Smoked Pork Butt

Ingredients

  • 1 cup vegetable oil

  • 2 qt. pineapple juice

  • 1/4 cup kosher salt

  • 1/8 cup paprika

  • 1/8 cup Worcestershire sauce

  • 1/8 cup white pepper

  • 3 oz chicken base or 1 qt. Reduced chicken stock to a 3rd chilled before adding

Marinade

  • 2 cups cider vinegar

Rub

  • 1/2 cup kosher salt

  • 1/3 cup coarse black pepper

  • 1/4 cup paprika

  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder

  • 1 tablespoon onion powder

  • 1 tablespoon chili powder

  • 1 tablespoon celery salt

  • 1 tablespoon hickory salt, optional, 3 tablespoons of coffee grounds

  • 1 tablespoon marjoram

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 1 teaspoon ground sage

  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

  • 3/4 cup sugar

Glue

  • 1 tablespoon honey

  • 1 pork butt (approximately 5 pounds)

  • Apple and hickory wood chips, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes, for smoking

  • Charcoal, and hickory wood chunks for smoker, add about 1/2 gallon of apple juice in a stainless steel pan in the opposite side of the charcoal and wood

  • 2 tablespoons yellow mustard

Directions

  • Place all ingredients in a non-reactive bowl and whisk together.

  • Rub: Place all ingredients in a container with a lid and shake well.

  • Glue: Whisk ingredients together and place in a squeeze bottle.

  • Pork: Reserve 1 cup of marinade and set aside. (The reserved marinade will be used to base the pork during the cooking process.) Inject a little marinade into the pork butt in numerous places. Place pork in a container and cover with remaining marinade. Marinate in the refrigerator for 6 to 8 hours.

  • Remove the pork from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels.

  • Cover pork with a light coat of the "glue" mixture to help the rub stick. Sprinkle generously with rub, making sure to work it into the meat.

  • Prepare a smoker to 225 to 250 degrees F and add hickory wood chunks to the lit charcoal.

  • Place pork on the smoker. Be careful not to over-smoke. After 2 hours, baste pork with reserved marinade and return it to the smoker for 1 hour. Baste again and return to smoker for 1 more hour. Repeat 1 more time, with the basting and smoking for 1 more hour. Remove pork from the smoker, wrap in aluminum foil and return to smoker until the pork has an internal temperature of 200 degrees F. (Alternatively, you can finish cooking the pork in a low oven preheated to 250 degrees F). When the pork has reached 200 degrees F, remove it from the heat and let stand for approximately 15 to 20 minutes before slicing, a day before prep on this pork works the best.