Recipe

Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Pork Butt

The championship pork butt recipe from Big Bob Gibson's, as featured in Peace, Love and Barbecue. An injection marinade delivers flavor deep into the meat, a custom rub builds the bark, and a low-and-slow cook produces pull-apart tender pork.

By Luis Ramirez

Prep

1 hr

Cook

13 hrs

Rest

15 min

Total

14 hrs

Difficulty

advanced

Yield

Method

smoking

Wood

Hickory

Internal Temp

195°F

Fuel

charcoal

Jump to IngredientsJump to Instructions

What You Need

Ingredients

The Meat

  • 2 pork butts

Injection Marinade

  • 3/4 cup apple juice
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup kosher salt (finely ground)
  • 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

BBQ Rub

  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup paprika
  • 1/3 cup garlic salt
  • 1/3 cup kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1 Tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp oregano leaves
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp black pepper

Step by Step

Instructions

  1. 1

    Prep the Marinade and Rub

    Mix all injection marinade ingredients together and refrigerate. Mix all BBQ rub ingredients and set aside. Do this before handling raw pork.

  2. 2

    Trim and Inject

    Trim pork butts of excessive fat, leaving about a 1/8-inch layer on top. Inject the marinade at half-inch intervals, slowly releasing the liquid as the needle is withdrawn.

  3. 3

    Apply Rub and Refrigerate

    Sprinkle rub generously over each pork butt, covering all surfaces. Reserve about 1/4 cup of rub for finishing. Refrigerate for at least a few hours, preferably overnight.

  4. 4

    Set Up the Smoker

    Clean grills and empty ashes. Light fuel, add wood chunks, fill the water pan if you have one. Let the smoker come to temperature and adjust vents accordingly.

  5. 5

    Cook Low and Slow

    Remove meat from the fridge. Once the cooker is at temperature and the initial heavy smoke has subsided, add the meat. Insert thermometers to monitor throughout the cook. It can take 10 to 13 hours to reach 195°F. You can wrap in aluminum foil halfway through to speed up cook time.

  6. 6

    Rest and Pull

    Remove from smoker at 195°F and let rest for about 15 minutes. Put on rubber gloves and shred (pull) the meat into a deep pan or bowl. Add the reserved BBQ rub to enhance flavor and mix in.

  7. 7

    Serve

    Pile the pulled pork on a bun with a little of your favorite BBQ sauce. Add coleslaw if you wish and enjoy.

Pro Tips

  • The injection marinade delivers flavor deep into the meat where rub can't reach
  • Reserve 1/4 cup of rub to mix into the pulled pork at serving time
  • Wrapping in foil halfway through speeds up the cook
  • Double-wrapped in foil and stored in a small cooler, the butts stay hot for hours
  • Recipe credited to Big Bob Gibson's — a championship recipe that has won awards on the BBQ circuit

Equipment

  • Smoker or indirect-heat BBQ
  • Meat injector
  • Heavy-duty aluminum foil
  • Thermometer
  • Rubber gloves
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