Should I cover my Boston butt?

[Merinda]

I am slow roasting a boston butt today. Is it better to cover it or open roast and what is the ideal roasting temp? I've heard anywhere from 225 to 300.

TIA!

 

[Jeff G.]

I find I like open roasting. Get it started at 425 for 30 minutes, then back down to 275 and let it roast. Check with a meat thermometer after a couple of hours.

Season the outside well before starting.

 

[Merinda]

Sounds good, thanks!

 

[Jeff G.]

let us know how it goes..

 

[GB]

Should I cover my Boston butt?

Isn't it indecent exposure if you don't?

 

[texasgirl]

I was about to ask what your Boston butt did!! LOL

 

[Andy M.]

Isn't it indecent exposure if you don't?

It could be quite decent exposure.

 

[Merinda]

(I started to title the thread: Should I cover my butt? Was unsure of the strictness here.)

It turned out great! I had put a rub of sea salt, paprika, dry mustard, garlic powder and brown sugar the night before. Cooked for 6 hours at 275 (internal temp was just above 190 when I took it out). It pulled perfectly, had a nice crunch on the outside and was quite yummy on buns topped with coleslaw.

Thanks for your help!

 

[Andy M.]

(I started to title the thread: Should I cover my butt? Was unsure of the strictness here.)

It turned out great! I had put a rub of sea salt, paprika, dry mustard, garlic powder and brown sugar the night before. Cooked for 6 hours at 275 (internal temp was just above 190 when I took it out). It pulled perfectly, had a nice crunch on the outside and was quite yummy on buns topped with coleslaw.

Thanks for your help!

Sounds delicious. Leaving the butt uncovered gives you that nice crust or 'bark'. I usually make two butts at a time and freeze the extras in sandwich-sized portions for future use.

 

[quicksilver]

Oh, that sounds so good, Merinda. Glad it worked out.
I waswatching the thread because I didn't know the answer. I only knew the guys did it on the smoker/grill...
no "hands on" the butt myself. (HA HA)


(oh, and thanks for the giggle)

 

[DramaQueen]

I've been making boston butt for years and I love the stuff but I was under the impression, actually I learned this several years ago, that boston butt is a very tough cut of meat and therefore should be braised with liquid. I cook mine covered, in a Dutch oven with about 1 1/2 cups of liquid for 45 minutes per pound and it is soooo tender and delicious. I have also done a butt on the Weber grill over charcoal and if you cook it very slowly over low heat and keep basting it you will wind up with a fantastic piece of pork. Then you can "pull" it for sandwiches.

This cut has a lot of colagen so it needs very long, slow cooking in liquid. FYI, this is the most flavorful cut of meat on the entire pig. I'll buy that!

 

[Andy M.]

DQ your ways work as well. They key to cooking tough pieces pof meat is not the liquid, it's the 'low and slow'. The long exposure to heat raises the internal temperature of the meat to over 190 F causing the collagen and connective tissue to break down. You can do that wet or dry. For pulled pork, the custom is to cook it dry so a nice thick crust forms.

 

[Jeff G.]

DQ your ways work as well. They key to cooking tough pieces pof meat is not the liquid, it's the 'low and slow'. The long exposure to heat raises the internal temperature of the meat to over 190 F causing the collagen and connective tissue to break down. You can do that wet or dry. For pulled pork, the custom is to cook it dry so a nice thick crust forms.

Ah... for pulled pork, it depends on how you are going to serve it.
If I am serving it as just pulled pork, yes low, slow and dry.

If I am making my BBQ pulled pork, I need the broth to flavor it.
It's a wonderful BBQ, served with Turmeric slaw on top..

 

[blissful]

I just wanted to say 'it's not the foil that makes your boston butt look fat, it's your butt that makes it look fat'. (all seriousness aside!)

 

[kitchenelf]

I just wanted to say 'it's not the foil that makes your boston butt look fat, it's your butt that makes it look fat'. (all seriousness aside!)

touché

Jeff, around here pulled pork IS barbecue/BBQ/barbeque

 

[blissful]

touché

Um, My reputation has 18243 points now. I don't know if that is good or bad but it's funny to me.
~blissful
Can we see other people's reputation points too?

 

[Maverick2272]

I just saw this thread but all the good butt jokes have been taken! Bummer...

 

[GB]

I just saw this thread but all the good butt jokes have been taken! Bummer...

Good one

 

[DramaQueen]

Um, My reputation has 18243 points now. I don't know if that is good or bad but it's funny to me.
~blissful
Can we see other people's reputation points too?

Just looked at mine and it's 56864. Not sure if that's good and what the heck does it even mean???

 

[blissful]

Just looked at mine and it's 56864. Not sure if that's good and what the heck does it even mean???

18243 is the zip code of Pardeesville, PA