How to Smoke a Pork Butt

Perfectly juicy smoked pulled pork piled high on a soft roll and smothered in a spicy and sweet sauce is the sandwich of legends. Just about anywhere in America you can find a high-quality pitmaster smoking seasoned pork butts low and slow until the roast easily shreds into lusciously moist pieces of meat. Sure, you can make it in a slow cooker, but to replicate those barbecue experts, you should learn how to smoke a pork butt at home.

The key to properly smoked pork is cooking the meat over a low temperature long enough that the connective tissue and fat melt into the meat. Smoking a full pork butt can take half a day, so it’s best to clear your schedule, grab a frosty drink and pace yourself. Here’s what you need to know to smoke a pork butt at home.

What is pork butt?

Buying a pork butt in the grocery store can be a bit confusing because of the different names given this and similar cuts. Pork butt, which is also known as Boston butt, comes from the shoulder, one of several large primal cuts of a hog. The shoulder has two sub-primal cuts: picnic shoulder and pork butt. 

Your butcher may label pork butt simply as pork shoulder. You can tell it’s actually a pork butt if it’s large (typically about eight pounds), with a uniform rectangular shape and without skin. Pork shoulder (sold as picnic shoulder or picnic roast) has a tapered shape and typically has the skin still intact. Both could be sold boneless, but we recommend buying bone-in for a more flavorful smoked butt. Note that bone-in pork butts will take longer to cook than boneless butts. 

When it comes to smoking pork for pulled pork, we recommend pork butts. They are best for long and slow smoking because of the large amount of marbling and connective tissues they have compared to shoulder, which is better for roasting when you want crispy rendered skin.

How to prepare a pork butt for smoking

Start by trimming off any large, thick chunks of fat, but be sure to leave some of the fat cap on the meat. If there are any exposed blood vessels, cut these away, as well. Once trimmed, liberally season the meat with your spice rub of choice. 

“Pork butts by themselves need some seasoning,” said Ryan Brooks, third generation owner of Brooks’ House of BBQ in Oneonta, New York. “Make sure you are coating that butt top to bottom.”

You can start cooking right away, but we prefer to let the seasoned pork butt rest in the refrigerator for several hours. Either way, leave it out at room temperature for about 30 minutes while the smoker preheats.

Prepare your smoker or grill

You don’t need an expensive commercial smoker to get great results at home. You can use electric smokers, gas smokers, charcoal smokers, or a pellet grill. You can even use a charcoal grill and set up a two-zone cooking method, for which the coals are on one side of the grill only. 

Many chefs and pitmasters prefer using a good quality lump charcoal for the heat source but you can also use a gas grill. Just be sure to use a similar two-zone cooking method by only lighting half the burners and place the butt over the unlit side of the grill. Be sure to use a smoker box to add some smoke flavor to the pork. Some serious home smokers recommend adding a tray of water to their smoker or grill to encourage a moist cooking environment.

The type of wood you use to smoke is really a personal preference. Historically, pitmasters often used whatever hardwood or fruit wood grew near them, but you should be able to find anything from hickory, pecan, apple and cherry woods — all are great choices for a flavorful smoked pork butt.

What temperature to smoke a pork butt

Heat your smoker to between 225°F to 250°F and place the pork butt on the smoker, fat-cap side up. Now let the smoker do the hard work. Cooking a pork butt on a smoker happens in two stages. The first stage is when the pork’s internal temperature increases to about 150°F or 160°F, which can take about 6 hours, depending on the size of the butt. It’s in the first part that the pork absorbs the classic smoky flavor. 

After a few hours cooking in the first phase, you can spritz the pork with some apple cider or vinegar. “Don’t open the smoker a million times, but after a few hours, you want to spray (the pork) to keep them moist and help create a crust,” Brooks says.

Once the pork reaches about 160°F, two things happen. The pork roast will generally no longer absorb smoke flavor and the internal temperature may actually stop increasing. This is known as the “stall,” and occurs when the moisture in the pork starts to rise to the surface and slowly evaporate. It can take hours from this point for the internal temperature of the pork to continue rising. In addition to checking the internal temperature with a good quality instant-read thermometer, you can also tell if the pork is finished with the first stage if the fat cap starts to crack or split.

Once the pork stalls, it’s a good idea to wrap the butt in butcher paper or aluminum foil. This creates a moist cooking environment and traps some of the steam, allowing the pork to gently reach the target final internal temperature. Spray the pork with more vinegar or cider before wrapping it to enhance the flavor and add some moisture.

Then, continue cooking the pork until the internal temperature reaches about 200°F. You could increase the temperature of the smoker up to 300°F if you are in a hurry, but remember, low and slow is best.

How to know when a pork butt is done

“One key thing is the lower the temperature you cook, the lower the meat needs to finish,” explains Heath Riles, world championship pitmaster and owner of Heath Riles BBQ. If you are cooking at 225°F, the meat will  be done when it reaches 195°F. At 275°F, it may not be tender until 207°F or 208°F, Riles explains. “In theory, the higher the (cook) temperature, the higher the final (meat) temperature. You are putting the meat under so much stress under high heat, so you need to let it relax and break down.” 

Riles adds that if you are smoking an eight-pound pork butt at 250°F, it’ll likely take seven to eight hours, or more, until it’s perfectly tender and juicy. If you are cooking a bone-in butt, you’ll know the pork is done cooking when the bone is loose. Cook it until it is fork-tender, meaning a fork inserted into the center should be met with little resistance. A five-pound pork butt will likely take about six hours at 225°F or 250°F.

Remove the smoked pork butt from the heat and let it rest for a minimum of 30 minutes or one to 1 1/2 hours, if possible, Riles recommends. “You are really allowing those muscles to relax and it will shred and pull so much easier.” Remove the bone, if using a bone-in pork butt, then shred the meat for juicy and incredibly flavorful pulled pork.