On 19-Dec-2007, Janet Wilder > wrote:

> I tried searching the archives but nothing came up.
>
> My neighbor has a New Braunfels-type smoker and there is a sale on pork
> butt at the local supermarket. We'd like to try one. (She doesn't really
> know how to use the smoker and I have an idea from lurking here, but no
> experience)
>
> I have a few questions, if you will be so kind as to help us:

My primary smoker is a New Braunfels Silver Smoker. It is a typical
offset smoker with no vertical cabinet component. It likes to run at
270°F measured near the smoke stack. It takes 6 to 8 hours to cook
a 6 to 8 pound pork butt. It will use 10 to fifteen pounds of fuel to get
there.

>
> Should we use a rub? If yes, how long before smoking should we apply it?
>

Rubs are very personal. I personally like a Cajun rub on pork, but I'm
in a minority on that subject. Basic Salt and Pepper is popular and you'
can go wrong. Rub it when you take it out to warm up to room temp
or right up to when you put it in the pit. It doesn't care all that much and
your guests will never know the difference.

> How many hours per pound should it take to smoke the butt?
>

Butts don't know anything about hours per pound. I've had them get done
in four hours. Just when I thought that was pretty neat, I had one take over
eight hours.

> Do we have to make pulled pork or can it cook a little less time and be
> sliced and served?

You do not have to make pulled pork. You do need to render all of the
collagen in the meat or it's going to be tougher then an old shoe. Ask 12
people what temp to cook it to and you'll get at least six different
numbers.
185°F internal is a good, safe number. It will get you into the tender range
with a good likelyhood of being nice and sliceable. It may or may not be
pullable at that temp. I personally like 185°F, but I must confess that I
most often slip up and let it get well over 190°F before I get it out of the
pit and sometimes even higher. I've never had to throw one out.
>
> I have a couple of rub recipes we are considering and she has charcoal
> and wood chunks.
>
> How long should we soak the wood chunks?
>
I never soak wood for smoke. I want clean, crisp wood smoke, not swamp
gas. When I have logs or chunks, I put wood directly on the fire. If I have
to settle for small chunks or chips, I wrap them in foil and punch a few
holes
in it. I then put that directly on the fire. You only need smoke for the
first
couple of hours anyway.

> I know this post seems annoying to those of you who are BBQ experts, but
> all of us have to start somewhere and this pork butt is our "somewhere"

That's going to be an expensive pork butt unless you take advantage of the
room in that pit to cook some other stuff. Chickens are cheap and always
good. Don't get cute. Wash them good. Dry them as much as you can.
Rub them with simple S&P or Old Bay Seasoning if you have a mind to.
I tie the wings and legs close to the body to help even cooking. The birds
take only about 1-1/2 to 2 hours to reach 165 in the breast and thighs. I
cook them backside down for the simple reason that I don't want the
breast to stick to the grill and get damaged. It works for me. The birds
don't seem to care at all.
>
> I've Googled smoked pork butt and have some good advice, but the *best*
> advice is from newsgroups.
>
> TIA for any assistance.

If you happen to have a 2 or 3 pound chuck roast lying around, stud it
good with garlic slivers and salt and pepper and put that in there too.
It needs to reach the same temperature as the butt, but will likely get
there earlier since it is much smaller.

Your biggest problem is going to be leaving the door closed. The
need to open that cook chamber and peek is a disease that sometimes
takes years to cure. Be advised that not even a chicken is going to get
done in under an hour. Ribs will never get done under three hours and
butts will never get done under five hours. They will all invariably take
much longer then that.

Avoid the desire to play with your food. It's trying to rest and get
happy. Being forced to play will only make it tired and grumpy.

The New Braunfels offsets are notorious for being much hotter near
the firebox then at the other end (Surprise). Stage butts and briskets
near the firebox, ribs in the middle and birds at the far end (If the
pit is full).

Midway in the cook (4 hours for butts) iit is reasonable to turn the
meat 180° to even out the cooking, but do not change their relative
position in the pit. I never turn food over. Use too many variables
and you'll never learn how your pit operates. You're sure not
going to become a pitmaster on the first go-around.

>
> --
> Janet Wilder

Everybody that responds to your post is likely to tell you something
different. The hell of it is, they make good 'Q' too. We do what
works for us. I can't speak for everrybody, but it took me a couple
of years before I could gaurantee good 'Q' everytime I fire up the
pit. The New Braunfels offsets can drive a perfectly sober person
to strong drink, but they hold a lot at one time and they make
great 'Q'.

All bets are off if you're using a New Braunfels knockoff made
by Charbroil.
--
Brick(Youth is wasted on young people)