Rubbing Your Butt for Better Results

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Hey there fine people! I’m happy to kick off this week with another informative and fun filled episode from the Colonel Tom Walker BBQ Files! As many of you know, Tom is starting to become somewhat of a regular guest post author here on the BBQ Smoker Site. He started cooking BBQ from ground zero and is slowly improving on the results he gets from his trusty Weber Kettle.

In this episode, Col’ Tom gets his Butt Rub on and faces off with an Alien Probe! (I can feel my own but clinching at the mere utterance of the words Alien Probe!)

Enjoy!

Rubbing Your Butt for Better Results

BBQ Journal, Col’s Log Date 06/16/2012, Today we’re doing a 7.5 Lb Pork Boston Butt.

Weber 22” Lit off at 12:00 EST. (Switching to civilian time per orders from Wife in Chief.)

Having realized that I don’t know enough yet to start designing my own blend of secret herbs and spices I thought I had better just buy some ready made dry rub. Wal-Mart Grocery Market had just the thing; “Grill Mates” rubs for beef, pork, chicken and lamb.

(Mmmmmmmm! Lamby-Q!)

I got my coals started and returned to the galley ~ahem~ excuse me; the kitchen ~ to wash off and dry the meat and to rub the sucker down like a prize fighter in training.

Interesting! My hands are warming up. The skin of my hands is very warm but the arthritis feels much better. There’s Cayenne in this rub. Honestly, I’m enjoying it.

Having found a steak thermometer (dial type) to use for estimating the heat inside the trusty ol’ Weber, I pre-heated the kettle to about 300 degrees. I have to estimate because the numbers only go up to 170 and the needle is double that.

I know that this dial type can be way off but I’m not relying on it that much anyway because

I’m using my “Alien Probe” thermometer. I stuck it in the thickest part of the Butt without touching the bone. Don’t make me explain the Alien Probe part.

I decided to stick with a 50/50 BBQ sauce/apple vinegar ratio for my swabbing sauce.

Note: I said Apple Vinegar. Not Apple Hi-C like last time. Ok, ok. Honestly, I used straight apple juice last time. I felt just like a dolt when I re-read the instructions.

But apple vinegar is what’s needed to break down the tough fibers of the Pork Butt.

I’m swabbing every time I open the lid to add more briquettes. Estimated time for that is about 2 hours. Meat hit the heat at 1:45 civilian time.

At 3:15 the smoke has stopped so I figured it was time for more briquettes. Added a hand full and a couple more hickory chunks and swabbed down the meat with the swabbin’ sauce.

It’s starting to actually look like something.

Cover and check.
Alien Probe says butt is 100* inside and climbing. It was only 55* F when meat met heat.

4:00 and I’m adding more coals again:
I don’t know what the temp is under the lid but I’ve got BARK! Hoo Yah!
(Go Colonel, it’s your birthday, Go Colonel, it’s your birthday.)
IBT, Internal Butt temp = 135*

Swabbing at 5:00, Internal is reading 147* and grill temp is obscured by smoke.
I feel like everything is going right for a change. I didn’t add more briquettes this time; it looks like enough because the coals are pushing up against the grill. Can that be normal?
Am I making a fatal mistake?

I did my last swab at about 6:00 and the internal temp was at 160* F. I want to get it to 170*.
I’ve added some more briquettes and taken out the top water pan so that more heat circulated around to the meat. Now at 7:45 the internal temp is 168*. I feel like I’m climbing Mount Neverest.

My Alien Probe remote thermometer beeped at 7:54. The Butt’s core temp is 170* F. and I’ve wrapped it in foil to set for 20 minutes. Earlier I wrapped up a couple of potatoes to cook over the hot side for a couple hours ago and I’m leaving them out there while the Butt “naturalizes”. Is that even the right word, I’m so excited.

In just a few minutes I’ll be pulling the pork with my Wife-In-Chief. I’ll mix some of the drippings and some of the swabbing sauce with the pulled pork and serve it on garlic bread.

If it’s anything like it smells then consider me signed off till next time.