Boston Butts

Mmmmm.... doesn't that look delicious. This happens to be a labor of love; love of good food. This process takes some planning, but if you have the time I will tell you how to make some delicious pork that you can brag about.

You need to start about three days before you plan on having your event. All of the following recipes are for two butts. This is how they come valu-sealed to your local meat department. Usually you can get a bit better deal if you go for two and they don't have to do anything but weigh it and price it.

The first step you will want to do is inject the meat. Make sure that you have a proper meat injector or it could get really messy. Make sure the butt is fat side up, and you want to inject down through the fat. I like to do four in the corners and one in the middle. I will inject once straight down, then down at angles. After injecting the butts put them back in the refrigerator (I usually put them in a trash bag) and let them sit for 12-24 hours.

Injection recipe:

At the same time I like to make the rub. I don't know if it makes any difference letting it sit for a while but I like to think that all the spices get a chance know each other and start mixing and mingling a bit.

Rub recipe:

Now its time to put the rub on. Pull the butts out of the refrigerator and set them in some type of container that can catch all the excess. I like to rub down the butts will plain yellow mustard first. This give a great base for applying the rub to and helps with another level of flavor. Liberally apply the rub to all sides of the but. Make sure to get it in all the nooks and crannies. Once you have your butt rubbed down well, place it back in the refrigerator for the next couple days. You need to have it on there for a minimum of 4 hours, the longer the better. The salt in the rub helps draw down the rest of the seasonings into the meat.

Now that the meat has marinated for a while you can get your cooker or smoker fired up. Anywhere between 210-225 F will work nicely. Once you have your temperature stabilized go ahead and place your meat on the rack (fat side up). You will need to let it cook for 10-12 hrs. There is no need to turn the meat at all, and resist the temptation to open the cooker. You will be able to tell exactly when your meat is done with a meat thermometer. When the meat reaches an internal temperature of 190-195 F its ready. Once you have the meat off the cooker put it in a safe place (preferably in a pan in the oven) and let it "rest" for an hour. After that you can pull, chop, and eat. Sprinkle some extra rub on and mix it in for an added kick.