Smoked Pork Butt Fat Side Down
This recipe produces incredibly tender, shreddable pulled pork with a deep, crispy bark by smoking the pork butt fat side down to protect it from the heat and maximize flavor.
Equipment
- Smoker Pellet grill, offset, or kamado style
- Boning Knife For trimming the fat cap
- Instant-read thermometer Essential for monitoring internal temperature
- Foil or Butcher Paper For wrapping the pork butt during the stall
Ingredients
The Pork
- 1 bone-in pork butt (Boston butt) 8-10 lbs
The Rub & Binder
- 2 tbsp yellow mustard as a binder (optional)
- 1/2 cup BBQ pork rub your favorite store-bought or homemade blend
Instructions
- Start with a cold pork butt. Using a sharp boning knife, trim the fat cap down to an even quarter-inch thickness. Optionally, score the fat in a shallow diamond pattern to help it render.
- Apply a thin layer of yellow mustard over the entire surface of the pork butt to act as a binder for the rub. Season generously on all sides with your BBQ pork rub.
- Preheat your smoker to 225-250°F. Place the pork butt directly on the smoker grate with the fat side down.
- Smoke for 4-6 hours, or until a dark, mahogany bark has formed and the internal temperature reaches 160-170°F. This is the unwrapped phase where bark development is critical.
- Once the bark is set, wrap the pork butt tightly in two layers of heavy-duty foil or butcher paper. If using the hybrid method, you can flip it fat side up at this stage.
- Return the wrapped pork butt to the smoker and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 203-205°F and a probe slides in with no resistance. This can take another 3-6 hours.
- Remove the pork butt from the smoker and let it rest, still wrapped, in a dry cooler or on a countertop for at least 1 hour. Do not skip this step, as it allows the juices to redistribute.
- After resting, unwrap the pork butt, remove the bone (it should slide out cleanly), and shred the meat using forks or meat claws. Serve immediately.
Notes
Pitmaster Tip: Save the fat trimmings. They can be rendered into lard for cooking or added to your sausage-making fat ratio. Nothing from a pork butt should go to waste.