The Boston butt is the foundation of American barbecue — the upper pork shoulder whose marbling turns eight hours of smoke into pulled pork worth a Saturday. Ours run about eight pounds at $3.49/lb, cut fresh from Upper-Midwest pork. One butt is a party: figure a sandwich-and-a-half worth of finished pork per pound, and plan on leftovers being the best part of your week.
How To Cook It
Smoke at 225–250°F to 195–205°F internal, until the bone wiggles free — then rest, then pull.
Typical timing: Roughly 1.5 hours per pound at 250°F — plan a full day | Slow cooker: 8–10 hours on low
- 01Rub it the night before — salt, brown sugar, paprika, whatever your house blend is.
- 02Smoke fat-side up at 225–250°F. Hickory and apple is the classic Midwest pairing.
- 03Wrap in foil or butcher paper when the bark is set and the stall hits (usually 160–170°F).
- 04Take it to 195–205°F — done is when the probe slides in like warm butter and the blade bone pulls clean.
- 05Rest at least 45 minutes in a cooler before pulling. Save the juices; mix them back in.
- 06No smoker? Slow cooker on low 8–10 hours makes phenomenal indoor pulled pork.
Best for: Graduation parties, game day, meal-prep weeks, your first-ever smoker project (it’s the most forgiving big cut in barbecue).
What’s In It
Short list. Real ingredients.
Ingredients
- · 100% pork shoulder (Boston butt) — nothing added
Sourcing: Upper-Midwest pork, cut fresh at our Bemidji counter.
Shoulder marbling keeps it moist through a long cook without injections or added solutions — real pork, rendered honestly.
Why Butcher Shop Matters
Grocery butts are often pumped with solution (check the fine print for “up to 12% added”), which is water weight you pay pork prices for. Ours is just pork — heavier where it counts, on the plate.
Pairs With
Goes well with these.
FAQ
Quick answers.
How big is it and how is it priced?
A whole Boston butt averages about 8 lb at $3.49/lb — one flat price of $27.99. Smoked and pulled, that’s sandwiches for a dozen people.
What’s the stall and how do I beat it?
Somewhere around 160–170°F the internal temp flatlines for hours as moisture evaporates. Wrap in foil or butcher paper and push through — every pitmaster has stood in your slippers at 11pm wondering if the thermometer broke.
Boston butt vs picnic shoulder?
The butt is the upper shoulder — more marbled, easier to pull, the standard for pulled pork. The picnic is lower, leaner, and better suited to roasting.