How to Smoke a Pork Butt on the Weber Smokey Mountain: A Step-by-Step Guide

When it comes to smoking pork butts, there are many factors to consider, from the weight and fat cap of the meat to the type of wood used for smoking. In this article, we will cover everything you need to know to get super tender results when smoking a pork butt on the Weber Smokey Mountain.

The Importance of Trimming the Fat Cap

When it comes to trimming the fat cap from a pork butt, many people choose not to trim it at all. The reason for this is that the fat cap plays an important role in keeping the meat moist and juicy during the smoking process. By leaving the fat cap intact, you will be able to achieve a more tender and flavorful final product. In our video, we used 9 pounds of pork butt with a large fat cap, which provided plenty of moisture during the cooking process.

The Role of Binder in Smoked Meats

Before applying any dry rubs or marinades to the meat, it is essential to use a binder. For us, this means using olive oil as our binder of choice. The binder helps to keep the seasonings and spices in place on the surface of the meat, ensuring that they penetrate evenly throughout the cooking process.

The Dry Rub: A Key Component of Smoked Meats

A dry rub is an essential component of smoked meats, providing flavor and texture to the final product. In our video, we used a custom blend of chili powder, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes as our dry rub. We applied this mixture evenly over the surface of the pork butt, making sure to cover all areas thoroughly.

The Importance of Wood Selection for Smoking

When it comes to smoking meat, the type of wood used can make all the difference in the final product. For our video, we used a combination of hickory and apple wood to add depth and complexity to the smoke flavor. The hardwoods help to impart a rich, smoky flavor that complements the natural flavors of the pork.

The Process of Smoking a Pork Butt

To smoke a pork butt on the Weber Smokey Mountain, you will need to follow these basic steps:

1. Preheat your smoker to 225-250°F (110-120°C).

2. Season the meat with your chosen dry rub and apply it evenly over the surface.

3. Place the meat in the smoker, making sure it is at room temperature before cooking.

4. Close the lid and smoke the meat for 8-12 hours, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 190-200°F (88-93°C).

5. Once the meat has reached the desired temperature, remove it from the smoker and let it rest for 30 minutes to an hour before shredding.

The Carolina Style Sauce: A Tangy and Flavorful Complement

For our video, we created a custom Carolina-style sauce that pairs perfectly with the smoked pork butt. This sauce is made with a combination of ingredients such as Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, Tabasco, and chili powder. The result is a tangy and flavorful condiment that adds depth and complexity to the final product.

The Final Product: A Delicious Smoked Pork Butt Sandwich

When you finally remove the pork butt from the smoker, you will be rewarded with a deliciously tender and flavorful meat that falls apart easily. To serve, we topped a toasted brioche bun with a generous helping of pulled pork, followed by a drizzle of our custom Carolina-style sauce. The combination was absolute perfection, with each bite delivering a perfect balance of flavors and textures.

Tips for Cooking a Smoked Pork Butt

When cooking a smoked pork butt on the Weber Smokey Mountain, there are several tips to keep in mind:

* Make sure to monitor the temperature of your smoker closely, as this will affect the final product.

* Keep the meat moist by applying a spritz of water or broth as needed during the cooking process.

* Use a thermometer to ensure that the internal temperature of the meat reaches 190-200°F (88-93°C) for optimal tenderness.

* Let the meat rest for at least 30 minutes before shredding, allowing the juices to redistribute and the flavors to meld together.

By following these tips and guidelines, you will be able to achieve a deliciously smoked pork butt that is sure to impress even the most discerning palates.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enHey guys, today I’m going to show you howI like to smoke a pork butt on the Weber SmokeyMountain. I’ll cover everything you needto know for getting super tender results.I’ll even show you how to whip up a homemadeCarolina Gold barbeque sauce.. for a reallyepic pulled pork sandwich.. Let’s get toit!Now, pork butts can vary a good bit in weight- this one was right at 9 lbs. As for thefat cap, I don’t really mess with trimmingthat, you wanna leave that on, so this thingcomes out nice and juicy.Before the dry rub, you’ll want to use abinder, I typically go with olive oil. Forthe dry rub, I used our Barbecue Guys SpiceologyCarolina Rub. This will be a good base layerof flavor for the pork, and of course feelfree to use your favorite rub - the homemadeCarolina Gold sauce that I’ll show you willbring that well loved mustard and vinegarkick to the pork.This is a pretty big roast, so you can belibral with the dry rub, just work it intoall sides and edges… and this will helpto form a nice bark.When smoking a pork butt, it’s always goodto get an early start. You can expect it tosmoke about an hour plus per pound.I used the 22 inch Weber Smokey Mountain forthis cook. Fill your smoker with a batch ofunlit coal, and pour about a quarter of achimney starter of lit coal over the top ofthe base layer. This setup will allow theunlit coals to kind of gradually catch, whileyou smoke.The Smokey Mountain has a water pan that sitsin the middle of the cooking chamber, beneaththe cooking grids. This is the perfect deflectorfor the rising heat, and a way to add moisturewhile smoking.It fits a good bit of liquid, so I like touse a mixture of water, apple cider vinegar..And for this cook, I’m tossing some beerinto the mix, just pour that in too! At thispoint, you want to let your smoker preheatand stabilize a bit.I’ll leave the bottom vents completely open, as well as the top vent until the ambienttemp reaches about 200 degrees. At that point,you can dampen down the bottom vents to somewherearound half to a quarter of the way open.Once you’re stabilized at 250 degrees, it’sa good time to toss on the smoking wood. Ilike to use applewood with pork - about 4to 5 chunks should do just fine.Go ahead and put the pork butt on the grill,fat cap side up - you have a good bit of moisturerising from that water pan - so having thefat cap on the top side will allow it to selfbaste a good bit during the cook. It’s agood idea to monitor the cook with an internalprobe, as well as a probe placed at grid level.As for smoking temperatures, anywhere between220 and 275 degrees will produce really greatresults.I let it smoke for a little over 3 hours beforechecking in. At that point in the cook, you’llsee some nice color starting to form. I don’teven worry about misting it at this point,I'm really just taking a peek because it looksso darn pretty.During the smoke, if you see your temperaturestart to drop a bit - just toss on a few chunksof unlit coal. I love the big fuel door ofthe Smokey Mountain, because I don’t haveto take the meat off the grill to add coal.The next time I took a peek was about sixhours into the cook, the pork butt was lookingglorious! That rich mahogany color is what’sso special about smoking, it just looks likemeat candy!As for the spritz, same as what we used inthe water pan, 50/50 blend of water, applecider vinegar, and yeah, some beer. A 50 / 50mix of apple juice and apple cider vinegaris another solid option as well.This is when you’ll wanna take a deep breathand savor that beautiful aroma.. You’veearned it!At this point, the water pan is almost empty,so i’ll top it off, to keep that moisturerolling.I like to shoot for 201 degrees internal ona pork butt, so at 6 hours in, this one stillhas several hours to go.While it smokes, it’s a good time to mixup the homemade Carolina Gold BBQ sauce. Thegold color will come from a base of 1 cupof yellow mustard. Follow that with ¼ cupsome raw honey, 1 Tbsp. of tomato paste .. andI like to add some heat with 1 Tbsp. of Tabasco.Follow that with 2 tsp. Of Worcestershiresauce, ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar, and1 tbsp of olive oil. For the dry seasonings,I go with ½ tsp. of chili Powder, 1 tsp.Of garlic powder, and a bit more heat with2 tsp. red pepper flakes.It helps to have an immersion blender on hand,but if you don’t you can use a blender ora food processor to get a smooth consistencyto that sauce. The Carolina style sauce isa bit different than say, some of the othertomato based sauces, that have a lot of sugarcontent to them, the Carolina style has alot less sugar content, which is gonna giveyou that more tangy flavor.At 9 hours into the cook - it was lookingbeautiful.. Nice outer bark with some richcolor.. When you check in you might as wellgive it a spritz on some areas that are lookinga bit dried out. At this point the internalwas reading one hundred and eighty six degrees.So I checked in on the fire, and tossed ina couple more coals for the remainder of thecook.All in all, it took right at 11 hours forit to hit an internal temp of two hundredand one degrees. When you gaze upon your masterpiece..I think you’ll agree the time you put intosmoking was well worth it. When I went topull it off the grill, it just started tofall apart.. I’m never mad at a little snackpiece falling off to tide me over while itrests..Man, when you lift it off the grill, you canjust feel the tenderness - you know you’rein for a treat! Give it a few slaps for goodmeasure.. And it’s time to wrap it wellin some butcher paper, to let it rest forat least 30 minutes, and up to an hour ifyou have the patience..I like to place it in a cooler so the humidityis trapped in. While the meat rests, I alsolike to brown up some onion rings for toppingmy sandwich. For direct heat on your smokeymountain, just remove the water pan and openyour vents all the way to get a nice hot skillet.I’m looking for just a quick browning onthe rings, that way I get a savory but stillcrunchy onion ring. Right before they comeoff, I dust them with some salt and pepper.And of course, brioche buns are next levelwhen you toast them with some butter.After almost an hour of resting.. It’s timeto open this smokey little present.. If youhave a bone in roast, all you will need todo is give it a little wiggle, and pull iton out.As for shredding the pork.. It’ll be sotender by this point - Your hands will probablybe the only tools you’ll need…man.. itjust falls apart. I like to toss it well sothat the bark and fatty pieces are well dispersed.To serve it up, look, I wanted to make justa big nasty sandwich.. I topped that briochebun with a fistfull of pulled pork, and pouredon the Carolina Gold sauce. Stacked the topwith grilled onion rings.. And that rightthere is a sandwich that will make your longday worthwhile!Thanks for watching today. If you enjoyedthe video - go ahead and give us a thumbsup, and hey - down in the comments, let usknow what you would like to see us cook upnext time! Cheers.\n"