Smoked Pork Butt

It is time to make my favorite guilty pleasure recipe, smoked pork butt in the electric smoker with my special pork rub seasonings blend!

Welcome back to another episode of Dinner with Drew. When my husband, Drew, makes some of his favorites recipes that I have supervised and controlled. These are usually your higher calorie recipes but they are so good!

This is your beginner's guide to this very simple recipe to make the best pork butt in the electric smoker. All you need to do is season it. Then, place it on the smoker until it is done. This is one of my favorite recipes and makes for amazing leftovers. We usually do a BBQ pulled pork; however, there are so many options once you finish cooking.

I bought my husband a smoker for his birthday or Christmas gift a little while ago. We have smoked a ton of pork in it. Our favorites are ribs and pork butt, also called pork shoulder.

This is a very simple recipe to making a smoked pork butt. There are different ways to achieve a delicious pork butt, such as wrapping it up (to speed up the process) or injecting the meat. However, we keep it simple and do a long smoke all day long. Once you learn how to make this basic recipe, you can tweak it to your liking!

What is Pork Butt

The name pork butt can be a little misleading as it does not come from the pork's butt. Both pork butt and pork shoulder come from a pork's shoulder. They can be used interchangeably in many recipes; but, pork butt tends to have more marbling that the shoulder cut. This butt leads to a better smoked pork. These cuts are pretty inexpensive and do very well cooked low and slow - such as a crock pot or a smoker.

When To Use Pork Butt

Pork butt does a lot better shredded - such as pulled BBQ pork, which I am making here. It has tons of marbling and can withstand being in a smoker all day. Pork shoulder is better for cutting into slices.

Should I Use Bone-In or Boneless Pork Butt

I prefer to use a bone-in pork butt as it really keeps its shape to allow for a more even and consistent cook. If you do have a boneless pork butt, tie it with twine into a rectangular shape to allow it to keep its shape while cooking. The boneless pork butt will also take a lot less time to cook.

Pork Butt Smoke Time

The time you need to smoke a pork butt can vary; however, generally, it is about 60 to 90 minutes per pound. Make sure you have a thermometer that can stay in a closed smoker. This will be the key in monitoring your temperature - we are trying to get to 200-205 degrees.

What You Need for the Best Smoked Pork

For the best smoked pork butt, you will obviously need an electric smoker with wood chips. Of course you can choose any smoker that you like; however, we have the 30-inch digital electric smoker from Master Built. Then, all you need is a good binder and a delicious pork butt rub. We make pulled BBQ pork, hence the BBQ sauce. But, once you have the pork cooked, you can do anything with it.

• Pork butt
• Wood chips
• Mustard (binder)
• Pork butt rub seasonings blend
• BBQ sauce

Pork Butt

This was a bone-in pork butt. It was about 4.5 pounds; however, we always divide it in half and freeze the rest as it is usually just the two of us eating this. We don't need that much food!

The name pork butt can be a little misleading as it does not come from the pork's butt. Both pork butt and pork shoulder come from a pork's shoulder. They can be used interchangeably in many recipes; but, pork butt tends to have more marbling that the shoulder cut. This butt leads to a better smoked pork. These cuts are pretty inexpensive and do very well cooked low and slow - such as a crock pot or a smoker.

Wood Chips

There are tons of flavors of wood chips. We specifically do the mesquite as it works very well for pulled BBQ smoked pork butt.

You need to prepare at least 40 minutes a head of time because the wood chips need to be soaked in water for a half hour, prior to smoking. Then, set them on a paper towel to dry out. Otherwise, they will not be useful. You soak the wood chips in water so that the smoke is not as powerful and the pork butt does not just taste like straight smoke.

For a sweeter smoke, try an apple flavored wood chip.

Mustard

This will be used as the binder. You will season the pork with salt and pepper. Then, apply the binder to make sure the seasonings rub sticks. Don't worry, it does not taste like mustard. I am not the biggest mustard fan and I love this recipe. However, you can also use oil as your binder.

Pork Butt Rub Seasonings Blend

We have developed the best pork butt rub seasonings blend. I use it for any similar pork recipe. However, this is where you can really modify the recipe to make it how you like it. It can be made sweeter or spicier by modifying some of the ingredients here.

• Brown sugar
• Cumin
• Cinnamon
• Chili powder
• Garlic salt
• Onion powder
• Paprika

It is simple, but it really packs a delicious punch!

BBQ Sauce

We make pulled BBQ pork with the smoked butt, hence the BBQ sauce. But, once you have the pork cooked, you can do anything with it. I really love the Sweet Baby Rays or G Hughes sugar free BBQ sauce.

How to Smoke the Best Pork

Preheat the smoker to 250 degrees. Add water to the water bowl and stir in paprika and chili powder, for added flavor and moisture.

At least 40-45 minutes prior to starting, soak the wood chips in water for 30 minutes. Then, set them out on a paper towel to completely dry out.

Remove any large fat caps off of the pork butt. Season the pork with salt and pepper. Then, rub the mustard on all sides. Season with the rub blend and press into the pork.

Place the thermometer into the pork butt and set that on the middle rack in the smoker. Close the lid and let it set for 3-4 hours (60-90 minutes per pound), until the internal temperature reaches 200 to 205 degrees.

When the pork starts to get closer to 200 degrees, take a handheld thermometer and check the other areas, to make sure they are near the same temperature. While doing this, baste the pork with some of the water in the water bowl, to keep it from drying out.

Take the pork out and let it rest for 30 minutes. Then, pull the meat off the bone and shred with two forks. Add BBQ sauce and toss to coat.

Pork Butt Temperature

Pork should be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees: however, for something like a pork butt, you should cook it to a temperature of at least 200 to 205 degrees. This is because at 165 degrees, the fat and membranes of the pork begin to break down to allow for a more tender pulled pork. Generally, it takes about 60 to 90 minutes per pound to come up to this temperature.

What to Do With Smoked Pork Butt

There are tons of different ways to use cooked pork butt. We typically, always, shred it and add BBQ sauce to it. I like to eat it just like that, with a fork and potatoes on the side. My husband usually makes a pulled pork sandwich. You can also used the BBQ pulled pork for BBQ tacos. This tastes really good with some pineapple added to the pork.

If you do not want a BBQ flavor, add some more Mexican seasonings into your seasonings blend and make more of a classic pulled pork taco. You can also add some soy sauce and make more of an Asian style pork. Then, serve that over rice. Add this to some chili for a pulled pork chili.

What If I Don't Have A Smoker

Don't worry, if you do not have a smoker, try my crock pot pulled pork butt.

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Smoked Pork Butt

It is time to make my favorite guilty pleasure recipe, smoked pork butt in the electric smoker with my special pork rub seasonings blend!