Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: Boston Butt Recipe?  (Read 12286 times)

Offline blatz

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3513
  • Paul Blatz - Jupiter, FL
Boston Butt Recipe?
« on: July 31, 2013, 08:25:54 am »
i've got a couple boston butts in the freezer; need to make at least one soon - figure i'll slow cook it whilst brewing my RuinTen clone this saturday (40#+ of grain and 24oz of hops  :o).

Anyways, got any good ones?  I want to stick to using my dutch oven for either braising or slow roasting so I can keep the maintenance to a minimum since I'll be finishing brewing during some of the cooking time.

Any help will be appreciated!
The happiest people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.

BJCP National: F0281

Offline mtomky

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 1
Re: Boston Butt Recipe?
« Reply #1 on: July 31, 2013, 08:41:48 am »
I make a lot of these in my smoker but braising probably a great way to cook them as well. I believe the most important step is to brine the meat for at least 12 hours. The brine adds a lot of flavor and helps maintain the moisture. There are hundreds of brine recipes online but I keep it pretty simple - in a couple quarts of filtered water add 1 cup pickling salt, 1 cup brown sugar, some whole peppercorns and maybe a 1/4 cup of molasses if you like. Another variation I tried recently was to add a bottle of a good dark beer (porter, stout or bock) to the brine. You may have to boil the brine to get everything dissolved, make sure you cool completely before adding the meat (or cool with ice).
Also, I always use a dry rub before smoking. Again, tons of great ones on the web but pork loves chili powder, dry mustard and pepper. Alton Brown's recipe for rub is one of my favorites - http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/pulled-pork-recipe/index.html

Offline thebigbaker

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 721
  • Denver, CO
Re: Boston Butt Recipe?
« Reply #2 on: July 31, 2013, 09:17:34 am »
The last Boston Butt/ Pork Shoulder that I braised in the oven I did Korean style.  Basically took what I usually do w/ Korean short ribs and did w/ a pork shoulder.  Came out great and the tacos we did w/ leftovers were amazing. 

I just eyeball everything, so no exact measurements.

Soy Sauce
Brown sugar
Rice Wine
Garlic (I just used garlic powder)
onion (I chop it in one of those hand choppers until minced)
Sesame Oil
Black pepper
Ginger

Mix in bowl, place pork in ziplock bag and pour in marinade.  I let it sit in the fridge overnight. 

Put dutch oven on stove top burner on med - med high and brown each sided of the pork w/ a little olive oil.  Take out the pork and throw in some onions, carrots, celery, water, little apple juice, soy sauce, rice wine and ginger and stir well.  Place the pork back into the dutch oven and braise in the oven @325.  I have the liquid covering about 1/2 of the pork.  After about an hour - hour 1/2, turn the pork over and add more liquid if needed.  I just added a little water.  I used a 3.5 lb boneless picnic pork shoulder and it took a little about 3 hours to cook.

Removed from oven, covered w/ foil and let sit for about 20 minutes then shred.  We served w/ rice and sliced green onion and a side of mac salad (Hawaiian plate lunch style).

With the leftovers, we put some water and some of the leftover juices into a pan, brought to a boil and then added the leftover pork and cooked it down.  For the taco, take some corn tortillas, put in some of the pork with some cabbage, sliced carrots, sliced cucumber and a some cilantro.  I also like just putting the pork in the corn tortilla and just add some good spicy kimchi on top.  The next night we took some wontons, added the same mixture, fried them up and dipped in some tai chili sauce. 

« Last Edit: July 31, 2013, 09:42:42 am by thebigbaker »
Jeremy Baker

"An escalator can never break: it can only become stairs. You should never see an Escalator Temporarily Out Of Order sign, just Escalator Temporarily Stairs. Sorry for the convenience." - Mitch Hedberg

Offline bboy9000

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 703
  • KCMO
Re: Boston Butt Recipe?
« Reply #3 on: July 31, 2013, 09:29:34 am »
Get a good cut from a trusted butcher- that has made the biggest difference for me. Put on a traditional BBQ dry rub with a paprika base and your favorite spices.  I use onion powder, garlic powder, ground dry mustard, a couple tablespoons of brown sugar, a little cayenne and a small amount salt/pepper to taste.  Apply rub the night before, wrap and leave in fridge.  Smoke unwrapped for about 1.5-2 hours then wrap with foil for last 2 hours or so.  I do an 8 lb butt for 4-5 hours.  Five if I can keep the temp under control, less time if it gets too hot. 
Brian
mobrewer

Offline Furbinator409

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 6
Re: Boston Butt Recipe?
« Reply #4 on: July 31, 2013, 09:41:36 am »
You've already got the meat.

You want to keep maintenance to a minimum.

If your using a dutch oven, I'm assuming it's cast-iron.

My plan for good butt (insert childish snickering here) has always been KISS: Keep It Simple, Stupid.

I would dry rub the whole roast and let sit overnight - if not, it's not the worst thing ever since you're braising it. 
Rub:
1/4 cup paprika
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp black pepper
1 Tbsp celery seed
2 tsp cayenne

Those are all suggestions, and can be tailored to your liking.  It's a pretty basic BBQ rub base that can be added to for whatever you're doing. 

For the cooking:

I would get the dutchie real good and hot - so you can sear the  roast on both top and bottom.
Use whatever oil you have lying around to coat the pan (bacon grease preferrably) and then sear both sides.
Once you have nice crust on both sides, add 1 Tbsp of applejuice and place the covered dutchie in the oven at 250.  I would check it after 2 hours for temp, but it should take a nice looooooooong time to slow roast.


Offline rainmaker

  • Cellarman
  • **
  • Posts: 91
Re: Boston Butt Recipe?
« Reply #5 on: July 31, 2013, 02:57:07 pm »
For the record, I don't think butts needed brined.  Plenty of fat to keep it moist. Also, 190 internal temp is key for the fall apart goodness.  That's when the cartilage and whatever other fancy things in there that I forget break down to really make it fall apart.

Offline a10t2

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 4696
  • Ask me why I don't like Chico!
    • SeanTerrill.com
Re: Boston Butt Recipe?
« Reply #6 on: July 31, 2013, 03:03:14 pm »
Ever done tacos al pastor? Basically just a chunky rub/marinade of pineapple, chiles, and mole spices. Slice the butt into 1" sections from the fatty side, going most of the way through. Rub the whole thing down, tie with kitchen twine, let rest 3-4 hours, then slow roast until done. It should pretty much fall apart. Serve with tortillas, pineapple, green chiles, avocado - the usual.
Sent from my Microsoft Bob

Beer is like porn. You can buy it, but it's more fun to make your own.
Refractometer Calculator | Batch Sparging Calculator | Two Mile Brewing Co.

Offline guido

  • Brewer
  • ****
  • Posts: 343
Re: Boston Butt Recipe?
« Reply #7 on: July 31, 2013, 03:12:39 pm »
For the record, I don't think butts needed brined.  Plenty of fat to keep it moist. Also, 190 internal temp is key for the fall apart goodness.  That's when the cartilage and whatever other fancy things in there that I forget break down to really make it fall apart.

Agreed, lots of fat for moisture, so no need to brine.  Although I still squirt mine down with some New England cider and cover it with foil (I use indirect heat on a propane grill) once the temp hits around 170F and continue barbequing until the 190'sF.  Yum!
Well...I woke up this morning and I got myself a beer

     -"Roadhouse Blues,"  Jim Morrison

Offline HoosierBrew

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 13031
  • Indianapolis,IN
Re: Boston Butt Recipe?
« Reply #8 on: July 31, 2013, 04:01:49 pm »
On the rare occasion I don't put a pork butt in my smoker with hickory and apple wood, I make it like Sean and Jeremy described - tacos al pastor style , and Korean style respectively.  Both are intensely flavorful and make killer tacos. Hard to go wrong either way.
Jon H.

Offline majorvices

  • Global Moderator
  • I must live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 11320
  • Polka. If its too loud you're too young.
Re: Boston Butt Recipe?
« Reply #9 on: August 01, 2013, 07:21:11 pm »
I like to brine the meat in apple juice and salt water overnight and rub with brown sugar, sage, salt and chili or cayenne. Smoke until internal temps are 160 over hickory and apple wood w apple juice in water pan. Usually takes 10 hours or more. You can cheat and smoke it for at least 4 or 6 hours and put it in oven at 170-200. Until meat can be pulled. And that's the key. You have to cook the meat till it is tender enough to be pulled in strips.

If cooking in oven put in shallow pan and pour in some coke and wrap meat and pan with aluminum foil. Man that makes it tender!

Offline euge

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8017
  • Ego ceruisam ad bibere cervisiam
Re: Boston Butt Recipe?
« Reply #10 on: August 01, 2013, 07:39:17 pm »
Paul, cut it in half. Make sausage with the boneless part. Failing that you could tie and smoke, slow roast or braise it after an injection and light rub.

The bone-in half should be either brined or rubbed with 2% salt and 2% sugar by weight and wrapped tightly in a freezer bag to cure and flipped once a day for at least a week. Rinse and then hot smoke until internal is 150F. Quench ham/bacon ;) in pot of cold water. Wrapped well will last quite some time in the fridge.

The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool. -Richard P. Feynman

Laws are spider-webs, which catch the little flies, but cannot hold the big ones. -Anacharsis

Offline majorvices

  • Global Moderator
  • I must live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 11320
  • Polka. If its too loud you're too young.
Re: Boston Butt Recipe?
« Reply #11 on: August 02, 2013, 08:47:02 am »
Yeah, you can make great bratwurst with boston butt. You will need some fat back and sausage casings. I have a recipe somwhere. See if I can find it.

Offline thebigbaker

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 721
  • Denver, CO
Re: Boston Butt Recipe?
« Reply #12 on: August 02, 2013, 08:53:02 am »
If cooking in oven put in shallow pan and pour in some coke and wrap meat and pan with aluminum foil. Man that makes it tender!

That's a Southern man right there!  My mom, who lives in B'ham, uses Coke as an ingredient for just about any braised meat or crock pot dish.  Personally, I don't think I've made pot roast w/out coke and onion soup mix! 
Jeremy Baker

"An escalator can never break: it can only become stairs. You should never see an Escalator Temporarily Out Of Order sign, just Escalator Temporarily Stairs. Sorry for the convenience." - Mitch Hedberg

Offline majorvices

  • Global Moderator
  • I must live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 11320
  • Polka. If its too loud you're too young.
Re: Boston Butt Recipe?
« Reply #13 on: August 02, 2013, 08:56:50 am »
If cooking in oven put in shallow pan and pour in some coke and wrap meat and pan with aluminum foil. Man that makes it tender!

That's a Southern man right there!  My mom, who lives in B'ham, uses Coke as an ingredient for just about any braised meat or crock pot dish.  Personally, I don't think I've made pot roast w/out coke and onion soup mix!

Well now I'm going to have to make a pot roast with coke!

Nother idea for boston butt - carnitas. You can make 'em in oven or crock pot.

Offline Joe Sr.

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 4467
  • Chicago - NORTH SIDE
Re: Boston Butt Recipe?
« Reply #14 on: August 02, 2013, 10:43:31 am »
I like to brine the meat in apple juice and salt water overnight and rub with brown sugar, sage, salt and chili or cayenne. Smoke until internal temps are 160 over hickory and apple wood w apple juice in water pan. Usually takes 10 hours or more. You can cheat and smoke it for at least 4 or 6 hours and put it in oven at 170-200. Until meat can be pulled. And that's the key. You have to cook the meat till it is tender enough to be pulled in strips.

I've been doing the Texas Crutch to reduce smoking times to about 6 hours.  Smoke it for 3, wrap it in foil and add some liquid (Coke, if you like) and smoke it for a couple more.  Un-wrap it and finish.

Without doing this, I need 10 - 12 hours to get it so the meat will pull.

As for Coke, I've always used ginger ale instead.
It's all in the reflexes. - Jack Burton