Smoked Pork Butt
Contributed by: NAPSA
Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em
(NAPSA) - If you want to really wow your friends with your grill expertise...start smoking.
While quick-cooking foods such as chicken breasts, hot dogs, hamburgers and even fish fillets are perfectly suitable for a weekday meal, there's still nothing like the flavor of foods that are cooked slowly over low heat, surrounded by a cloud of flavorful smoke. Even inexpensive, tougher cuts of meat will turn into mouthwatering, fork-tender fare worthy of serving to guests.
The average smoked meal takes anywhere from five to eight hours to prepare. And though it's long on cooking time, it's very short on effort. Regardless of your skill level, there's now a variety of grills that make it fun and easy to turn out meats that are fallin'-off-the-bone tender, juicy and flavorful.
For those who prefer the more traditional, hands-on smoking experience, most any charcoal grill with a lid can be used. There are many new Kingsford charcoal grills on the market, and some of them work especially well. Options range from the tried-and-true barrel-style grill with an offset firebox to an oversize 26-inch kettle grill. There are also premium console grills with a black finish or in stainless steel for those who prefer cooking with charcoal but want the more stylish design of a stainless steel gas grill.
For those who long for melt-in-your-mouth morsels but want a more hands-off approach, the Masterbuilt Electric Smokehouse is an excellent option. Designed for outdoor use, the refrigerator-style box smoker features a push-button digital control panel that allows users to set the thermostat at a precise temperature, ranging from 100 to 275 F. A side-loading wood chip tray makes it a cinch to replenish wood when needed. A 24-hour digital timer has an automatic shutoff feature-and when the time has elapsed, the Smokehouse will keep food warm until it is removed.
This recipe is dynamite for making mile-high pulled-pork sandwiches.
Ingredients:
- 1 fresh pork butt (7 pounds)
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp. chili powder
Directions:
Mix dry ingredients together, rub onto pork butt (can be done up to 24 hours in advance) and refrigerate until ready to cook. Prepare fire. Cook pork butt for 6 hours at 200 F. Remove from smoker, wrap butt in foil and cook for another 2 hours or until internal temperature reaches 160 F.
Tip: Use apple wood chips for smoking or apple juice in the drip pan.
For additional information, visit www.masterbuilt.com.
