Smoked Pork Butt

What Is Pork Butt?

Spoiler alert! Pork butt is NOT from the butt of a pig.

Pork butt is actually from the shoulder region of the pig and has really great marbling throughout. It is a tough cut of meat with a lot of tight muscles, connective tissue, and fat which takes time to break down and tenderize. This makes it perfect for cooking slow in our smokers.

Pork butt is often referred to as a Boston butt or pork shoulder because they come from the same area of the pig. All three are actually different cuts of meat and that should be noted.

Video Tutorial! Click to Watch

Smoked Pork Butt Ingredients

You’ll only need 4 main ingredients to smoke a pork butt. Keep reading for notes and potential substitutions on each ingredient.

• Pork Butt: I used an 8 pound, bone in, pork butt. If you cannot find a pork butt, you can also use a pork shoulder or Boston butt (they are different cuts of meat but cook similar).
• Mustard: This is used as a binder, or glue to stick the seasoning the pork butt. It is also what creates that delicious caramelized crust. I recommend using my Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce, but you can also use Dijon mustard, yellow mustard, or your favorite mustard.
• BBQ Rub: I use Memphis BBQ Rub by Pit Boss, it has a blend of brown sugar, paprika, garlic, and smoke flavor in it. This chicken BBQ rub is similar, or you can use any type of BBQ rub you prefer.
• Salt and Pepper: Salt and pepper is an essential. Please note, if your BBQ rub already contains salt and pepper you may need to omit this or not add as much.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: This is added to our aluminum pan later on, it tenderizes the pork and keeps it moist as it smokes. The acid in the apple cider vinegar is what makes the pork butt even juicier (apple juice can be used but it just isn’t the same).

Equipment and Tools:

• Smoker: This recipe was tested on the vertical smoker and wood pellet grill. I use Pit Boss smokers, but any wood pellet smoker will be great for this recipe.
• Baking Pan: Disposable aluminum pans are the best because it keeps the moisture close to the pork butt. This is great if you want to make gravy with the juices too.
• Digital Meat Thermometer: I use a ThermoPro and absolutely love it because I plug the probe right into my smoker and monitor the temperature throughout the cooking process.
• Aluminum Foil: Heavy duty foil is used to wrap the partially cooked pork butt in. There is a stage called “stalling” which I explain later and this helps the pork butt get up to temperature quicker while reserving the use of your wood pellets.

How To Smoke A Pork Butt

This is a short summary of the steps, the recipe card below will have more details.

1. Preheat your smoker to 225° F and allow it to sit at your pork to sit at room temperature
2. Rub mustard, BBQ rub, salt, and pepper all over the pork butt.
3. Smoke FAT SIDE UP until it reaches 145° F.
4. Pour the apple cider vinegar into your disposable aluminum pan and continue to smoke.
5. Smoke until it reaches 165° F, remove from the smoker.
6. Wrap the pork butt in aluminum foil, place back in the smoker.
7. Smoke until it reaches an internal temperature of 205° F, remove from the smoker.
8. Rest for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
9. Shred it with two forks (removing the bone, fat, and gristle).
10. Sprinkle with a little more BBQ rub.
11. Serve!

Notes on Internal Temperature

Always place the probe of your meat thermometer at the thickest part of the pork butt, it should reach an internal temperature between 195° F and 205° F. I like mine closer to 205° F because it’s easier to pull (shred) apart and it’s most tender at that temperature.

You may be wondering, why so high? Well remember how I told you earlier that pork butt is tough cut of meat? It needs to be cooked to a higher temperature for the tissue break down and tenderizing. If you stopped at 165° F you would be chewing for decades.

The Stall

Initially your meat will rise in temperature very quickly, but once it gets to 145° F it slows which is called the “stall.” I like to add the apple cider vinegar at this point because it allows moisture and acid to be infused into the meat as it makes its way to 165° F.

Once our meat reaches 165° F we wrap it in aluminum foil (or some people prefer butcher paper). This is what gets our pork butt out of the stall period to shorten the smoke time while retaining heat and moisture. Don’t worry, your pork butt will still have a beautiful crust.

How Long Does It Take To Smoke A Pork Butt?

I get this question a lot and it does vary based on a few different things like the temperature of your meat before it goes in the smoker, the outside temperatures, how large your pork butt is, and what type of smoker you are using.

A great rule is for every pound of pork, it takes about 2 hours to cook (at 225° F). For example, an 8 pound pork butt takes about 16 hours to smoke.

This is a great reminder to start your smoker early and plan ahead of time (it’s a labor of love but oh so worth it). If you are worried about getting it smoked in time, you can cook it the day before you plan on serving it. I also recommend investing in a really good digital meat thermometer or probe. You can easily keep track of the internal temperature throughout the day.

How to Store and Reheat Smoked Pulled Pork

Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 7 days in a gallon bag or airtight container, just make sure to squeeze as much air from the bag as possible. It can also be frozen for 2-3 months in a gallon bag or vacuum sealed bag.

There are many easy ways to reheat smoked pork too.

• In the smoker: Place the shredded pulled pork in a disposable aluminum pan with a little beef broth or water. Cover it with aluminum foil and place it in the smoker at 225° F for 2 hours (or until 165° F).
• In the slow cooker: Place the shredded pulled pork in the slow cooker with a little beef broth or water. Set it at “keep warm” and let it heat up.
• In the oven: Place the shredded pulled pork in a pan with a little beef broth or water. Cover it with aluminum foil and place it in the oven at 325° F for about 30 minutes (or until 165° F).
• In the microwave: Place the shredded pulled pork in a heat safe bowl with a little beef broth or water. Reheat for 1 to 2 minutes or until it has warmed through.

Best Wood Pellets for Smoked Pork

Pork goes great with fruit, so think light and fruity wood pellets. I used a mixture of Apple and Competition Blend pellets by Pit Boss (it is my go to combo).

Others you could use are cherry, maple, oak, pecan, or a combination. I don’t like using mesquite or hickory because they tend to be a little too strong for pork.

Fun Ways To Use Smoked Pork Butt

• topped with delicious BBQ sauces: more Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce (mustard based), Apple Butter BBQ Sauce (ketchup based), Blackberry BBQ Sauce (using fresh blackberries)
• sliders and sandwiches like these Pulled Pork Sliders and Apple Butter BBQ Pork Sliders
• pulled pork tacos
• loaded baked potatoes topped with pulled pork
• Pulled pork nachos, or I love it in this Pulled Pork Quesadilla
• Pulled pork pizza

Other Smoker Recipes You Might Like:

• Smoked Hot Dogs
• Smoked Buffalo Chicken Dip
• Smoked Queso Dip
• Smoked Cream Cheese
• Smoked Cheez Its
• Or browse more smoker recipes here.