Behold My Butt! (2007– )

[jayt90]

2)  my weber grill lid was around 3 cm too small for the bottom part of grill, meaning that way too much smoke and heat was escaping.  I bet that my downstairs neighbor (I live in a victorian that's been converted into 4 apts.  I live on the 2nd floor) loved getting all that smoke blown into her bedroom and kitchen windows - It was 90F that day

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Arne is right to suspect the lid.

There shouldn't be a size mismatch with the lid, and all the vents have to be working properly. I started using a new Weber 22.5" kettle a month ago and the lid fits perfectly, allowing good temp. and smoke control with the bottom and top vents. I have used Weber knock offs in the past, and a leaky Brinkmann barrel, but the classic kettle gives me much better control for all but the largest roasts.

Edited June 21, 2007 by jayt90 (log)

[snowangel]

8 pound bone-in, skin-on butt. Brined for 24 hours, dried, skin scored, rubbed with salt, pepper, and sugar,

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Chrs, the 12 pound bone in butt is in the fridge, to be brined tomorrow or Saturday and smoked either Saturday or Sunday (checking the weather).

Any ideas on proportions of sugar to the other two things? I've been a nekked butt person forever, but I think it's time I spread my wings. Oh, and I'm going with the genius idea of scorind the skin just down into the flesh.

There shouldn't be a size mismatch with the lid, and all the vents have to be working properly. I started using a new Weber 22.5" kettle a month ago and the lid fits perfectly, allowing good temp. and smoke control with the bottom and top vents. I have used Weber knock offs in the past, and a leaky Brinkmann barrel, but the classic kettle gives me much better control for all but the largest roasts.

My Weber is over 25 years old. The lid fits nice and tight. We have had to replace (once) that thingie in the bottom that helps you get the ash out. The great thing about this old Kettle is that the top vent thingie is ever so slightly loose, so I can keep the whole thing closed up and maintain a really low temp (as low as 175 and still see smoking coming out of it).

Oh, one other replacement on the Kettle. The wooden (!) handle on the lid was spot welded on, and that weld failed, so we drilled it out and screwed in the handle. This thing was made for life.

[chileheadmike]

Did pulled pork last weekend. Got a 9 pound butt, did it in my Weber Smokey Mountain.

Rubbed and ready to go. Rub is equal parts salt and sugar with a half part brown sugar, then chile powder, paprika, pepper, cumin and secret stuff. Let the pork sit overnight in the fridge. Bring out before firing up the Weber to come to room temp.

Firing up the Weber. Hickory chunks, unsoaked.

Hot!

Guard Cat

Grill Cam

Well seasoned WSM

Bone pulls clean

Porky Goodness

That's it. Not bad if I do say so myself. Served with green beans fresh from the city market and some new potatoes sauteed in olive oil with onion, garlic, and rosemary.

[Marlene]

We got up at 5 am this morning to put our 14 lb butt on the smoker. First smoked pork at the cottage. Looks like a beautiful day for smoking here. Sides will be baked beans and coleslaw. Nibbles will be potato skins made by my son and dessert will also be made by him, a blueberry and white chocolate mousse.

[snowangel]

I did a butt last weekend (no pictures!), and used Chris's method for scoring the skin. I'd have to concur with him that this did make for an exceptional butt.

Mine was 12 pounds, and there were 11 of us all together. Only 1.5 pounds leftover.

But, best of all, most of these folks had not ever had smoked butt before ( ) and were instant converts.

[carpetbagger, esq.]

so far, this year's 4th of july bbq is going to smoother than last year (post 346 in this thread). about 3 hrs in at this point. no major screwups yet. temp maintenance will be the death of me. pics to follow tonight....

oh, and a quick question: do y'all keep a chimney going with coals hot and ready to go when temps dip a bit, or do you just add coals to the fire and let them ash over that way?

the chimney method seems rather wasteful, but it's the way i've been doing it to date. any flavor issues with having the coals go through the lighting and ashing over process in the smoker?

[lancastermike]

so far, this year's 4th of july bbq is going to smoother than last year (post 346 in this thread). about 3 hrs in at this point. no major screwups yet. temp maintenance will be the death of me. pics to follow tonight....

oh, and a quick question: do y'all keep a chimney going with coals hot and ready to go when temps dip a bit, or do you just add coals to the fire and let them ash over that way?

the chimney method seems rather wasteful, but it's the way i've been doing it to date. any flavor issues with having the coals go through the lighting and ashing over process in the smoker?

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I do not have hot coals standing by. If I ever do need to add coals, which is very rare using the WSM, I will just toss them in, or fire up a few in the chimney and than add them. Minor temp variations are nothing to worry about.

There are those that do eschew the adding coals to the fire that have not been started first for flavor issues. I always fire the WSM with a Minion start, that is a ring full of charcoal with some hot ones dumped on top. I know some claim this affects taste. I do not find that to be so.

[carpetbagger, esq.]

i tried the minion method in my ecb last year, and it shot up to about 400 degrees. the few lit ones lit the whole darn pile of charcoal, and that just wasn't going to work for me!

because of this, i've gone with a much more labor-intensive method of just adding a few coals at a time from the chimney i keep going. i'm guessing i waste a good amount of coal, but i really can't find a better way to do it on this smoker. it seems like i add a few coals every hour or so.

[snowangel]

carpetbagger, I may have missed this, but what is your set-up? What type of smoker or grill? Can you shut it down sufficiently to keep the temp low and slow?

[carpetbagger, esq.]

here was last year's post.

as for equipment, you can see more pics here. if you go to my main flickr page, you'll get a sneak peek of the prep from last night.

[Daddy-A]

i tried the minion method in my ecb last year, and it shot up to about 400 degrees. the few lit ones lit the whole darn pile of charcoal, and that just wasn't going to work for me!

because of this, i've gone with a much more labor-intensive method of just adding a few coals at a time from the chimney i keep going. i'm guessing i waste a good amount of coal, but i really can't find a better way to do it on this smoker. it seems like i add a few coals every hour or so.

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I agree with Mike on the adding coals issue. Minion method, and I usually add another Chimney at about the 9 or 10 hour mark (I'm usually doing 2 butts at a time).

Your temperature spike sounds like a bit of a technical fowl-up. With all the vents closed, the water tray full, and using the Minion method, there's no way the coals should burn that fast. Hell, I often have to struggle to get the temperature ober 200F!

I'd give it another try. It's WAY simpler, and you can actually get some sleep if you're smoking overnight.

A.

[carpetbagger, esq.]

maybe i'll try it next time. with no vents, temp control is kinda hard. so far i seem to be hanging around 225, unless i open the lid to mop. hopefully it turns out as well as last year's product. 5 hrs in now.

[MelissaH]

This is sort-of on topic, as country-style ribs are just cut-up pieces of butt (as previously pointed out by lancastermike): Any guesses how long it might take to cook them on a Bullet? Lancastermike or anyone else who's tried it?

MelissaH

[lancastermike]

This is sort-of on topic, as country-style ribs are just cut-up pieces of butt (as previously pointed out by lancastermike): Any guesses how long it might take to cook them on a Bullet? Lancastermike or anyone else who's tried it?

MelissaH

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You need to give yourself several hours for them. I always hesitate to give time estimates. When I first started smoking meat I asked when would it be done. I got a reply, that I considered snide at the time, that it is done when it is done. I know now the meaning of that. Every one can be different.

The country style ribs still have all the fat and tissue to break down. So, as I recall they were on the smoker for close to 4 hours. Clearly they will not take as long as a 16 lb pork butt, but they still need some time.

[lancastermike]

here was last year's post.

as for equipment, you can see more pics here. if you go to my main flickr page, you'll get a sneak peek of the prep from last night.

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My first smoker was a ventless Brinkman. I never really could effect good temp control with it. It may be possible to do so as many people use them. I just could never get it to work for me. It later got trashed when I got the WSM.

[carpetbagger, esq.]

the goal is to hold on to this until i can get something horizontal with an offset firebox (maybe a lang or klose smoker). for a gift, and onl $45, i can't complain too much.

set and forget would be nice, but babysitting the fire for 12 hrs on a nice summer thing isn't the end of the world either. plus, my gf will be home in about 30 minutes, so i'll have someone to talk to and rock out with while my itunes library hums along.

[qrn]

Guess I'll weigh in after all the great replys...

I do a butt rubbed with what ever hits me as appropriate..probably a garden variety pork rub. Done the night before.

Then in the Kamado for at least 7 hours at 250º, with hickory, pecan, Oak,cherry or whatever suitable hardwood I have leftover from the woodshop,put on top of the charcoal.I put enough wood in to last about an an hour or so. So after that its just the charcoal. When the internal temp gets to 185º or so, its off to the foil bag and a half hour or so wrapped in a big fluffy towel. then its ready for pulling or what ever strikes your fancy.

My Kamado is an original one from Japan in the 60"s, but I'm sure the current ones will work the same

Bud

[MelissaH]

This is sort-of on topic, as country-style ribs are just cut-up pieces of butt (as previously pointed out by lancastermike): Any guesses how long it might take to cook them on a Bullet? Lancastermike or anyone else who's tried it?

MelissaH

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You need to give yourself several hours for them. I always hesitate to give time estimates. When I first started smoking meat I asked when would it be done. I got a reply, that I considered snide at the time, that it is done when it is done. I know now the meaning of that. Every one can be different.

The country style ribs still have all the fat and tissue to break down. So, as I recall they were on the smoker for close to 4 hours. Clearly they will not take as long as a 16 lb pork butt, but they still need some time.

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I was looking for a ballpark estimate, more than anything so I knew how early I had to wake up this morning. It's relatively cool here now (just under 70 at about 11 AM) and the winds are relatively light, for once. The skies look as though we may get some rain before the day's over.

So, I was up on the later side (for me) this morning, and fired up the WSM. The country-style ribs went on at about 9:15, just as they came out of the package. They've been on for about two hours now. Hickory chunks; WSM temp about 240. Thermometer probe stuck in a "rib" says 156. So far, so good. Now, time to make a batch of =Mark's sauce. We've invited friends to join us; it'll be served when it's done.

MelissaH

[MelissaH]

My country-style ribs just came off the WSM. So they wound up needing about five hours to cook. I've been amazingly restrained, and didn't even taste the little bits that came off.

I did notice that these pieces of butt are more dried out than the corresponding piece of uncut butt would probably be. But then again, I could do this all on one day without having to plan ahead of time. We'll see how they go over tonight. I'm currently debating whether to pull the meat or just leave the "ribs" whole, while I give them a little bit of a rest.

MelissaH

eta: I did give in and taste. And it's good, not dried out as I'd feared!

Edited July 4, 2007 by MelissaH (log)

[lancastermike]

My country-style ribs just came off the WSM. So they wound up needing about five hours to cook. I've been amazingly restrained, and didn't even taste the little bits that came off.

I did notice that these pieces of butt are more dried out than the corresponding piece of uncut butt would probably be. But then again, I could do this all on one day without having to plan ahead of time. We'll see how they go over tonight. I'm currently debating whether to pull the meat or just leave the "ribs" whole, while I give them a little bit of a rest.

MelissaH

eta: I did give in and taste. And it's good, not dried out as I'd feared!

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Glad they turned out good for you, Melissa. Seems my recollection and your cook matched up. I served them whole, did not pull the pork as I would with a butt.

[MelissaH]

Glad they turned out good for you, Melissa.  Seems my recollection and your cook matched up. I served them whole, did not pull the pork as I would with a butt.

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I didn't pull these either. The bone pieces pretty much fell out, though, in some cases as I took the pieces off the grill. We ate some, and brought a couple of plates over to the next-door neighbors who had a rough day yesterday.

I think I'll chop the leftovers into small pieces, vacuum pack them in serving-size portions, and freeze them. We were thinking how the leftovers would make a wonderful addition to fried rice.

MelissaH

[Chris Amirault]

Butt question for y'all. I brined a bone-in, skin-on 10 lb butt for 24 hours and am preparing to smoke it tomorrow (or late tonight to start). It was too big to brine in the fridge, so I put it in a cooler with lots of ice (which I've done in the past to good effect). This morning, as I prepared it to go in the fridge to dry off on a rack, I noticed it was warmer than I'd like: 55F about 3" in (I didn't try to go to the core by digging a hole).

Knowing that temp affected the brining adversely (warmer is bad for penetration), I'm assuming that I can still bring it down to below 40F in the fridge (or even freezer, following Susan's tip) and then smoke and cook it safely. It was sitting in brine the whole time, after all, and the internal temp of my pulled pork has always been well over 200F.

If you think I need to worry about this, please give me more information rather than less. I couldn't find much information on line, as the sites I found tended to emphasize finished temperature, not temp during prep (nor in a brine).

Thanks in advance.

[rooftop1000]

Chris

50% of responces will be "oh my gd throw it out" and 50% will be

"chuck it in the fridge" I will start

Throw it in the fridge

tracey

[snowangel]

Chris, like Tracey, I wouldn't worry about it. You're going to bring the temp way high when you smoke it. Cool it, give it a go in the freezer, and smoke.

This, of course, is assuming it doesn't smell icky, but I doubt that it spent that long warm. Makes me wonder what the internal temp is of a butt that's been in brine in the fridge. Hmmm.

[lancastermike]

I would also think you are OK with this. However, I can't promise you won't have any issues. I certainly would proceed.

I do wonder how the temp of the pork got that high if you had it in a cooler with ice. Did you not chill the brine solution before you added it? Was the butt chilled in the fridge before you put it in the brine?

I don't brine butt. I do brine turkeys using the cooler and ice method and have never seen this happen. I guess what I am wondering was did the temp of the butt RISE after it went in the iced brine? Or was it at that temp or even higher when it went in.