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When it’s summertime, there’s only one way celebrate. And that means a yard full of family and friends, with a fired-up smoker filled with barbecue. Woodchips, spices, and smoke magically transform a Boston butt into a pitmaster’s dream. Even though families grow and change throughout the years, the celebration and the barbecue always remains the same.
Spiced and Smoked Boston Butt Recipe
Makes: 8 to 10 servings
- 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 3 Tbsp. paprika
- 1 Tbsp. salt
- 1 Tbsp. celery seeds, crushed
- 2 tsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. ground red pepper
- 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 3⁄4 tsp. ground allspice
- 1 (5-lb.) bone-in pork shoulder roast (Boston butt)
- 10 cups hickory chips
- 1 disposable, aluminum-foil roasting pan
- Vinegar Sauce (see below)
Directions:
- Combine first 9 ingredients in a small bowl. Place pork in a large bowl. Generously coat all sides with 3⁄4 cup spice rub. Reserve remaining rub for another use.
- Cover pork with plastic wrap; chill 8 to 24 hours. Soak wood chips in water to cover 30 minutes to 2 hours.
- Place aluminum-foil pan half-full of water on 1 side of a ceramic smoker (such as a Big Green Egg), under the grate, to collect drippings and keep them from burning. Light hardwood charcoal on the other side of the smoker, and bring internal temperature to 300°. Maintain temperature for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Drain wood chips, and place 2 cups directly on coals. Place pork, fat side up, on the cooking grate over the water pan; cover with smoker lid.
- Smoke pork, maintaining smoker temperature at 300°, for 6 hours and 30 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 190° and the meat falls off the bone. Check smoker every 30 minutes, adding wood chips (1 cup at a time) as needed to maintain smoke, and adjusting vents and adding charcoal (5 to 6 pieces at a time) as needed to maintain 300° heat. Keep the lid closed as much as possible. You will want to cover the meat with foil when the crust is browned to your liking.
- Let stand 30 minutes before chopping or pulling. Serve with Vinegar Sauce.
Vinegar Sauce:
Makes: 3 cups
- 1 1⁄2 cups cider vinegar
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1⁄3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 3⁄4 tsp. dried crushed red pepper
- 1⁄4 tsp. salt
- 1⁄8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
- Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until brown sugar dissolves. (Do not boil.)
- Store in refrigerator up to 3 months.
For more information about Rebecca Lang, visit www.rebeccalangcooks.com
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Reprinted with permission from Southern Living Around the Southern Table by Rebecca Lang, copyright © 2012. Published by Oxmoor House.
Photo credit: Jennifer Davick
