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They say that scent is the most powerful trigger for memory, and for me, the smell of hickory smoke is a direct line back to my childhood.
Growing up in Northern Virginia, the long drives down to see my grandparents in Norfolk were always marked by one essential tradition: a stop at Pierce’s Pit BBQ in Williamsburg. My dad would pull the car off the road, and the moment those doors opened, the air was thick with the aroma of slow-smoked pork and vinegar-based sauce. Whether we were headed down or coming back home, that stop was non-negotiable. Those sandwiches weren’t just a meal; they were the highlight of the trip and the spark that eventually drove me toward a career in BBQ.
Whenever I find myself missing those days or wanting to recreate that specific magic, I head out to the backyard and fire up the Big Green Egg. There is something soul-warming about pulling apart a perfectly smoked Boston Butt, piling it high on a bun with cool coleslaw, and washing it down with a cold Dr. Pepper, just like I did with my dad all those years ago.
Today, I’m sharing that tradition with you. So, sit back, grab yourself an ice-cold Dr. Pepper, and enjoy this guide on How to Smoke a Boston Butt on the Big Green Egg.
Table of Contents
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Prepping the Boston BUtt
Starting with an 8 to 10 pound Boston butt, score the fat cap in a cross-hatch pattern so you can really work that rub down into the meat. I like to cut about a half-inch deep, creating little diamonds across the surface; this not only helps the seasoning penetrate deeper, but it also gives the fat more surface area to render and crisp up. As it cooks, those scores will open up, allowing the smoke to get into those crevices and creating even more of those highly coveted “burnt ends” that everyone fights over when it’s time to pull the pork.
Using a Binder
When it comes to getting that rub to stay put, I’m a big believer in using a binder. My go-to is almost always yellow mustard. Don’t worry, you won’t actually taste it once the cook is over, but it does a killer job of acting as a “glue” to hold that heavy layer of seasoning in place while the bark forms.
If you aren’t a fan of mustard, you can easily swap it out for a light coating of olive oil or even hot sauce if you want to add a tiny bit of background heat. The goal here isn’t to change the flavor profile; it’s simply to give that salt and pepper a tacky surface to grab onto so it doesn’t fall off when you’re moving the meat onto the Egg.
Seasoning the Boston Butt
I’m using Dizzy Pig Dizzy Dust for this cook it’s a classic for a reason and plays perfectly with the natural sweetness of the pork. When you’re applying the rub, don’t just sprinkle it on; you want to be generous. Coat every square inch of that Boston butt, making sure to work the seasoning deep into those cross-hatch scores you made in the fat cap and into every little fold of the meat.
Once it’s fully coated, give it a firm pat to make sure the rub is locked in. Let the seasoned Boston butt sit out at room temperature while your Big Green Egg is preheating. This does two things: it lets the meat “sweat” slightly, which helps the rub dissolve into a nice paste, and it takes the chill off the pork so it cooks more evenly once it hits the grates. By the time your Egg is at 250°F, that butt will be tacky, seasoned, and ready to take on some serious smoke.
Setting up your Big Green Egg
For a perfect pulled pork session, you want to get your Big Green Egg dialed in at a steady 250°F. To get that classic, deep BBQ profile, I like to mix 3–4 chunks of hickory in with the lump charcoal as it’s got that bold, hearty flavor that pairs perfectly with pork.
Once your Egg is holding steady at temp and that heavy white smoke has transitioned into a clean, light grey “blue smoke,” it’s go-time. Place your Boston butt on the grate fat side down to protect the meat from the heat source below. Now, the hardest part: leave it alone! Let it sit in that smoke bath for a full 3 hours before you even think about lifting the lid to check on its progress.
Spritzing your Boston Butt
After those first few hours, it’s time to start building layers of flavor with a spritz. I like to use a 50/50 mix of apple juice and apple cider vinegar, kicked up with a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce and your favorite hot sauce. The juice adds a touch of sweetness and helps with that mahogany color, while the vinegar and Worcestershire bring a tangy, savory balance that cuts right through the fat.
Keep a close eye on the meat and give it a good misting every 45 to 60 minutes. You aren’t trying to soak it; you just want to hydrate any areas that are looking a little dry or “ashy.” This keeps the surface cool and tacky, allowing the smoke to continue to stick and preventing the bark from getting too hard or bitter. Plus, that hint of hot sauce adds just enough back-end character to make the flavor really pop once you pull it all apart.
Pull & Wrap the Boston Butt
When you hit 165°F internal and that bark is looking dark, rugged, and perfectly set, it’s time to pull the Boston butt off the Big Green Egg and get it wrapped. At this stage, the meat has taken on all the smoke it needs, and wrapping it helps you power through the stall while keeping all those delicious juices trapped inside.
NOTE: This typically takes 5-6 hours total cooking time to get to this point of the cook but varies cook to cook given the multiple variables involved.
I usually go with a heavy-duty aluminum foil for pork butts as it creates a tight seal that braises the meat in its own rendered fat, making it fall-apart tender. Lay out a double layer of foil, give the meat one last healthy spritz, and wrap it up tight like a burrito. Place it back on the Egg, fat-side down again, and let it ride until it reaches that magic internal temp of 203°F. You’re looking for that “probe-tender” feel, where your thermometer slides in and out like it’s hitting a stick of room-temperature butter.
NOTE: This can be another 3 to 5 hours of cooking time.
Pull and rest the Boston Butt
Once your Boston butt hits that 203°F mark and feels like butter, pull it off the Big Green Egg but don’t go shredding it just yet! First, crack the foil open for about 15 minutes to let the initial blast of steam and carry-over heat escape. This “breathing room” prevents the meat from overcooking and keeps your bark from turning into mush.
After that quick vent, wrap it back up tight and place it into a dry cooler (no ice!) for at least an hour or two. This rest is non-negotiable; it allows the muscle fibers to relax and soak up all those rendered juices and melted collagen. When you finally pull it out of the cooler, the bone should slide out clean with absolutely zero effort. Shred the meat by hand or with claws, tossing it in its own juices as you go. You’ll be left with piles of tender, succulent pork that was well worth the wait.
Time to enjoy the best pulled pork sandwich ever!
How to smoke a Boston Butt on the Big Green Egg
Ingredients
- 8 to 10 pound Boston Butt
- 2 Tbsp yellow mustard
- 2/3 cup BBQ rub
- For the spritz:
- 1 cup apple juice
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- Several dashes of hot sauce
- Several dashes of Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Take your Boston Butt out an hour before cooking it
- Fill your Big Green Egg with lump charcoal placing 3-4 hickory wood chunks in the charcoal
- Light your Big Green Egg lump charcoal and set temp to 250°
- Cross hatch the fat cap on the Boston Butt
- Apply mustard slather and then rub
- Once the Big Green Egg is stable at 250° and the smoke is clean, put your pork in
- Leave untouched for 3 hours
- Mix the mop ingredients together (Apple juice, Apple Cider Vinegar, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce)
- After 3 hours start spraying/mopping the sauce on the Boston Butt every hour until you hit an internal temperature of 165°F. (NOTE: This can take an additional 5 hours. What you are looking for is the bark to be set i.e. the seasoning doesn't run off when spritzing.)
- When the bark is set and the internal temperature is at least 165°F, take your Boston Butt off and wrap in foil with a little mop applied to the Butt.
- Put back on the Big Green Egg, bump temperature to 275° and let it cook another 2 hours or until the internal temperature is greater than 200°F. (NOTE: in this final stage, cook the wrapped butt until the temperature probe slides in and out of the butt with little to no resistance. Imagine if you were poking a ziploc bag filled with softened butter… that is the "feel" you are looking for).
- When the meat is probe tender and measures 200-204°F, take the Boston Butt off the Big Green Egg.
- Make a crack in the foil to let steam escape and Boston Butt to stop carryover cooking
- Wrap the foil tight, place Boston Butts in cooler with a towel and let rest for an hour or two before pulling meat and serving
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’ve used a number of your recipes and all have turned out fantastic.
Question – should your temperatures in these recipes be based on green egg thermometer or one placed on grate such as a Thermoworks?
Depends on the recipe. If it’s a low and slow recipe like this then I’m referencing the grate temp using an EGG Genius or FlameBoss.
Literally the temp of the metal? I have a Fireboard. I’m amazed at the different air temps in different spots within the Egg even on a slow cook. The BGE thermometer itself seems to register low (and I have had two of them).
For a beginner, how much chunk charcoal
3-4 chunks nestled in to your lump
Question on cook time. Is the following correct
Cook 3 hours untouched
Hours 4-5 spritz/mop every hour
At hour 5, wrap in foil and cook at 275 for 2 hours
At hour, release steam and let set for 1-2 hours with a meat temp of 204
Correct on last line, should read at hour 6, let sit…..
All correct
Correct!
I used a different spice rub, but this was the first time I had ever wrapped a pork shoulder in foil. I’ve cooked about a dozen pork butts/shoulders over the years and I was looking for a recipe to refresh my memory on the temperature to cook it to. This is the most tender pork shoulder I’ve ever done on the Green Egg. I can guarantee that I will be wrapping them in foil for the last few hours from now on. Thank you
So glad you found this post!
Turn out good , but could have been perfct!
I wish the recipe would have specify the indirect cooking method. I assumed it was direct heat, and I’ll figure out it was indirect cooking after it was done while reading the reviews.
Good catch! I’ll update the post to be more clear about setup and cooking instructions!
I have used many different recipes for butts, but this is the best method if you have an Egg. Turns out perfect every time! Only tweak I do is I use 1/2 teaspoon of salt per pound of pork and dry brine overnight on a wire rack in the fridge. Also want to say that your recipe for no-wrap baby backs is the best as well! If y’all haven’t tried his method, do it, you will love the results.
This is my go to recipe for pork Butt! I’ve made 4 already an the people Love it!
Just need to adjust Cook time on the site. Untouched for 3 hours, mopping for 5, then foul for two. Says 8 hours cook time at top of page. With the proper cool down as you recommend, You should plan to give yourself a good 12 hours + before you can serve this goodness.
Good catch! I’ll fix ASAP 🔥
Hi and thanks for the great recipe however, I am a bit confused. There is a post above that is as follows: Question on cook time. Is the following correct
Cook 3 hours untouched
Hours 4-5 spritz/mop every hour
At hour 5, wrap in foil and cook at 275 for 2 hours
At hour, release steam and let set for 1-2 hours with a meat temp of 204
I take this to be 3 hrs untouch, and 2 hours of mopping.
Yet this post says untouched 3 hours and 5 hours of mopping.
Which is the way the recipe should read?
Thanks again.
Always leave untouched in the smoke for the first 3 hours before starting to mop/spritz. After that it’s a combination of watching for bark formation and internal temperature. Typically I wrap when I see the bark is fixed and doesn’t run off when I’m mopping/spritzing and the internal temperature is 165°F or higher. Hope this helps!
Yes. Thank you. I have learned it is way better to read the entire post and not just follow the recipe. I now see in the entire post detail that this is a combination of things (time, temp etc.). Not a hard and fast set rule. Thank you.
I can also update the recipe. Good catch!
I want to have this Boston Butt after a Wedding. I need to cook it two days before serving. How do I store it to keep it tender and juice?
Vacuum seal the meat after pulling it, refrigerate, and warm to 145° in a sous vide bath.
How best to reheat if I don’t own a Sous vide?
Was planning on placing shredded pork into a Dutch oven with some bbq sauce, butter, apple cider vinegar, and chicken stock concoction, to reheat.
Sounds like a good plan!
Great Repice
Thank you 🙏