Behold My Butt! (2003–2006)

[Chris Amirault]

Well, we just ate half of my butt, and the other half is in the freezer for another time. It was fantastic butt, but there's a great deal of room for improvement.

Because we had guests over who had time constraints, I had to take it out of the Bradley at 188, and that was my biggest mistake: even with a tight, thick foil wrap, it cooled instead of finishing cooking, never getting above 188. As a result, it didn't pull as well as it should have (though the sections near the crack, which were warmer, pulled better). Meanwhile, =Mark's sauce is fantastic, just perfect.

Here it is, crack and all.

[snowangel]

Chris, it looks beautiful, even though it did need a bit more time. When you wrapped it in foil, where did you stash it?

I'm in the habit of not removing until 190 (and usually a bit higher because I usually am drinking beer and miss that 190 mark). Backtrack. Once I've moved out of the stall, I turn the light on in my oven (or, if I forget to do that, I turn it on to 100 for a few minutes) and stash my butt in the oven.

One of the things I think I would change next time, Chris, is to get a bone in butt. There's something about that bone wiggle test that is much more reliable than the temp thing. In fact, with a bone in butt, I have been known to just eliminate the thermometer altogether, but that's a different story (mostly happens up at the cabin when I forget to bring a meat thermometer).

BTW, nice butt crack.

[ronnie_suburban]

Looks delicious to me, although it's a slightly different color than what I'm used to seeing. There's usually some pink tint in the flesh (and/or smoke ring, too) that doesn't seem to be there. Am I wrong or, perhaps, just not seeing it in the pics? Maybe it's a function of the Bradley? Am I just wack?

=R=

[Chris Amirault]

Ron, I think that there was something a bit off about the color. The meat in this photo --

-- had an intensely thick pink smoke ring on it; the entire piece was smoky pink. However, the butt did have a darker color than I expected, yes.

Susan, I decided to get a Niman Ranch butt, which are, apparently, preboned. Next time I'm going to head to my local carnicaria for the butt.

[snowangel]

Some most curious and puzzling butt news over here. Please chime in on the science of this!

[Chris Amirault]

Defrosted the leftover butt today and heated it to 210F first sous vide then in a 250F oven; held it there for a while before pulling it. Much better: I could shred the meat and the texture was perfect. That's what I'll be aiming for with my next butt....

[Abra]

I missed Chirs' butt crack the first time around, but now I see it, and it looks...not as porno as I'd imagined. However, it does look delicious, if slightly undercooked. I'm sure the leftovers were better than the original, although =Mark's sauce can fix up just about any butt there is and whatever ails it. That sauce totally rocks.

When I pull mine and wrap in foil I put it in a cooler for a couple of hours, per Col Klink's instructions. That works a treat (although I know your guests would have had to go home hungry last time).

[ronnie_suburban]

I started out on Friday afternoon with 2 butts, totaling about 20 pounds. I brined them, together, in 2 gallons of water and 2 cups of salt for about 16 hours.

I got up early on Saturday morning and began smoking them, at around 200 degrees F, using mostly a combination of cherry and apple wood. After about 8 hours, when I ran out of those types of wood, I finished them up over some hickory for about another 2 hours. The results were quite favorable . . .

Very nice bark and color.

Right as the butts were done, it started raining. So, rather than hacking away with a couple cleavers and completely trashing my kitchen, I just sort of broke the meat up with a knife. It was completely FOB at that point.

A closer look

Even though we were also serving home-made Italian sausages, burgers and hotdogs, almost all of the pork was consumed. Definitely a big hit.

=R=

[Daddy-A]

The last butt smoked in this corner of the Great White North was last weekend at our annual "Luau" (full details can bee seen HERE in *Deborah*'s blog). I thought I'd add a couple shots she didn't ..

What a butt looks like at 4:30am

What a butt smoker looks like at 4:30am

My son, shredding his first butt. *sniff* I'm a proud dad!

The finished shred

We did two 10lb butts, much like Ronnie ... or at least I thought we did. Upon closer inspection, the "butt" I had purchased earlier in the month from a large supermarket chain, was in fact a picnic shoulder. I think my knowledge of anatomy (or lack therof) is well known on this board, but this was a little embarrassing. The final results were fine .. the damn thing shredded great ... but it lacked just a little of that lip-smacking-ness the true butt has.

Another different approach this time ... about an hour before I was to tke the meat out of the smoke, I spritzed it one last time with my apple-juice/maple syrop/bourbon mix. Then I wrapped it in foil, and put it back in the smoker. It was a tip I'd picked up from another butt shredder I know up here. I'll have to do a side-by-side to see exactly what difference it makes, but I have to say this was the best butt ever to come out of my WSM! My son^ agreed.

A.

[snowangel]

Oh, I just want to squeeze and eat your butts, guys.

Arne, your son shredding his first butt. Sign. Wipe tear from eye. Very significant moment in parenthood.

[Abra]

Arne, I can't read the lable - were you drinking beer at 4:30 in the morning? Man, that is really taking your butt seriously!

[Daddy-A]

Arne, I can't read the lable - were you drinking beer at 4:30 in the morning?  Man, that is really taking your butt seriously!

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You betcha baby! A Warsteiner at the turn is a tradition with me. Either that or a slug of the apple-juice/bourbon/maple syrup spray I use. I like beer better.

A.

[Chris Amirault]

Looks great, Arne!

Arne, I can't read the lable - were you drinking beer at 4:30 in the morning?  Man, that is really taking your butt seriously!

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You betcha baby! A Warsteiner at the turn is a tradition with me. Either that or a slug of the apple-juice/bourbon/maple syrup spray I use. I like beer better.

A.

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Details, please?

[Daddy-A]

Arne, I can't read the lable - were you drinking beer at 4:30 in the morning?  Man, that is really taking your butt seriously!

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You betcha baby! A Warsteiner at the turn is a tradition with me. Either that or a slug of the apple-juice/bourbon/maple syrup spray I use. I like beer better.

A.

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Details, please?

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Chris,

2 parts apple juice, 1 part maple syrop, 1 part bourbon. I keep it in a spray bottle and give the butt(s) a spritz at the turn, then every couple hours after that. The spray caramalizes and gives a nice shiny coat.

And, as I mentioned, it's also a nice drink at 4am

A.

[Marlene]

Arne, I'm going to have to try that. I've got company coming on Saturday, and I've promised to smoke a butt. I love this idea

[ChefCrash]

I smoked my first butt over the weekend. I used the "Minion" method described by LankasterMike in his recent blog. I placed about 8 lit coals on a bed of about 20 unlit briquettes. Top and bottom vents barly open. I was surprised at how easy it was to maintain 225 deg. for 6 hours without adding any briquettes.

The only problem was the dang thing would not get done. After 6 hours temp. read 170. I thought someone on here had mentioned "one hour per pound"? Finished it in the oven in a dutch oven for 2 hours at 300 deg. It was great.

[snowangel]

I smoked my first butt over the weekend. I used the "Minion" method described by LankasterMike in his recent blog. I placed about 8 lit coals on a bed of about 20 unlit briquettes. Top and bottom vents barly open. I was surprised at how easy it was to maintain 225 deg. for 6 hours without adding any briquettes.

The only problem was the dang thing would not  get done. After 6 hours temp. read 170. I thought someone on here had mentioned "one hour per pound"? Finished it in the oven in a dutch oven for 2 hours at 300 deg. It was great.

How big was your butt (6 pounds?)? I think 6 hours is not long enough. It's really, really hard to judge how long a butt will take because of the stall. I think at what temp it stalls and how long is stalled depends greatly on the amount of fat and collagen buried in the butt. One of the things I always do is start them first thing in the morning. If it's done before you need it, just foil it and put it in the oven with the light on.

Congrats on joining the club!

[lancastermike]

I smoked my first butt over the weekend. I used the "Minion" method described by LankasterMike in his recent blog. I placed about 8 lit coals on a bed of about 20 unlit briquettes. Top and bottom vents barly open. I was surprised at how easy it was to maintain 225 deg. for 6 hours without adding any briquettes.

The only problem was the dang thing would not get done. After 6 hours temp. read 170. I thought someone on here had mentioned "one hour per pound"? Finished it in the oven in a dutch oven for 2 hours at 300 deg. It was great.

Crash,

When I started smoking pork butt I too wanted to know when it would be done. The guys I asked kept telling me it will be done when it's done. You just can't use time as a guide. As Susan says each one can be different. 6 hours is not a long time, even smaller ones take me at least 10 to get what I want.

But welcome to the wonderful world of butt. Nice pictures as well.

[Abra]

Welcome to buttland, Chefcrash. That glaze sounds delish, Arne. I'm going to try it - that's a nice shiny look you've got.

And will everyone please stop quoting my horrible typo? I know how to spell label, but I was so amazed to see Arne imbibing at that hour that I just blooped it out. I can categorically state that neither I nor any butt of mine has ever had anything to do with beer at 4:30 in the morning!

[ChefCrash]

Thanks for the tips guys. I guess I'm officially a butt-head now?

Is there an "EG Butt-head" cap or mug?

[Toliver]

Thanks for the tips guys. I guess I'm officially a butt-head now?

Is there an "EG Butt-head" cap or mug?

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Not sure about the Butt Gear...I hear, however, there is some sort of secret handshake involving a alcohol in one hand and pork fat slathered on the other.

The actual details are murky for outsiders like me who are butt smoking virgins living vicariously through y'all.

[snowangel]

Thanks for the tips guys. I guess I'm officially a butt-head now?

Is there an "EG Butt-head" cap or mug?

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Not sure about the Butt Gear...I hear, however, there is some sort of secret handshake involving a alcohol in one hand and pork fat slathered on the other.

The actual details are murky for outsiders like me who are butt smoking virgins living vicariously through y'all.

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That's part of it. As well as being able to honestly speak the lingo -- "how big is your butt?," "how fatty is your butt?," "when did your butt stall?," "I want to get my hands on your butt," etc. (let's not forget about Chris's butt crack!). But, best of all is having leftover butt .

[sarashrugs]

Last weekend my boyfriend bought a weber 18 1/2 inch one touch silver kettle grill. So far I've cooked chicken thighs, london broil , hamburgers and hotdogs and last night lamb chops! They were great. I would have encouraged him to get a larger grill had I been asked, but anyway... yesterday I bought a 6 .76 lb butt thinking I could smoke it on the weber but as I was reading this thread I saw someone else ask if the small kettle grill is too small for a butt and somebody said probably it will burn. Now what am I going to do? I'm not very experienced on the grill and have a lack of confidence when trying something new. I know someone who would smoke it for me but I wanted to do it myself. Yesterday I also bought a hinged grate for the grill and a thermometer. Do you think I should go ahead and see what happens or have it done on a bigger smoker?

[snowangel]

Last weekend my boyfriend bought  a weber 18 1/2 inch one touch silver kettle grill. So far I've cooked chicken thighs, london broil , hamburgers and hotdogs and last night lamb chops! They were great. I would have encouraged him to get a larger grill had I been asked, but anyway... yesterday I bought a 6 .76 lb butt thinking I could smoke it on the weber but as I was reading this thread I saw someone else ask if the small kettle grill is too small for a butt and somebody said probably it will burn. Now what am I going to do?  I'm not very experienced on the grill and have a lack of confidence when trying something new. I know someone who would smoke it for me but I wanted to do it myself. Yesterday I also bought a hinged grate for the grill and a thermometer. Do you think I should go ahead and see what happens or have it done on a bigger smoker?

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Your butt isn't that big, so I'd give it a try. I'd advise not banking coals on either side, but just putting them as far over as you can on one side (the way I do it in the bigger kettle). Start the chimney about 1/2 full. Just spend some time reading this topic, and ask for advice as you go!

[sarashrugs]

O.K. Thank's! I'm going to brine it starting tonight and get up early tomorrow and give it a try. I'll report tomorrow on the progress.