Behold My Butt! (2003–2006)

[lancastermike]

Sara

Susan is correct,as always. Don't despair, butt is a very forgiving piece of meat. All you need to do is get a nice low temperture going. A modifided Minion cook should work. Place some unlit charcoal in the kettle and top it with 8 or 9 lit ones and some smoke wood, the lit coals will fire the unlit giving you a slow steady cook. Go for it. The only real damage you can do to the butt is a real high temp for an extended period of time. Don't worry about an occasional or short term temperture spike. You can do it!!! I know you can.

All these new butt smokers are a wonderful thing! I haven't smoked since the soggy blog. I feel the urge. I believe there will be butt this weekend at my place.

Knock em' dead Sara. Smoked butt rules

Edited June 1, 2006 by lancastermike (log)

[Marlene]

You can do this Sara! I'm a relatively new smoker myself. And Mike, there is smoked butt on the menu at my house this Sat!

[snowangel]

Boo Hoo! I'd love to join in the butt fest, but I'm having 100 over for a mid-afternoon reception for my folk's 50th. I'll just have to live vicariously through all of you!

[Daddy-A]

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

<SNIP>

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?

Ummm ... let me get this right. You encouraged him to get a larger grill, bought him a butt, and grill gear? Has this guy got an engagement ring on you yet???

Try out the kettle first. Then if things work out, you can get the lucky bastard a Bullet for his birthday!!

A.

[snowangel]

Try out the kettle first.  Then if things work out, you can get the lucky bastard a Bullet for his birthday!!

A.

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Ahem. A real woman doesn't need a bullet!

[Marlene]

Try out the kettle first.  Then if things work out, you can get the lucky bastard a Bullet for his birthday!!

A.

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Ahem. A real woman doesn't need a bullet!

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Yes she does.

[Daddy-A]

Try out the kettle first.  Then if things work out, you can get the lucky bastard a Bullet for his birthday!!

Ahem. A real woman doesn't need a bullet!

I didn't say it was for her

A.

[Marlene]

I have a glourious butt.

the wonderous layer of fat beneath the skin is a joy to behold. But, I ask the question. Does anyone ever take off the top skin of their butts to expose the fat underneath thereby getting some wonderful cracklin? Is this verbotten in the smoking world?

[Marlene]

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.

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Arne, what does "at the turn" mean? I'm going to use your spray tomorrow for my butt!

[snowangel]

Yes, Arne, what does at the turn mean????

No, Marlene, you don't remove the skin. You just don't. Trust me. Remember, I'm the butt queen. I just wish I had a beautiful butt tomorrow!

[sarashrugs]

O.K. I didn't remember to brine my butt and I was late getting startrd today. I started the coals around 2 but didn't put the butt on until after 3, I did brine some chicken parts and put them on the grill like I was told. Good thing too because we had pulled bbq chicken sandwiches, potato salad, green beans and baked beans for dinner. I did set aside a breast and a leg and thigh for my elderly mother and her gentleman companion because they have to have mild food. Anyway my butt is still on the grill. I've maintained a temperature beyween 200 and 300 all day. I know I've lifted the cover too many times. The internal temperature has reached 190 in some parts but not all. I know I've got to let it rest for an hour wrapped in foil and inside a papaer bag but do I have to pull it after that? I'm getting tired. Can I leave it wrappped up and mix it with the sauce tomorrow? If I want to freeze some of it should I mix it with the bbq sauce or leave it plain? Thank's for any advice . I hope someone sees this soon!

[snowangel]

Sara: Congrats! You have done well. My chest sweels with pride every time we have a new butt smoker.

OK. So, you are beyond tired. Just foil it and stick it in the fridge. Stick it in a low and slow oven tomorrow until it is fairly warm throughout and then pull. They don't pull very well when they are cold. But, at 190, you should be able to check with a fork and know if it is pullable. Use two forks or bare hands to pull.

DO NOT (yes, I'm shouting) mix any part of it with BBQ sauce. That should be up to the eater. And, yes to freezing leftover butt. I like to freeze in ziplocks in 1 cup amounts so I can always grab the right amount.

Leftover butt is great. Either on buns with sauce, or in tortillas as tacos. Also good on salads, or just standing over the sink or open fridge door in your skivies.

[snowangel]

Sara, BTW, if you haven't made this recipe =Mark's South Carolina Mustard BBQ sauce, you should! Perfect accompaniment.

[sarashrugs]

Thank you, Susan for responding to my cry for help. I still have my butt on the grill and now it's lightly raining, still I want to keep it going as long as it needs to to be as good as it can be. It won't bet much longer, I think . I'll let you know how it turns out.

[sarashrugs]

I have all the ingredients ready for the sauce. I'm glad you told me not to mix it into the pulled pork.

[Marlene]

It has rained steadilly on my butt all day. The smoker is holding steady at 220 now, although we had some wild temp fluctations earlier due to weather. My butt is currently at 145. My butt has been spritzed once.

[sarashrugs]

I didn't get my butt off the grill until 3 a.m. I really enjoyed the experience but I knew there was a reason people start smoking at dawn and from now on I will as well. Today I warmed it back up in the oven and then I pulled it and made the sauce. It's fantastic but the sauce is too spicy for the old folks does anybody have any suggestions?

[ronnie_suburban]

. . . It's fantastic but the sauce is too spicy for the old folks does anybody have any suggestions?

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If you're up to it, make another batch of the sauce and leave the hotter elements (cayenne pepper, tabasco) out. You can also increase the sugar a bit. There's nothing wrong with using a jarred sauce either, as long as it's one you know you (and they) like.

=R=

[Daddy-A]

Yes, Arne, what does at the turn mean????

No, Marlene, you don't remove the skin.  You just don't.  Trust me.  Remember, I'm the butt queen.  I just wish I had a beautiful butt tomorrow!

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"At the turn" means exactly that .. at the point you turn over the butt. For me that's at my estimated 1/2 way point. Looks like I was too late to get you that information ...

You guys get skin on your butts? The only skin I ever get now is when I pick up the occaisional picnic shoulder.

A.

[sarashrugs]

Thanks I did that and it's perfect. i used a little molasses because i'd run out of brown sugar.

[Bombdog]

You guys get skin on your butts?  The only skin I ever get now is when I pick up the occaisional picnic shoulder. 

A.

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I have when I get the shoulder whole and directly from the place that slaughters them in the building next door. If I buy them at the grocery they never have skin on. I'm thinking that when I go to the slaughter place and ask for a shoulder they usually just give me the entire primal. Last time was something like 10#'s.

[Daddy-A]

You guys get skin on your butts?  The only skin I ever get now is when I pick up the occaisional picnic shoulder. 

I have when I get the shoulder whole and directly from the place that slaughters them in the building next door. If I buy them at the grocery they never have skin on. I'm thinking that when I go to the slaughter place and ask for a shoulder they usually just give me the entire primal. Last time was something like 10#'s.

Yeah Dave, that's what I figured. My butcher used to be really surprised when I asked for my butt's whole, and bone in (I guess most folk like them cubed up for stew or sausage or whatever). My guess is that he's getting the pig cut into primal sections, then butchering from there. Taking the skin off is probably something he does as a matter of fact.

So, having never experienced butt with skin-on ... is it worth asking him for it that way? Does it add any flavour, because unless you go crisp it up afterwards, I can't imagine eating it!

Thoughts?

A.

[snowangel]

Arne, I've never had a bone in butt that didn't have the skin on. At least at my markets, if they are skin off, they are boned. And, my bone on's with skin on are usually in the 10 pound range. I have never even considered turning my butts since there's more skin on the one side, I just figure doing it skin side up. And, since I've never done a skinless one, I can't really say if there's an advantage to skin on, but I do save the skin and add it to soups, bean dishes, etc.

Marlene, how did it turn out? And yes, Sarah, there's a good reason we start early in the day!

[Marlene]

I've never turned my butt over either. My butt was totally awesome, but pictures will have to wait unitl tomorrow because it's way late and I'm exhausted..

[Bombdog]

So, having never experienced butt with skin-on ... is it worth asking him for it that way?  Does it add any flavour, because unless you go crisp it up afterwards, I can't imagine eating it!

Thoughts?

A.

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I can't remember smoking a butt with the skin on. The big ones I've bought with the skin on have been for sausage and salame. However, I can imagine that the collagen in the skin would indeed add flavor, but I wonder about the meat underneath not benefiting from the direct smoke contact?