very forgiving.

Also, it is really important to rest the meat before serving. So try to finish at least an hour (preferably more) ahead to give adequate time for resting in a cooler.

I don't think the flavor of the pellet makes any difference so I don't bother with that any more. If I am really looking for smoke flavor I will use smoke tubes with wood chips in them. Hickory wood chips work for me.
 
Always figure that it will take longer to cook large cuts of meat than the calculator says. Each time you open the grill to check on your cook, the temperature plummets and it takes a while to recover. Make sure your two pork butts are separated on the grill so hot air can circulate between them .Also check the internal temperature on both and rotate positions if one is cooking faster than the other.

I presume you plan to cook these to something over 2005 F to make pulled pork. Somewhere around the 160-170 F mark, the internal temperature will stop rising. At that time, you can speed up your cook by wrapping in foil or butcher paper. Leave it wrapped until the internal temp gets up final temp. If you wish, you can remove the wrapping and cook it a while longer to crisp up the bark.

Like @MidwestSmoker said, you need to let the butt rest so all the juices will redistribute through the meat. If you unwrapped the meat at the end of the cook, wrap it back up in foil or paper, wrap it in a towel and allow it to rest until time to eat. If you put it in an insulated "cooler" it will stay warm for hours. That will allow you to do everything else for your party without worrying about the main dish.

Pulled pork reheats quite well, so you could cook the butts ahead of time, pull the meat and then just reheat them on the day of the party. That way, you won't be too tired to enjoy the fun.
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Thank you both for your help! I plan to cook at 250 degrees. Good suggestion about seperating the pork. Hadn't thought of that. The foil wrap sounds like a good idea and I come across that suggestion elsewhere.

I appreciate your help with this.
 
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EDIT: I'll use temperature probles and monitor the temperature on my phone, I'll wrap the butts around 160 and then continue cooking to 205. Probably let them rest for a couple hours before shredding.
 
Looks like you're on the right track. Next time tell your butcher you want the 10 lbs slab of meat with the bone in or go to another butcher! :cool:
 
Looks like you're on the right track. Next time tell your butcher you want the 10 lbs slab of meat with the bone in or go to another butcher! :cool:

I think the problem is that a pork butt is cut from a specific section of the pig shoulder. They make specific cuts to divide the shoulder from the loin which sells at a much higher price. Thus, the butcher might not be able to get a 10# slab of meat from the pork shoulder unless it is from a pig that is a lot larger than normally on butcher block. To get 10#, he might need to include a portion of the loin, the jowls, or hock. If the extra meat was cut from the loin, he would need to charge more than the going price for shoulder meat. If he cut from the jowls (head) or hock (shin area), the customer might not be pleased.

I purchased an 8# pork shoulder this morning for $1.49 USD per pound. That was half the usual price. It was prepackaged and vacuum sealed. I could purchase shoulders from 6-8 pounds, but nothing outside that range.
 
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