How To Cook A Pork Butt On A Traeger Grill? A Full Guide

Are you looking to impress your friends and family with a delicious and succulent pork butt?

Look no further than your Traeger grill!

With a few simple steps and some patience, you can create a mouth-watering masterpiece that will have everyone coming back for seconds (and maybe even thirds).

Whether you’re a seasoned pitmaster or a beginner, this guide will walk you through the process of cooking a pork butt on your Traeger grill.

So grab your apron and let’s get started!

How To Cook A Pork Butt On A Traeger Grill?

Step 1: Prepping the Pork

Before you start cooking, it’s important to prep your pork butt. Remove it from the packaging and pat it dry with a paper towel. Then, trim any excess fat and coat the pork with yellow mustard.

Next, mix together your dry seasonings (salt, pepper, dehydrated honey, smoked paprika, and garlic powder) and rub the seasoning all over the pork, making sure to cover every side.

Step 2: Preparing Your Traeger Grill

While you’re prepping your pork, preheat your Traeger grill to 225°F and let it preheat for 15 minutes with the lid closed.

If you’re using a pellet grill, make sure the hopper is full of pellets and everything is ready to go before placing the shoulder on the grill.

Step 3: Smoking the Pork Butt

Once your grill is preheated, place the pork butt directly on the grill grates with the fat side up. Insert a meat thermometer to monitor internal temperature as it cooks.

Smoke the pork butt until the internal temperature reaches 160°F, which should take about 3-5 hours depending on the size of your pork butt.

Step 4: Wrapping the Pork Butt

Once your pork butt has reached an internal temperature of 160°F, remove it from the grill. On a large baking sheet, stack 4 large pieces of aluminum foil on top of each other, ensuring they are wide enough to wrap the pork butt entirely on all sides.

Place the pork butt in the center of the foil and pour apple cider on top of it. Wrap the foil tightly around the pork, ensuring that no cider escapes.

Step 5: Finishing Up

Place the foil-wrapped pork butt back on the grill fat side up and cook until the internal temperature reaches 204°F in the thickest part of the meat, which should take about 3-4 hours longer depending on the size of your pork butt.

Once your pork butt has reached an internal temperature of 204°F, remove it from the grill and allow it to rest for at least 45 minutes in its foil packet.

Remove the pork from the foil and shred it apart with either two large forks or cooking claws. Add any separated liquid back into pork and season to taste with additional seasoning or BBQ sauce.

Choosing The Right Cut Of Pork Butt

When it comes to cooking a pork butt on a Traeger grill, choosing the right cut of meat is crucial for achieving a delicious and tender final product. The pork butt, also known as the Boston Butt, is the upper part of the shoulder and is the most commonly used cut for making pulled pork.

When selecting a pork butt, look for meat that is bright red-pink in color with a coarse grain. It should have a firm, smooth, and bright white fat cap on the exterior. The ideal pork butt will have a good balance between muscle fibers and fat throughout the meat, also known as “marbling”. You want to choose a pork butt that has a good amount of fat marbling in the muscle area farthest from the bone, known as “the money muscle”, but avoid cuts with excessive amounts of fat that will need to be trimmed off.

If the pork butt comes sealed in Cryovac wrapping, make sure it is nice and tight on the meat. Loose packaging or air pockets indicate that the meat has been sitting for a while and may not have as good a flavor.

It’s also important to consider the size of the pork butt when selecting one for your Traeger grill. For a contest or special occasion, you may want to look for whole shoulders weighing around 16-17 lbs. However, for everyday cooking, an 8lb range pork butt is ideal. Avoid larger cuts of meat as they may not cook evenly and could result in tough or dry meat.

Lastly, pay attention to the muscle on the front of the pork butt, also known as “the money muscle”. This is where prime judging meat is found and should feel fairly firm with a decent amount of fat marbling throughout. With these tips in mind, you’ll be able to choose the perfect pork butt for your Traeger grill and create mouth-watering pulled pork every time.

Preparing The Pork Butt For The Traeger Grill

To prepare your pork butt for the Traeger grill, start by removing it from the packaging and patting it dry with a paper towel. Trim any excess fat and coat the pork with yellow mustard to help the seasoning stick to the meat.

Next, mix together your dry seasonings (salt, pepper, dehydrated honey, smoked paprika, and garlic powder) in a bowl. Rub the seasoning all over the pork, making sure to cover every side.

While you’re prepping your pork, preheat your Traeger grill to 225°F and let it preheat for 15 minutes with the lid closed. If you’re using a pellet grill, make sure the hopper is full of pellets and everything is ready to go before placing the shoulder on the grill.

Once your grill is preheated, place the pork butt directly on the grill grates with the fat side up. Insert a meat thermometer to monitor internal temperature as it cooks. Smoke the pork butt until the internal temperature reaches 160°F, which should take about 3-5 hours depending on the size of your pork butt.

Once your pork butt has reached an internal temperature of 160°F, remove it from the grill. On a large baking sheet, stack 4 large pieces of aluminum foil on top of each other, ensuring they are wide enough to wrap the pork butt entirely on all sides.

Place the pork butt in the center of the foil and pour apple cider on top of it. Wrap the foil tightly around the pork, ensuring that no cider escapes. Place the foil-wrapped pork butt back on the grill fat side up and cook until the internal temperature reaches 204°F in the thickest part of the meat, which should take about 3-4 hours longer depending on the size of your pork butt.

Once your pork butt has reached an internal temperature of 204°F, remove it from the grill and allow it to rest for at least 45 minutes in its foil packet. Remove the pork from the foil and shred it apart with either two large forks or cooking claws. Add any separated liquid back into pork and season to taste with additional seasoning or BBQ sauce.

Setting Up Your Traeger Grill For Smoking

Before you start smoking your pork butt on a Traeger grill, it’s important to properly set up the grill. The first time you use your Traeger grill, you must go through the seasoning and burn-in phase. This ensures that any oil is burnt off and your auger is primed and ready. Traeger has a helpful video that runs through the entire process.

To start, ensure the grill grates and heat shield are removed so you can see the pellets enter the burn pot. Pour some pellets into the hopper, but you don’t need to fill it up at this stage. Plug in your grill and turn it on by pressing the temperature control dial.

Select “Auger” from the menu and then choose “Prime Auger”. Once you see pellets start to fall into the fire pot, select “Done” to turn off the Auger.

Turn the temperature dial to 350°F and press the dial in to set the temperature. Don’t worry if your grill smokes a lot coming up to temperature – this is normal. Once your grill reaches 350°F, leave it for 20 minutes before increasing the temperature up to 450°F and leaving for an additional 30 minutes.

Shut down the grill by pressing and holding the temperature dial for 3 seconds. Once the shutdown cycle finishes, your grill has been seasoned and is ready for use. If you plan on cooking straight away, you don’t need to go through the shutdown cycle. Just add your food after the 30-minute period ends.

A good starting temperature for smoking is anywhere from 175 degrees to 225 degrees Fahrenheit. Larger, thicker pieces of meat will do better starting at higher temperatures, but don’t let the grill go over 275°F or you’ll be barbecuing in no time.

By following these steps, you’ll be able to properly set up your Traeger grill for smoking and achieve delicious results when cooking a pork butt or any other meat on your Traeger grill.

Smoking The Pork Butt On The Traeger Grill

Smoking a pork butt on a Traeger grill is a delicious and easy way to cook this classic BBQ dish. Follow these steps to ensure that your pork butt is cooked to perfection.

Step 1: Prepping the Pork

Before you start cooking, it’s important to prep your pork butt. Remove it from the packaging and pat it dry with a paper towel. Then, trim any excess fat and coat the pork with yellow mustard.

Next, mix together your dry seasonings (salt, pepper, dehydrated honey, smoked paprika, and garlic powder) and rub the seasoning all over the pork, making sure to cover every side.

Step 2: Preparing Your Traeger Grill

While you’re prepping your pork, preheat your Traeger grill to 225°F and let it preheat for 15 minutes with the lid closed.

If you’re using a pellet grill, make sure the hopper is full of pellets and everything is ready to go before placing the shoulder on the grill.

Step 3: Smoking the Pork Butt

Once your grill is preheated, place the pork butt directly on the grill grates with the fat side up. Insert a meat thermometer to monitor internal temperature as it cooks.

Smoke the pork butt until the internal temperature reaches 160°F, which should take about 3-5 hours depending on the size of your pork butt.

Step 4: Wrapping the Pork Butt

Once your pork butt has reached an internal temperature of 160°F, remove it from the grill. On a large baking sheet, stack 4 large pieces of aluminum foil on top of each other, ensuring they are wide enough to wrap the pork butt entirely on all sides.

Place the pork butt in the center of the foil and pour apple cider on top of it. Wrap the foil tightly around the pork, ensuring that no cider escapes.

Step 5: Finishing Up

Place the foil-wrapped pork butt back on the grill fat side up and cook until the internal temperature reaches 204°F in the thickest part of the meat, which should take about 3-4 hours longer depending on the size of your pork butt.

Once your pork butt has reached an internal temperature of 204°F, remove it from the grill and allow it to rest for at least 45 minutes in its foil packet.

Remove the pork from the foil and shred it apart with either two large forks or cooking claws. Add any separated liquid back into pork and season to taste with additional seasoning or BBQ sauce.

Monitoring And Maintaining The Temperature

One of the most critical aspects of cooking a pork butt on a Traeger grill is monitoring and maintaining the temperature. It’s essential to keep the grill at a constant temperature throughout the cooking process to ensure that your pork butt cooks evenly and thoroughly.

To monitor the temperature, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the pork butt, making sure not to touch any bones. This will allow you to keep an eye on the internal temperature of the meat without having to open the grill and lose heat.

It’s important to note that cooking times may vary depending on the size of your pork butt, so keep a close eye on the internal temperature rather than relying solely on cooking times.

If you find that your grill temperature drops during cooking, resist the urge to open the lid and check on your pork butt. This will only cause more heat loss and prolong the cooking time. Instead, adjust the temperature of your Traeger grill accordingly and wait for it to stabilize before checking on your pork butt again.

If you experience a long stall during cooking, where the internal temperature of your pork butt seems to plateau, don’t panic. This is a normal part of the cooking process and can last for several hours. You can speed up this process by wrapping your pork butt in foil or butcher paper, which will help it cook faster and come out of the stall quicker.

Wrapping And Resting The Pork Butt

After your pork butt has reached an internal temperature of 160°F, it’s time to wrap it up and let it rest. Wrapping the pork butt will help it push through the stall during the cooking process and keep it moist.

To wrap the pork butt, stack 4 large pieces of aluminum foil on top of each other, ensuring they are wide enough to wrap the pork butt entirely on all sides. Place the pork butt in the center of the foil and pour apple cider on top of it. Wrap the foil tightly around the pork, ensuring that no cider escapes.

Once your pork butt is wrapped up, place it back on the grill fat side up and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 204°F in the thickest part of the meat. This should take about 3-4 hours longer depending on the size of your pork butt.

Once your pork butt has reached an internal temperature of 204°F, remove it from the grill and allow it to rest for at least 45 minutes in its foil packet. Resting allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, making it more tender and flavorful.

After resting, remove the pork from the foil and shred it apart with either two large forks or cooking claws. Add any separated liquid back into pork and season to taste with additional seasoning or BBQ sauce.