Boston butt, also known as pork shoulder, is a delicious and versatile cut of meat that is perfect for slow cooking, smoking, or roasting.
But cooking a Boston butt to the perfect temperature can be a bit tricky, especially for those who are new to cooking. Many people wonder what temperature Boston butt is done and how to tell when it’s ready to serve.
Below, we’ll explore the ideal temperature range for cooking Boston butt, the best ways to check for doneness, and some tips and tricks for getting a perfectly cooked and juicy piece of meat every time.
So, whether you’re planning to cook Boston butt for a family dinner or a backyard barbecue, read on to learn everything you need to know about achieving the perfect temperature for this delicious cut of meat.
At What Temp Is Boston Butt Done?
When it comes to the best temperature for Boston butt smoking, there are typically two schools of thought.
Consistent Heating
The official one hails from the USDA, which states that for optimal food preparation safety, you should better have your pork cooked until the interior temperature of Boston butt reaches 145°F.
Well, we won’t anyway call this an ideal number for whichever collagen-rich meat that requires significantly higher temperatures to be tender.
That said, though quite surprisingly far away, the safe temperature for pork butt to be cooked through and excellent is between 195 and 205°F.
What is more, in addition to keeping the heat low, you must as well maintain them steady in order to impart moisture to the Boston butt and create a great soft consistency at it.
Slow Heating
What about the rest of the opinions? You may ask.
The other will be the common view held by those who follow the gradual but steady school. In which, they suppose that the slower the heat used, the better the meat is.
Speaking of such an assumption, you should keep the internal temperature of a Boston butt consistent at 107°C, also known as 225°F, during the smoking (cooking) procedure.
Surefire, every approach has flaws, and there is also no exception with such an approach.
We sought to be honest that maintaining an internal temperature of a pork shoulder like that will take a pretty long time to go well, which can be up to 18 hours for any home cook to generate a full meat supper.
What Is A Pork Shoulder?
You probably already know that the main integral of pulled pork is pork shoulder. But did you acknowledge that there are even two servings called so?
Well, it may appear like quite an unexpected surprise at first. Yet, once you dig in, such a grasp will dead-sure help a lot in your ingredient-preparing process!
Here is how the party begins. We often hear the name “butt” end, but have you ever wondered why people call it like that? Of course, it’s not the actual “butt” of the pig, as you might think!
Sounds simple, but really the reason is just that it is the part of the buttock of the shoulder.
What about the other of the two? The “Shank” end won’t be a familiar name that frequently makes a scene. However, it is also not going to be any stranger to the cuisine you enjoy every day.
The explanation of the part’s name is also extremely half-witted. The reason is that it has a tubular bone inside, and it’s all of the untold stories!
Plus, there’s still another extra part if you want to count in the math, which is the back “shoulder” of the pig. This is a part that is often referred to as a hump or a ham as you like.
What Cut To Use For Pulled Pork?
Now, back to the topic of pulled pork, we are all familiar with how to serve this delectable meal using the pig shoulder, which is most sought-after with the butt since it contains less bone and juicy connective tissue between the fibers.
By all means, there is undoubtedly nothing wrong in case you prefer the shank section.
Nonetheless, if we were you, we’d keep this succulent flesh for some stomach-warming soups, that is not yet to mention the savoring flavor boost from these large bones contained in it.
How To Smoke A Pork Butt
Step 1: Preparation
Needless to say, the first step to successfully making delectable Boston Butt is to prepare the spot-on ingredients for it. Here are what you need to have a simple yet flavorful meat feast:
- 8 to 10 pounds boneless pork shoulder (so-called Boston butt)
- A few teaspoons of golden cabbage (2 to 3)
- A tablespoon and 1/4 cup Signature Sweet Dates, split into uses
Voilà, that’s all to make your earliest walk done right. Nevertheless, before getting hands in, don’t forget your reminder to treat this simple smoked pork shoulder as your usual traditional BBQ.
You don’t mishear it! The truth is there are no complicated techniques to rock the top-notch pulled pork in the world!
Step 2: Reheating
Now comes the second step of preheating. It’s important for your favorite smoker to stay stable at 225 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the recommended temperature to smoke a Boston butt.
As you may not have noticed, the wood-choosing process in this step is just as decisive as keeping the fire. That way, hickory, apple, or even both are all of enough quality to give the pork a distinctive smoky flavor without having the cook choking on them.
Step 3: Brushing Mustard
Following-up is to spread the mustard on the meat. Some nitrile gloves will be in demand on the track for you to hygienically coat your pig’s shoulders.
Step 4: Seasoning
What’s next? Of course, seasoning the meat with sauce will be an indispensable move to make. We’ll need a little bit of your creativity on this one. Perhaps a little lemon extract substitute will be of great help somewhat!
Conventional barbecue is fine, but there’s also nothing wrong if you’re free to season it to your own, family’s, or friend’s unique taste.
Step 5: Smoking
Almost to the end is the pork smoking!
All you need to do is place it directly on the grill, cover the meat and smoke it for about 15 to 20 hours, or whenever you find the internal temperature reaches 195 or 201°F, also known as the smoked Boston butt done temperature.
What if your grill is suddenly out of sight? How pitiful is it! Lucky for you, here is the way to solve such a problem!
Once the meats are ready, you may wish to shred them into small pieces and serve those friends whole or with some bread and salad dressing. Bam! That’s how your steak completely nails such a mouthwatering and family-common recipe!
Safety Tips
Every dish will have little tips to avoid you going wrong in preparing it, and so does smoked Boston butt!
Aside from taking note of the temperature to cook Boston butt, there are also a few additional things you should do for the purpose of generating extra assurance for your toothsome meal.
First and foremost, it will be ideal for keeping the meat in the fridge for the appropriate period of time and temperature.
The optimal milestone for you to enjoy a decently safe supper will be under four days at 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
Then, when it comes to preparing the butt, having clean equipment is critical to avoid any kind of infection. Raw meat should also be somewhere away from other components.
Guess what? Believe it or not, even after being washed, hardwood and silicone cutting boards can store germs. That’s why a glass cutting board will be the primest choice in doing such tasks.
In A Nutshell
No matter how large your meatloaf is, the answer to the question at what temp is the Boston Butt done will be no other number but a minimum of 195°F of Boston butt internal temperature when done.
Hopefully, our article will be helpful to you somewhat. Good luck with your hearty feast!
