Summers are almost upon us and with the harsh winters leaving us with a craving for summer sun, it is no surprise that backyard barbecues are on our minds!
Barbecues are a great way to spend a long summer afternoon and evening with family and friends. After staying indoors during most of the winters, an outdoor activity is all that we need.
The best part of having a barbecue is that you can have a variety of grilled and smoked foods. From vegetables to chicken and from beef to pork, you can have it all.
One of the most popular barbecue dish is smoked pork butt and here we are going to let you know exactly how you can have a perfectly smoked pork butt at your next BBQ!
Select the Best Quality of Raw Product
I mean, this goes without saying! If you want to have a delicious and juicy pork butt, you need to get your basics right and select the best raw product that you can get your hands on. Here are a few tips on selecting the best quality raw product.
- Always buy fresh pork butt for your barbecue. Never buy frozen pork butt.
- When buying pork butt, always buy the piece with a large money muscle on the front. Money muscle is the best part of the butt, is farthest from the round bone, is the most tender part and when cooked properly, it can be easily sliced with a sharp knife.
- You can also choose the portion that has a big horn muscle under the y of blade bone. Since it is closer to the bone, this meat has more flavor and it is just as tender as the money muscle portion.
Injecting the Pork Butt
Though it sounds like a surgery, it is not! To get the most of the flavor, it is recommended that you inject the pork butt with a mixture of your choice.
Generally, it is a mixture of apple juice, water, brown sugar, salt, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce that is injected. The purpose is to get moisture and flavor on the inside of the meat.
Place the pork butt on an aluminum pan and start injecting this mixture, at least three times at different angles on the same site. Move it around the entire butt.
Once it has been properly injected, pour the remaining mixture of it and cover it with a layer of foil. Keep it in the fridge and let it marinate for at least 4 hours. Once it has been marinated properly, drain out all the marinade and pat it dry.
Read: Adobada Mexican Marinated Pork Recipe You Have to Try This
Dry Rub the Pork Butt
Once the pork butt has been patted dry, it is time to dry rub it. You can buy the dry rub from any general store.
Before applying the dry rub, coat the pork butt with Dijon mustard to give an additional flavor and also to allow the dry rub to properly coat the pork butt.
Smoking the Pork Butt, the Right Way!
The best way to smoke properly is to use Cherry wood chunks in your electric smoker and set the smoker at a proper temperature of around 225 degrees.
Make sure you use seasoned Cherry wood chunks. The length of cooking is always tricky, so keep a meat thermometer in hand and aim for an internal temperature of 195 degrees.
It seems tricky, but it is not! It takes around 1 hour to properly smoke a pound of pork butt. This is the general rule that most people follow.
Once you have started the smoking process, prepare your mop which you will be basting on the pork butt, every 2 hours. You can use a mixture of vegetable oil, soy sauce, cider vinegar and dry rub.
Read: How to Smoke a Pork Shoulder in an Electric Smoker
Once the pork butt has been properly smoked, which you can check by using the meat thermometer, it is time to tenderize it by wrapping it in aluminum foil and placing it back on the smoker.
Keep it in the smoker till it reaches an internal temperature of 195 degrees and be patient, as it will take some time! Voila, your perfectly smoked pork butt is ready!
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