In addition to the smoked turkey recipe, J has perfected his smoked pork butt for delicious BBQ sandwiches. It’s worth the extra time it takes to smoke this dish.
Ingredients:
Pork Butt
Salt Lick Dry Rub (again, you can use your favorite dry seasoning rub)
mesquite wood
Directions:
Liberally pat the pork with Salt Lick dry seasoning rub, cover and refrigerate overnight. Start grill, let coals get good and gray, until grill temperature reaches about 250 degrees. Add mesquite wood to top of coals. Place pork on grill for about 12 (yes, really 12) hours or until the internal temperature reaches 200 degrees. Check the coals every 30-40 minutes, adding a handful of coals and a chunk of mesquite each time to keep the grill temp around the 250 mark. Note, the pork will seem to sit at about 175 degrees for a LONG time. This is expected and is when the fat cap (the whole reason you chose this cut over say a pork loin!) breaks down and the collagen in the meat breaks down. It’s important to let this process just happen, so fight the urge to turn up the heat to accelerate the process (it will dry it out). Just go grab a beer, or turn on a sporting event or the xBox and kill more time. Check the coals every 30-40 minutes, adding a handful of coals and a chunk of mesquite each time. Every other time, I recommend basting the butt with a mop sauce. J just used the Eastern Carolina-style sauce he made that day (recipe to come!). After it’s done cooking, let cool for about 30 minutes.
The bone should come out easily and the meat should easily shred with regular forks.
My Opinion:
This is worth the 12 hour wait. By the time you’ve smelled this cooking all day, you’ll be dying to eat it. Enjoy!