5-Hour Pork Butt
5-Hour Pork Butt
Malcom Reed
There’s just something about pork cooking directly over hot coals. All that fat and meat juice drips down onto the fire, comes back up as smoke, and gives the pork a flavor you just can’t get cooking low and slow.
That’s why this is one of my favorite ways to cook a pork butt. And the best part is, it only takes about 5 hours.
Ingredients
- 1 whole pork butt
- Killer Hogs AP Seasoning
- Killer Hogs The BBQ Rub
- Killer Hogs The BBQ Sauce
Directions
Prepare a smoker for cooking at 300°F. For this method, you need a cooker that allows the pork to sit 22–24 inches directly above the hot coals, with no heat deflector between the meat and the fire. That distance is important. It allows the pork to cook over the coals without being too close to the fire, while the drippings can still fall onto the coals and create that signature flavor. A drum smoker is ideal for this setup.
Score the fat cap in a grid pattern, cutting through the fat but not deep into the meat. This helps the fat render and allows more seasoning and smoke to penetrate. It also creates those little barked-up pieces of fat cap that make some of the best bites at the end.
Season the pork butt all over with a base layer of Killer Hogs AP Seasoning, then apply a heavy coat of Killer Hogs The BBQ Rub. Work the seasoning into the scored fat cap and make sure the pork is coated well on all sides.
Place the pork butt on the cooking grate fat side up, directly over the hot coals.
Cook at 300°F for 3 hours. As the pork cooks, the fat and meat juices drip onto the hot coals, creating smoke that comes right back up around the meat and builds that distinct charcoal-smoked flavor.
After 3 hours, remove the pork butt from the pit and place it on a large sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Pour Killer Hogs The BBQ Sauce over the pork, then wrap it tightly.
Insert a meat probe through the foil into the pork butt and return it to the smoker.
Continue cooking at 300°F for about 2 more hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 202°F and the pork is tender.
Don’t skip the rest. After cooking this pork hot and fast, it needs time to rest before you pull it. Place the wrapped pork butt in a dry cooler for at least 1 hour. This gives the juices time to redistribute so they stay in the meat instead of running out when you pull it.
Unwrap the pork butt and pull the meat, mixing in the bark and those pieces of rendered fat cap. Serve with Killer Hogs The BBQ Sauce.
