The only thing more immoral than dry a smoked pork shoulder is a dry smoked pork butt.
Believe it or not, resting pork shoulder is one of the most crucial steps of the smoking process.
Failing to let pork butt rest is one of the primary reasons it becomes dry.
This is why you need to know how long to let pork butt rest.
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Why Should I Let Pork Butt Rest?
Letting your pork butt rest will give the pork’s juices time to reabsorb into the met.
If you slice the pork as soon as it comes off your offset smoker, the juices will spill out onto your butcher block instead of remaining in the meat.
Why Is My Pork Butt Dry?
Besides not allowing it to rest, there are multiple reasons why pork butt can be dry.
For example, high temperatures or failing to wrap the meat could result in dry pork.
High Temperatures
Smoking pork butt in your electric smoker at blazing hot temperatures is a recipe for disaster.
Cooking the pork at high temperatures will drawall of the meat’s moisture to the surface of the meat resulting in dry pork.
You should set your propane gas smoker to a temperature between 220°F- 250°F.
If you cook your pork butt at 300°F, you run the risk of drying out your meat.
Not Wrapping the Meat
It is crucial to wrap your pork with heavy-duty aluminum foil during the second leg of the smoking process.
Wrapping the pork butt helps it retain moisture by creating a steaming chamber and braising it.
Water Pan
Water pans are an excellent way to add moisture to your offset smoker.
The water will help you control the smoker’s ambient temperature as well as prevent it from becoming too hot.
Although this method is a great way to infuse moisture into the meat, there is one drawback.
The water pan could also make it difficult for your smoker to maintain a stable temperature.
If you are having difficulty maintaining a temperature, it is best to remove the water pan.
How To Rest Pork Butt
Remove it from your smoker once your pork butt reaches an internal temperature of 195°F to 200°F, remove it from your smoker.
Measure the pork’s temperature with a separate smoker thermometer or an infrared thermometer.
Open the foil and let the pork butt sit for 5 minutes so the steam can escape. This is called venting the pork butt.
Venting the pork shoulder limit the amount of carryover cooking that occurs.
When you remove the pork butt from the smoker, it will continue to cook. That is why it is called carryover cooking.
Since the pork will continue cooking, it is best to remove it once it has a temperature of 195°F. This will account for carryover cooking.
Leave the pork butt in the foil, so it does not create too much of a mess.
Next, wrap your pork butt with a clean kitchen towel and place it into a dry cooler.
Alternatively, you can also let the pork butt rest on your countertop for an hour.
However, it’s best to place the pork butt into a dry cooler.
Not only is placing the pork in a dry cooler the best way to rest pork, but it will also give you flexibility.
The cooler will keep the pork butt hot for 4 hours, and the juices will have the chance to reabsorb into the meat.
This means that you can cook the pork shoulder in advance and keep it warm until your guests arrive.
Once your guests arrive and you are ready to serve the pork butt, slice it and shred it. The pork butt will still be warm and juicy.
Cut or shred as much pork butt as you need.
Do not slice or shed the entire pork butt. If you slice the entire pork butt, it will dry out.
How Long To Let Pork Butt Rest
You cannot let pork butt rest forever, or it will go cold, and no one likes cold pork butt.
It is best to let the pork rest for 1 hour before you intend to carve it or shred it.
Yes, I know allowing pork butt to rest for an hour can seem like forever, but you must let it rest.
It’s best to consider resting time when you intend to smoke butt.
Typically, pork butt will take 2 hours per pound when it is smoked at 220°F.
Therefore you should factor in another 1-2 hours for resting the pork butt.
If you are preparing the pork butt in advance, factor in 4 hours of resting time.
For example, if you are smoking an 8-pound pork butt, it will take 16 hours to cook.
The resting time will take about 18 hours from start to finish to smoke your pork butt.
If you want to decrease the smoking time of pork butt by a few hours, you can smoke the meat at 250°F.
The pork butt will take less time to cook, and the meat will be tender and juicy.
What Is the Maximum Amount of Time I Can Rest My Pork Butt
The pork butt’s size, the type of insulation the cooler has, and how much tin foil you use can affect the resting time.
Ideally, you should keep your pork butt in the dry cooler for 4 hours.
However, you can get away with 5 hours, depending on the aforementioned factors.
Final Thoughts
Resting your pork shoulder is an essential step. If you cut into the pork butt the right way, you will end up with a dry pork butt.
No one likes dry pork, so save yourself the trouble and rest your pork butt.
Now that you know how long to rest pork butt, no longer will you be subjected to dry or cold pork.
Remember to vent your pork before placing it in the dry cooler, or it will continue to cook and dry out.
You might also be interested in the following:
- How Long To Let Meat Rest
- How Long To Let Steak Rest Before Cooking
- How Long To Let Steak Rest After Cooking
- How Long To Let Turkey Rest
- How Long To Let Ribs Rest
- How Long To Let Chicken Rest
- How Long To Let Brisket Rest
- How Long To Let Pork Shoulder Rest
I have been smoking and grilling meat from an early age and enjoy sharing my knowledge and expertise through the hundreds of articles I have written about BBQ. I hope to make everyone’s BBQ journey that little bit easier.