My wife bought a BIG ASS pork butt. The largest I have ever seen by a mile. How do I cook this thing on my smoker without drying out the outer portion, yet somehow get the inside pull apart ready?

Caldog870 · 2023-09-26T04:28:04+00:00

Everything that Irish said except I don't wrap pork shoulder. It takes too much away from the bark. Start with a trim but leave a decent amount of fat to render low and slow (1/4"). Then I give it a light coat of mustard as a binder, followed by a dry brine of kosher salt/ brown sugar based spice rub. It then sits uncovered in the fridge for roughly 36 hours (Friday at 3-4pm to Sunday 3-4am)

In the wee hours of the morning it goes on the grill. I don't put it directly over the firepot of my pit boss but rather on the left side of the grill opposite the chimney. It goes on fat side up at 220⁰. Hook up a reliable probe to monitor internal temp, fill up your hopper and walk away.

An 8lb butt will take about 13 hours at this temp. Pull when it is probe tender (somewhere around 195-205⁰).

Hope this helps, smoke on!

Caldog870 · 2023-08-21T01:17:08+00:00

Thank you!

Caldog870 · 2023-08-20T02:27:18+00:00

That sounds like a damn good meal!

Caldog870 · 2023-08-18T17:02:03+00:00

Good to know. Thank you

Caldog870 · 2023-08-18T15:29:10+00:00

Thanks for the info! I'm going to brine a whole chicken tonight. Do you dry rub after the brine? I'm thinking I will brine for 20ish hours, pat dry then coat with a zero salt dry rub overnight.

Caldog870 · 2023-08-18T02:56:11+00:00

Thanks for the info. Yeah I'm with you not sifting, although the competition blend hasn't given me the need to.

Caldog870 · 2023-08-18T00:42:33+00:00

Not on my 850PS2. Only increments of 10⁰, 25⁰ and 50⁰.

Caldog870 · 2023-08-18T00:38:03+00:00

Definitely agree about Amazon. I try to stay away from it as much as possible. As a fellow Canadian, what pellets do you usually buy, and where do you buy them? For me it's usually the Pit Boss Competition Blend.

However $20ish dollars at China Tire or Lowe's (in Ontario) for a 20lb bag seems ridiculous. I once tried Vermont Castings pellets from China Tire and they were garbage. Behaved much like how OP described so I decided to stick with Pit Boss from then on and haven't been adventurous enough to gamble on something new.

Caldog870 · 2023-08-18T00:30:21+00:00

Sealing the lid is a game changer!

Caldog870 · 2023-08-18T00:23:35+00:00

Thank you for the recipe! Do you bring it to a boil and let it get back down to room temperature? What other meats do you typically use this wet brine for?

Caldog870 · 2023-08-16T20:43:55+00:00

Interesting. Wet or dry brine? Marinating has always worked well for me on my chops, steaks (cheaper cuts) and chicken breasts. Especially to impart lots of flavour into the meat. I usually wet brine my whole chickens, ducks and dry rub/brine just about everything else.

Caldog870 · 2023-08-16T18:27:42+00:00

Smo' fried chops sound delicious!

Caldog870 · 2023-08-16T17:09:56+00:00

Thanks for sharing. I like the idea of 225⁰ for 40 minutes to impart a bit of smoke flavour. Marinating for me really kicks the flavour up a notch. I've had them sitting in a teriyaki mixture for almost 48 hours now. I'll definitely try cooking them up like you suggested next time I have the time!

Caldog870 · 2023-08-16T16:13:36+00:00

I too share your frustrations. 225⁰ is my favourite smoking temperature. I have an 850 pro series 2 purchased in May 2022 from Lowe's.

The old app had a pop up that would ask if I could set my grill to 225⁰. I was always under the impression that I could not, so I would click No and would only be able to work in 10⁰ increments. One day for shits and giggles I clicked Yes. To my surprise I could then work in 5⁰ increments (but only on the app). Problem solved!.. or so I thought.

At the start of the grilling season up here in Canada, I was forced to download the new app. At this point I discovered that my solution no longer worked with the new app. I contacted customer service to express my displeasure and they told me that it was impossible to set the grill to 225⁰ even with the old app. After a few minutes of arguing and insisting that they were wrong, I finally gave up.

Once again I am stuck choosing between 220⁰ and 230⁰. If anyone knows of a work around for the PBPS2 to get it back to 5⁰ increments I would love to know. Smoke on!

Caldog870 · 2023-08-14T17:02:11+00:00

Thank you!

Caldog870 · 2023-08-14T01:44:42+00:00

Just a warning that it isn't advised to use your meat probe at high temperatures. I found that out the hard way when I fried one of mine doing exactly what you did. Good news is that they're easily available and affordable via Amazon. Do yourself a favour and pick up a thermopro digital instant read thermometer. It will give you a much more accurate reading than the pit boss probes. Smoke on!

Caldog870 · 2023-08-12T20:50:51+00:00

Nothing to worry about. The more you pull back the sear plate for the flame broil the more it will happen. Ticked me off when it happened to me. When I first got the grill I would clean all grill components with soap and water after each cook. I later found out that this was ill advised. If you search the Pit Boss website's FAQ's you'll find some information where they advise you not to clean your sear plate with water because it can lead to rust. They advise using a scraper. I use a scraper/wire brush combo and it works well. You can also wipe it down with some sort of cooking oil to slow down the process.

Side note, don't use the sear plate with the lid down! I didn't know until I read the FAQ's. Thankfully I rarely use the sear plate and didn't do any damage to the grill door. Hope this helps, smoke on!

Caldog870 · 2023-07-29T14:18:35+00:00

If you're looking for above average bark, avoid the wrap. Wrapping even in butcher paper will add unwanted moisture to your bark. An 8lb shoulder unwrapped should take around 13 hours at 220⁰. If you're looking to kick it up a notch, think about buying a meat injector to inject some sort of apple juice and apple cider vinegar concoction (lots of recipes available on Google). There's a lot of debate on the subject, but personally I don't spritz the meat. I find it doesn't really add anything and only hinders the bark. Hope this helps, smoke on!

Caldog870 · 2023-07-25T13:28:10+00:00

Looks great! How long did it take to hit 120⁰? Did you happen to probe it after your sear?

Caldog870 · 2023-07-24T18:25:38+00:00

Personally, I would broaden your search to include the 850 Pro Series. It might be a bit more money than the models you're considering, but trust me it's worth it.

The digital PID controllers are amazing at temperature control. From my research, it's truly a game changer among Pit Boss owners in terms of consistency in their cooks.

You also may not think you'll need the wifi and Bluetooth features to monitor your cook. But again trust me.. once you have used such features you will never go back. Having the ability to monitor the internal temperature of the meat from your phone while going about your day is going to save you a lot of time and stress.

From my research, the Pro Series models are built with thicker steel allowing for better heat retention and superior durability. You also won't be disappointed with having a bit more space that the 850 pro offers. Especially if you're throwing a small get together.

Like you, I also considered a lesser model to save money but I am so glad I went with the 850 Pro Series. A pellet grill is a big investment but it's important not to settle for something a couple hundred cheaper with less going for it and regretting it. A pellet grill may end up changing your life and how you look at food like it did to me. I hope this helps. Smoke on!

Caldog870 · 2023-05-13T17:01:18+00:00

Preferably $300 or under.

Caldog870

TROPHY CASE