Recipe

BBQ Pork Butt

An early BBQ journal entry from 2006 documenting a pork butt cook on a Weber Smokey Mountain. Includes an improvised rub recipe, a detailed smoking chart tracking temperature over 9 hours, and honest lessons learned about pulling temperature.

By Luis Ramirez

Prep

30 min

Cook

9 hrs

Total

9 hrs 30 min

Difficulty

intermediate

Yield

Method

smoking

Wood

Oak, Apple

Smoke Temp

230-250°F

Internal Temp

185°F (for pulling) / 165-170°F (for slicing)

Fuel

charcoal

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What You Need

Ingredients

The Meat

  • 2 pork butts (5.5-6 lbs each)

Improvised Rub

  • 1 part kosher salt
  • 3 parts brown sugar
  • 1 part garlic powder
  • 1 part onion powder
  • 1 part chipotle powder
  • 2 parts chile powder

For the Smoker

  • Kingsford charcoal briquettes
  • Oak wood chunks
  • Apple wood chips

Step by Step

Instructions

  1. 1

    Prep the Meat

    Tenderize the pork butts by poking them all over with a fork. Apply the rub by sprinkling (not rubbing) it over all surfaces, then poke again to help the seasoning penetrate. This technique may help smoke penetrate the meat better.

  2. 2

    Set Up the WSM

    Soak oak chunks and apple chips in water. Start the charcoal in a chimney. Use Kingsford briquettes for consistent temperature control. Set up the WSM with water pan filled.

  3. 3

    Smoke Low and Slow

    Maintain smoker temperature between 230-250°F. Insert a digital thermometer into the thickest part of the largest butt. Mop and flip at approximately the 4-hour mark. Add wood as needed throughout the cook.

  4. 4

    Monitor and Finish

    Cook for approximately 9 hours. For sliced pork, pull at 165-170°F. For pulled pork, take the internal temperature to 185°F. Let the meat rest, then chop or pull and mix in additional rub for extra flavor.

Pro Tips

  • For pulled pork, take internal temp to 185°F — 165°F will be too tough to pull
  • Sprinkling rub instead of rubbing it may allow better smoke penetration
  • Kingsford briquettes are reliable for temperature control experiments
  • Keep a BBQ journal — it helps build consistency over time
  • Lesson learned: don’t rush the cook just because guests are hungry

Equipment

  • Weber Smokey Mountain (WSM)
  • Digital thermometer
  • Charcoal chimney starter
pork buttsmokingwsmjournalbeginneroakapplepulled pork