Pork butt

[Dumbdigger]

Hello everyone! I recently got a Pro 34 at a good price. I was curious if other have experienced what I have.
Going by the Traeger book, smoke pork butt at 225. My first cook was just that at 225. Verified temp
with trusted gauge.

I cook by what my meat is telling me. At 225 it took forever to get to the wrap point. I mean if
I remember right the book says like 3 hours and IF desired go ahead and wrap it.
If desired? That is a HUGE gray area! At 225 I wouldnt wrap for around 8hrs. lol

2nd cook I raised the temp to 250. It was a little better and more of what I expected.
Saying that I see a lot run 275 on these Traegers. Which I intent on doing.

I know this is obviously indirect heat. And lots of variables
It would seem I have to add about +/- 50 degrees to whatever the book says.
Outside temp been 60F or better

 

[Shedd]

In reality that’s why it’s called low and slow. I’ve got a 780Pro and it like all will vary on temperatures. I do mine different than some but I don’t worry about the time it takes to get done. I cook when it’s completely convenient for me, meaning I’ll cook a couple butts a time then let them cool and after pulling/chopping I put it in the fridge for a day or so when it’s convenient, I put it in food saver bags then in the freezer. When I’m ready for some, I put it in a pot of water, bring to a boil then lower the heat to a low medium. You can tell when it’s ready by squeezing it, when it’s soft to a tight pinch. It’s ready and it’ll taste just like you took it off the smoker, nobody can tell the difference. I also have a Sous Vide circulator (google it if your not familiar because it’s great) I can set it to 165 and put pulled pork, ribs, chicken, almost anything in it a couple to a few hours ahead of a big get together. It makes life easier.
I set my 780 to 230, l use three smoke tubes. I insert a Meter probe in each butt (sounds nasty I know, lol) and set them to notify me when the butts hit 170. I put them in a foil pan, add a little water then cover with foil. At this point I sometimes put them back in the smoker and bump up to 350. I have to use my wired ThermPro to monitor temperature of butts because the Meaters won’t work covered in foil. I cook to 202-205. Then I wrap each butt in foil, put them in my Yeti cooler for a couple hours up to 5 sometimes. They melt in your mouth.
Sorry so long. Point is too many times throughout the years I stress about cooking butts under a deadline. Once I figured out that it can be frozen for weeks, months even after a year, I can heat it in a water bath and it tastes just like it came from my smoker. I changed my way of cooking. The food saver vacuum sealer is worth every penny. I could go on about that but my fingers are sore now, lol. Don’t get discouraged, it is what it is on cooking time. Post up some pictures of your cooks on here and let us know how it goes. Welcome to the forum, so much valuable information here, great folks willing to help!

 

[RayClem]

When cooking pulled pork, never rely on time and temperature. It is useful for planning your cook, but every butt is going to be different. The two critical things are final internal temperature, which should be somewhere between 200-205F and probe tenderness. If you poke a temperature probe into the meat and still feel resistance, you need to leave it in a while longer.

If the pork butt was bone in, when the pork butt is done, the bone should pull cleanly from the roast.

 

[Jayhawkwx]

I have a Pro 34 that I purchased in March and have sone a number of pork butts. Depending on the size of your pork butt, wind direction and speed, smoking at butt at 225F can take a while to get to the wrap point. I cook mine at 225F for about three hours to get some good smoke on them and then bump to 275F as I approach the wrap point. I leave it at 275F to finish (Meat Church recipe).

I would use the book as a rough guide as far as timing; the Pro 34 has the thinnest gauge of steel, no insulation and no gaskets around the door. But I love mine to death and plan on low & slow cooking every time.

 

[Parrothead1809]

Lots of good intel on my Pork Butt thread from earlier this year. I believe my final technique is on post 19:

Post in thread 'Pulled Pork Butt: To wrap, or not to wrap. That is the question!'
https://www.traegerforum.com/thread...-to-wrap-that-is-the-question.3984/post-40318

-PH

 

[Shedd]

Lots of good intel on my Pork Butt thread from earlier this year. I believe my final technique is on post 19:

Post in thread 'Pulled Pork Butt: To wrap, or not to wrap. That is the question!'
https://www.traegerforum.com/thread...-to-wrap-that-is-the-question.3984/post-40318

-PH

I wrap more now than I ever have. To me it doesn’t taste or look any different, just frees up the Traeger from something else. I’ve been cooking to 203-205 lately because everyone has been wanting it pulled. If I’m chopping then I keep it just under 200.

 

[Dumbdigger]

Thanks to everyone who replied! After doing some reading I am going to smoke a butt tomorrow
night, have it ready for football Sunday.

I have a couple questions.
1 Im thinking about going 200-225 degrees and not wrapping it.
Am I free of spraying the sides of the butt? I wont have to cause the lower
temp wont allow it to burn the outside?

2 Can an experienced smoker recommend brand of pellets?
Im finding it hard to get a TRUE fresh bag of pellets.
TIA
Jer

 

[Slimpicker]

Anything BUTT (pork) always leave unwrapped till reaching the 200° area ( which like RayClem says, is not by the book) then wrap in foil, a towel, and in a cooler for a long (hours) rest.
I even do the same with pork steaks (country ribs, cuts from pork butts) Cook then foil.
You WANT a good bark even if you think that means it's burnt, That's the best part of the pork after pulled and mixed in with the whole meat.

Pulled pork is the EASIEST meat to cook for a deadline, it can sit in the "rest" for up to 4 hours so always cook earlier then expected.

 

[Shedd]

Just like they said. Do a double wrap in foil after target temperature is met, then put it in a cooler with a towel over it for a few hours before pulling or chopping, it makes a difference. If it’s cold in your area, take your cooler inside the day before or bring a pot of water to a boil then set the pot inside the cooler and close it up so it’ll warm up. Most importantly from the beginning is use a different temperature probe that the Traeger’s plug in probe to monitor your meat temperature. Good luck, let us know how it turns out and post some pictures.

 

[Dumbdigger]

Thanks guys! Hey Shedd, its going good. I put it on at midnight.
Its still going at 225. I watched temps except meat all night.
In the morning, I put different probe in the meat. Its possible I have it
close to the bone. Its reading 167, but with my instant read probe its more like 180.
But with instant read I still have couple spot not quite like butter yet.
Think Im going to let it go until I do melt that resistance down.
Aiming for 203ish

 

[Dumbdigger]

Ok a little frustrated. Been 16hrs and still seems to be tough in the center. Which is about 180 degrees. The surrounding is 206-207. At 1 I turned it up to 275 degrees, try to pull it through the stall

 

[Shedd]

It’s sounding like you’re making it a pin cushion, lol. I don’t check mine all over, I just put a probe in about center aiming away from the bone and that’s the only temperature I go by. That’s a big hunk of meat so you’ll have hot and cold areas but don’t worry about it. I pull mine when it hits my target temp, I double wrap with foil tightly then put it in the cooler wrapped in a towel for a few hours so the meat will continue to cook as well as cook more evenly.
Don’t let it discourage you, it’s a learning process but many people at first over think it. Next time just leave the third party probe in and go to bed without worrying over it. Just fill the hopper to the top with pellets and you can probably sleep in. Don’t open it until it hits target temp 195-200 or so then wrap, put in cooler for up to 5 hours, then enjoy. That’s the way I do mine and it’s consistent every time. Post up some pics!

 

[Dumbdigger]

I pulled it at 4:50 wrapped it with foil and towel.
Stuck it in cooler. Planning on super at 6:50

 

[Shedd]

Take a picture of it before you pull it apart!

 

[Dumbdigger]

Here we go