The Fourth Smoking On The Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker Smoker - Pulled Pork

My fourth smoke with the 18.5 inch Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker was a 5.5 hour cook of a 5.75 lb pork butt.  I've always wondered why this cut of meat was called a butt because it actually is the upper shoulder portion of the pig, not an actual butt.  Whatever... it's what many of us use to make "pulled pork".

I had watched a lot of YouTube videos describing how to smoke a pork butt and it seemed the key was to smoke it at 250 to 275 degrees at one to one and a half hours per pound.  Internal temperature should reach at least 195 degrees to 210 degrees.

I used Hickory wood for the smoking and the usual Kingsford Original (blue bag) charcoal for the fuel.  The seasoning was another rub that I purchased at Costco... Pork Barrel BBQ's All American Seasoning and Rub.  It was less colorful as the Costco rub I had been using for the past three cooks, but it seemed to taste essentially the same to me.  I used yellow mustard as a binder to help the rub stick.  It has been said that you won't taste the mustard after the cooking is done.  So far, I think that's a true statement.

I was able to maintain the temperature of the smoker at 250 to 275 degrees throughout the 5.5 hours.  I suppose I am getting better at regulating the bottom vent's air flow with practice!  It was less windy today however.

I basted the pork butt with apple juice at the first and second hour but by 2.5 hours, I decided it was time to wrap the meat with aluminum foil.  I added additional apple juice to let the meat stay moist in the foil.  I kept monitoring the temperature for the next 3 hours.  I also put some Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce in a cast iron skillet and heated it up in the smoker for about 1/2 hour.

After the smoking was done, I took the butt out of the smoker and placed it on a cutting board and let the butt sit for at least one half hour to let the juices get back into the meat before attempting to pull the meat apart.  The bone from the butt came out easily without any meat on it... a true sign that the butt was done.  The butt came apart really easy.

I guess I'm getting better at smoking!  In a few days, I'm going to attempt three different styles of ribs on the smoker!