BBQ Pork Butt-Johnson's Boucaniere (2 days in advance)

By stancec44

Need instant read thermometer, plus 2 cups oak chunks (can substitute for other hardwoods, such as cherry, apple or pecan). Soak the chunks.

Ingredients

• Rub:
• 1 c. loosely packed brown sugar
• 2-1/2 Tb. sweet paprika
• 2 Tb. kosher salt
• Tb. each of the following:
• Fresh ground black pepper
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• Chili Powder
• Granulated garlic powder
• Onion Powder
• Powdered Mustard
• Meat:
• 1 bone-in pork butt (also know as Boston Butt), about 6 lbs.

Preparation

Step 1

For the Rub:
Stir together all the ingredients. Yield is 1 1/2 cups, and you will need about 1/3 c. for this recipe. Rest can be stored in an airtight container

For the Meat:
Rinse the butt thoroughly and firm away any bone chips or cartilage. Pat dry and season liberally with the dry rub. On a rack set on a baking pan, store the pork in the fridge, uncovered, for 24 hours.

Prepare the grill for indirect heat. If using a gas grill, turn the heat to high. Drain the chips and put them in a smoker box or aluminum foil packet poked with a few fork holes; set it between the grate and the briquettes, close to the flame. When you see smoke, reduce heat to med (375-400). Turn off the burners on one side.

Let the pork come to room temperature (about 30 minutes.

Place the meat on the indirect side of the of grills, and close the lid. Maintain a temp of between 250-275 degrees and cook for 5 hours, or until a meat thermometer in the thickest portion of the meat reads 200.

The bone should pull cleanly from the butt. If it doesn't, remove the pork from the grill and place it in a 9x11 aluminum pan. Add 1 1/2 cups water to pan (but do NOT pour over the pork). Cover with foil and return to the grill and cook for another hour or two, adding wood chunks as needed, or until the bone pulls out cleanly. Don't let the internal temp of the meat exceed 203 degrees.

Let rest 15 minutes. Pull by hand and serve in a sandwich or by itself.