Best way to smoke a Boston Butt?(updated with pics Pg.2)

searing is the LAST thing you want to do.

if you want to get a nice amount of smoke soaking into that butt, take it out a couple hours before you throw it on the smoker so its at room temp, then put it on a smoker at 215-220 (lower the better) so the smoke will have plenty of time to sink into the meat before the bark starts to form. all meats only absorb smoke the first couple of hours they're on the smoker so you want to make sure the temp is low enough that plenty sinks in.

oh and its pretty hard to mess up a butt. they have so much fat in them that unless you crank your smoker up to 300 and dry it out, they're basically impossible to screw up.

i smoke mine for 12+ hours

Yeah gonna pull it. And hoping to get that bark flavor to it.

So sear at end? Or don't worry about it?

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My friend told me 12 hours

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a generall rule of thumb is 2 hours per pound at 225-250 but, as someone else said, internal temperature is key.

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direct heat to sear the outside

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no reason to do this...at all.

here is a link to a great resource: perfect pulled pork. you will find a ton of information, and you don't necessarily need to do everything he talks about, but you will find everything you need to pull this off properly. for beginners, a boston butt is one of the more forgiving pieces of meat to smoke.

Don't worry about searing it. That wont' contribute to the bark as much as you would think.

I'll tell you an easy way to do it and I know others don't feel this way but I'm lazy. (of course now that I've written this post I see the previous poster is suggesting the same thing.) I smoke mine at about 225 for four or five hours, usually with apple or pecan wood. From what I've read, after that length of time you have gotten about all the smoke flavor you will get. So I get me a big aluminum roasting pan, put the butt in there and park it in a 225 degree oven until the internal hits 205. Take it out (reserve those juices) wrap it in foil, then wrap that with some towels and place in a cooler. Let it sit for 2-3 hours and then pull. I have always had success with that method.

As others have said, don't worry over time, go for temperature. Every butt I've cooked ever has been different so time is in no way reliable.

You should really invest in a probe thermometer that you can leave in the meat the whole time and just monitor the temperature.

I go with indirect heat at 225-240 for about 18-21 hours (usually about 8.5 lbs). I want an internal temp of 205. Then I let rest for a couple more hours wrapped in a towel and placed in a cooler.

DO NOT SEAR. If you want a good bark on your butt then put it on indirect heat at 220 +/- 5 degrees until the internal temp is at 195. After its been smoking for 4 hours spray apple juice on the outside with a spray bottle every hour.

Thanks! I was just wondering, do you marinate it or just throw a rub on it?

hickory and pecan wood

some people like fruit woods with their BB, but i havent tried it yet. sure it is good, though

low and slow

spray with apple juice every hour

-rub it down with your favorite pork rub
-put on smoker (2hrs per lb)
-remove from smoker and wrap in foil
-let it sit in an ice chest (minus the ice) for 1 hour

*do not sear any meat that has a rub on it...you will simply char the shite out of it as the rub contains lots of sugar

the meat being wrapped in foil, and placed in the ice chest is just to let the meat rest, and let the juice re distribute through the meat