Smoked Pork Butt Recipe

5 from 2 votes

This Smoked Pork Butt Recipe is the perfect, easy main course for all the summer barbecues and anytime of the year gatherings. Use the BEST dry rub seasoning to help create a nice dark bark, and smoke it all day on low. The pork is fall off the bone, tender, and makes the perfect sandwich!

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword pork butt, pulled pork, smoked pork, smoked pork butt recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 14

Total Time 14 15

Servings servings

Calories 297kcal

Author Sue Ringsdorf

Ingredients

8 pounds pork butt
5 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
1 ½ teaspoon black pepper
3 teaspoons paprika
1 ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder

Instructions

Mix up the rub by combining the sugar, salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder. Combine well.
5 Tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 Tablespoon kosher salt, 1 ½ teaspoon black pepper, 3 teaspoons paprika, 1 ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, 2 teaspoons garlic powder
At least 12 hours before smoking the pork, liberally sprinkle the rub all over the pork butt, using your hands to massage it into the meat. Place the pork in a pan and cover with foil. Place in the refrigerator overnight, or for at least 12 hours.
8 pounds pork butt
About an hour and a half before smoking meat, place it on your kitchen counter to come close to room temp.
Light grill or smoker to 225 degrees. Add pellets (if using certain smokers) or wood chips to the grill. When grill is regulated, place pork, fat side up (or down is ok too) on the grates. Close grill and cook, checking temperature periodically. We use probes for our Memphis, but a digital thermometer is also used as it gets close.
When meat reaches approximately 160 degrees F, remove and wrap the meat tightly in tin foil. Place the pork back on the grill, and continue cooking.
When pork butt reaches 200-205, remove and let rest (wrapped). The meat should rest for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Video

Notes

FAQs:

Why do you cook pork butt low and slow? The pork butt, or pork shoulder, has tight connective tissue surrounding the muscles in that area of the pig. That tight tissue makes this cut very well suited for smoking low and slow. If you cooked the pork fast, it wouldn't allow for the connective fibers and tissues to break down into tender pieces of meat. Cooking low and slow allows these fibers to break down and tenderize. The result is strands of delicious, tender smoked pork!
How long does it take to smoke a pork butt? When smoking at 225 degrees (like in this recipe), the pork can take up to two hours per pound. So in this instance, my eight pound pork butt should take about 16 hours. However, every cut of pork is different, and the cook time can vary quite a bit. I recently cooked a 9 pound butt in less time than it took for an 8 pound butt about a month ago.
What is "the stall"? Once you cook a few pork butts low and slow, you'll notice that the meat rises in temperature up to about 150-170 degrees pretty quickly. But then the cooking process will slow significantly and take hours to increase in temperature from 150 degrees to 180 degrees. This phase is called "the stall” and should be expected. Don’t worry. Just keep on smoking the meat, leaving the lid closed, and the meat will eventually keep cooking and will rise in temperature. This is one of the reasons that my recipe instructs you to wrap the smoked pork butt in foil to help shorten the process and push the meat through this stall.
How do you arrange a schedule to cook for so long? So you have basically two choices. You can get up early to start the smoke at the crack of dawn (or sooner), or cook it overnight. We've done it both ways. If you start the smoke early and it gets done earlier than expected, you can keep the pork wrapped and store it in a cooler for a couple of hours to keep it warm. Cooking it overnight is nice but you'll want to make sure you put it on close to bedtime. You still want to wrap it when it reaches 160 degrees. Since we have a Memphis smoker, it notifies us when the meat reaches a certain temperature.
What is the best way to heat up smoked pork? Hands down, the best way (in my opinion) is to use the method I describe in my Crispy Pork Carnitas. Just simple layer the pork on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, drizzle with some chicken broth, and bake at 400-425 for about 10 minutes, or until just heated through. The meat will get warm and a little bit crispy, perfect for tacos or sandwiches or just eating with a fork!
Can I freeze leftover smoked pork butt? Heck yes! We always have a bag of pork in the freezer, and it's great for some quick weeknight meals. Just place in a freezer bag and freeze for several months. See below for some delicious ideas for using the leftovers!

Nutrition