Behold My Butt! (2003–2006)

[snowangel]

Beautiful, Abra! So, what do you have in mind for leftovers?

Our favorites are just gently heated and on top of buns or in enchiladas/tacos. Makes for a mighty quick meal.

[LEdlund]

Abra, that looks fantastic! One day we'll have to compare notes. I wish you could've tasted ours last week. Where did you find a bone-in butt? The ones I buy from Cash and Carry are boneless and I would prefer bone-in.......

Take 1 cabbage and core out the base. Add one stick of butter. Wrap in foil. Smoke for 4 hours.

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Matt, that sound fantastic! I did something similar a couple of weeks ago with sweet onions. I sliced almost, but not all the way, through and drizzled them with canola oil, butter and a little salt. Wrapped them in foil and put them on the smoker for the last couple of hours. They were so tasty.

Oh, and the beans on the smoker is so smart. We always put the mopping sauce on the smoker but haven't done the beans as of yet. What recipe did you use for your beans?

[Abra]

I just asked my butcher for bone-in. The butchers here take really good care of me, and cut anything I want. They're part of the former Thriftway group - Ballard Market is also in that group, so you might be able to get them there. It was probably more expensive than Cash and carry - $2.49 a pound.

Leftovers, if I can resist eating them straight from the bowl with my fingers, will be eaten on the plate or in a tortilla (me) and in a sandwich (husband). But actually, I need to think beyond that box, since they'd be so good in so many things.

The beans were a no-recipe quickie. I just cooked up a mess of Anasazi beans in chicken broth with lots of garlic. Then I sauteed onions and more garlic in a little lard, added some Trader Joe's Roasted Garlic Salsa, sauteed it all together, added the beans, and set them on the smoker, stirring them every half hour or so. I ate the last of them for breakfast. I love beans for breakfast.

I've done cabbage quarters on the grill, but that recipe sounds scrumptious. I guess you'd not seal up the foil, so the smoke can get in?

[lancastermike]

Abra,

Those are the best looking butts I have seen since snowangels.{Hope my wife does not see this}, I may try more butt this weekend and if I do I am going to get the old digital camera to work. We bought it a years ago and hardly ever used it. Last week I could not find drivers or the software as it was several computers ago. I know I can make it work, but last weekend I was too busy admiring my own butt to mess with it.

Happy Smoking to All!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Luckylies]

mystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitallmystupidbuttsinastall170fIhateitall

[Luckylies]

okay i've pulled the buttsoff the grill, foiled them and placed them in the oven. What happened? Towards the end I could not for the life of me get my grill above 200f? I added 20 hot coals 2 seperate times and still the temp remained way low. I also had all three bottom vents open, as well as the one on the top. what gives? I'm finishing them in the oven but really none to pleased about it. Also when I add coals soot puffs up around the meat. It's somewhat gross, does that happen to anybody else? can it be prevented?

yarrrrr frustrated

[snowangel]

Seems that Daddy-A had a similar problem with his brisket on the bullet.

Me, I'll stick to my ancient Kettle.

Edited to add: The stall at 170 isn't necessarily about the temp of your bullet. I do believe that it has more to do with the "insert scientific term" conversion of the collegen to that stuff that's not gristle any more, but silky and melty. Even running between 215 and 225, the stall is sometimes a couple of hours (maybe more, next time I'll count the beers per stall). So, given that this is about that collegen conversion, I'd bet that it varies per butt, depending on how much collagen the butt has.

My, I've spent a lot of time on butt

[winesonoma]

I just asked my butcher for bone-in.  The butchers here take really good care of me, and cut anything I want.  They're part of the former Thriftway group - Ballard Market is also in that group, so you might be able to get them there.  It was probably more expensive than Cash and carry - $2.49 a pound.

Leftovers, if I can resist eating them straight from the bowl with my fingers, will be eaten on the plate or in a tortilla (me) and in a sandwich (husband).  But actually, I need to think beyond that box, since they'd be so good in so many things.

The beans were a no-recipe quickie.  I just cooked up a mess of Anasazi beans in chicken broth with lots of garlic.  Then I sauteed onions and more garlic in a little lard, added some Trader Joe's Roasted Garlic Salsa, sauteed it all together, added the beans, and set them on the smoker, stirring them every half hour or so.  I ate the last of them for breakfast.  I love beans for breakfast.

I've done cabbage quarters on the grill, but that recipe sounds scrumptious.  I guess you'd not seal up the foil, so the smoke can get in?

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Were they skin on? Because my butcher say's that skin on he would have to order special. Guess the pork rind business buys the skin.

[jeniac42]

This thread reminds me that I totally need some butt. Soon.

I was wondering: I do not currently have a charcoal grill. I was considering the purchase of one of the small Webers (the really small ones, you know?) and I wonder if they would be big enough to smoke small butts. Any opinions? I'm pretty sure the answer is going to be a big "hell no" but it's worth a shot, I think....

[Luckylies]

This thread reminds me that I totally need some butt.  Soon.

I was wondering: I do not currently have a charcoal grill.  I was considering the purchase of one of the small Webers (the really small ones, you know?) and I wonder if they would be big enough to smoke small butts.  Any opinions?  I'm pretty sure the answer is going to be a big "hell no" but it's worth a shot, I think....

←

I'm no expert by any means (read my earlier posts) but If your butt bit is small enough and the smoker or grill is maintained at a nice low temp (which should be hard but not impossible) you might have somethng going.... c'mon try..it'll be good. just remember. small grill- small heat source- less smokewood- tada! bbq. good luck.

[Patrick S]

I smoked a small, 4lb butt today. I was looking for a big ol' butt, but all I could find at the neighborhood market was the 4lb-er. I dry-rubbed it last night, smoked it for about 4 hrs with hickory chunks, and gave it another hour and a half in the oven. I didn't have a chimney, so I kept lighting little pyramids in the regular grill and moving the briquettes to the smoker. The pork turned out good. Not transcendental, scuse me while I kiss the sky spectacular, but good. The borrowed Brinkmann smoker I was using was not so good -- it had one hole in the bottom of the charcoal pan, with no way to adjust the flow. The thermometer had no temp markings, just three zones: warm-ideal-hot.

I made Mark's sauce to go with the butt, and it was indeed as good as advertised.

The butt before going into the oven:

The sandwich I had for dinner:

[snowangel]

Smaller grill vs. bigger one (thinking Kettle-type here).

One of the things about the Weber Kettle that important to remember is that it is much, much easier is if you have a hinged grate (scroll about 2/3 the way down the page).

Otherwise, you can't get chunks of wood in (you have to resort to chips) and it can be mighty hard to get briquettes in between the handle area and the first rung of the grate. Plus, I think the small size would require far more tending...

So, I do think you know the answer.

[jeniac42]

I was actually thinking about the Go Anywhere from Weber, which is rectangular in nature. I guess I might just have to wait until next year when I can afford a bigger grill. TARNATION! I was looking forward to balcony/beer/butt on these hot summer days.

[ronnie_suburban]

This thread reminds me that I totally need some butt.  Soon.

I was wondering: I do not currently have a charcoal grill.  I was considering the purchase of one of the small Webers (the really small ones, you know?) and I wonder if they would be big enough to smoke small butts.  Any opinions?  I'm pretty sure the answer is going to be a big "hell no" but it's worth a shot, I think....

←

I think you can do it but the issue will be how far from the heat source you can actually position the meat. In a smaller grill, with its limited grate surface area, you may find that you cannot keep meats anywhere but directly over the heat source or very near it. This will cause the meat to cook too quickly (or burn) and take only a limited amount of smoke. I'd start with smaller pieces and see how it goes. The unit you link to above certainly looks like its dampers are functional and that should allow for some decent temperature control. You could probably even fashion a small water/drip pan to use as well. Because of it's rectangular shape, that unit actually looks preferable to the small round Webers, for use as a smoker.

=R=

[Abra]

That's a great-looking sandwich, Patrick!

I think I'd have to special-order skin on butt too. But I had a nice thick cap of fat to start, and I think I might like it better that way, because the tiny bit of fat that was left on the meat after the rest had all melted away was black and yummy and nice to eat, whereas I'm not sure about eating the skin.

[Luckylies]

That's a great-looking sandwich, Patrick!

I think I'd have to special-order skin on butt too.  But I had a nice thick cap of fat to start, and I think I might like it better that way, because the tiny bit of fat that was left on the meat after the rest had all melted away was black and yummy and nice to eat, whereas I'm not sure about eating the skin.

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you guys might just consider buying the whole picnic shoulder. it's usually cheaper by the # and comes with the skin on.

[Abra]

How long would the picnic shoulder have to smoke? And does the smoke really penetrate the side that's protected by the skin?

[snowangel]

How long would the picnic shoulder have to smoke?  And does the smoke really penetrate the side that's protected by the skin?

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I usually figure about 8 hours or so. And, yes, the smoke does penetrate!

[epicurean905]

The internal temp of my butt (I can't believe I said that) was 165 when I took it off the grill.

A butt is more likely to be at 190 by time it's ready for pulling.

As CathyL said, temperature is not the whole story -- it's a feel thing. The bone should be pretty loose.

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It has always been my rule of thumb that your butt is ready to be pulled when you can remove the bone without effort. We Southerners consider ourselves experts on the topic of barbecue, you know. I live a few blocks from the famed Dreamland Ribs and on a good day, can smell the wood fire smoke from my balcony. In Alabama, we use a more tomatoey sauce, but I love Carolina style, too.

[lancastermike]

I did a 5 lb butt today along with a spatchcocked chicken that I had brined. The chicken came off after 3 hours and was delicious. It has been turned into chicken salad with herbs from our garden.

The butt was on for about 10 hours and the WSM held 250 dome temp the whole time using a Minion start. It is now resting in foil. With luck the picture will post. My wife Maggie was kind enough to take a picture with her Motorola V155 cell phone as the &%#@* digital camera would not work.

[ianeccleston]

6 pound butt, cooked at an average of about 250 for 5 hours (187 degree internal temp). In hindsight, I'd cook it a bit longer so that it really "pulled", and would cook it with a lot more smoke. Still pretty tasty though!

More pork porn for ya:

[rooftop1000]

smokin a butt all alone ....well 3 actually

no crew

no beer

no camera

just pork......

all alone ....just tasted a piece that "fell off" all that pork and its all mine

tracey

[ronnie_suburban]

all alone ....just tasted a piece that "fell off" . . .

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I love when that happens.

=R=

[snowangel]

all alone ....just tasted a piece that "fell off" . . .

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I love when that happens.

=R=

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Always happens to my butts.

[bilrus]

This is tonight's dinner. Well, not yet, but we'll get to that in a bit.

One of my Christmas presents from jenrus this year was a Weber Smokey Mountain - the Weber Bullet. I've often tried half-assed (no pun intended)attempts at smoking butts on the grill, but they've never quite turned out the way I would have liked. Overcooked, not enough smoke flavor, hard to manage the temperature. Whether it was turkey breast, brisket, ribs or the aforementioned butt it was always a disappointment.

Like any kid with a new toy I tred using it a few times in the dead of winter, including New Years weekend and I wasn't happy with the results either. I don't think I was adjusting to the colder temps outside the cooker. Plus my patience in the cold of winter was not exactly what it should be.

Now, for one reason or another - trips, work around the house, the golf course calling me - it has been about five months since I played with my toy. So what better weekend to crack it open. When I saw this beautifully marbled butt I knew I had to smoke it this weekend.

I've decided to use the Minion Method from the Virtual Weber Bullet site for the first time. As I mentioned I have had a hard time in the past keeping the fire going and this is supposed to allow for long, slow cooking times by only starting with a small number of pieces of charcoal lit at the beginning of the cooking process.

I brined the pork overnight in a salt and brown sugar solution, then rinsed it and dried it off well. I've opted against a rub today, since the last one I used burned a bit and I really want to get a good feel for the results of the cooker and method itself rather than the taste of the rub.

I'm using the Carolina Vinegar BBQ Sauce recipe from Steven Raichlen's BBQ Bible. I love the onions in this after it sits for a few hours.

I'm using hickory chunks for the wood. In the past, I've tried applewood which I though was a little too mild and mesquite which I like for beef, but not so much for pork.

Things started well with a lot of smoke wafting up the cooker around the pork (and into my eyes).

The lid went on at a few minutes before 11 EDT. I'm going to go check the temp and adjust my vents then hopefully let it sit for a long while without any worries.

Edited July 3, 2005 by bilrus (log)