Pork butt stall: how to push through and pull perfect

The stall happens when moisture on the surface of the meat evaporates fast enough to cool the meat at the same rate the smoker is heating it. Your thermometer just sits there. It can stay flat for two or three hours, sometimes longer on a big butt.

This is not a problem with your smoker or your technique. It is physics. The fix is simple: wrap the meat so evaporation slows down and the internal temp can climb again. Flip calls it the "sweat and stall." Bob calls it the reason he almost gave up on BBQ.

Low and slow is the classic approach. Run your smoker at 225°F-240°F and plan on 1.5 to 2 hours per pound. An 8-pound butt can take 12 to 16 hours at this range. That sounds like a lot, but most of it is hands-off time.

If you are short on time, hot and fast works too. Set the smoker to 275°F-300°F and plan on roughly 1 to 1.5 hours per pound. The bark will be slightly different but still good. Either way, cook to internal temperature, not to a clock. An instant-read thermometer is not optional here.

When the internal temp stalls anywhere between 150°F and 165°F, pull the butt off the grate and wrap it. Foil gives you a faster push through the stall and a softer bark. Butcher paper lets more moisture escape and keeps the bark firmer. Both work.

Wrap tightly so no steam escapes from the seams. Put the wrapped butt back on the smoker at the same temperature and keep going. The internal temp will start climbing again within 30 to 45 minutes. For more detail on building a great crust before you wrap, see how to get better bark on pork butt.

• Use two layers of heavy-duty foil if you are using foil. One layer can tear.
• If you use butcher paper, unbleached pink butcher paper holds up better than standard paper.
• Add a small splash of apple juice or broth to the foil packet if you want extra moisture in the finished meat.
• Crimp the edges tightly. A loose wrap defeats the purpose.

Time is just a planning tool. The real test is internal temperature and probe feel. Target 195°F for slicing or 207°F for pulling. At those temperatures, collagen has melted into gelatin and the muscle fibers separate easily. According to USDA guidelines, whole muscle pork is safe at 145°F, but a pork butt needs to go much higher than that to become tender enough to pull.

The probe test is the most reliable check. Slide a thermometer probe or a thin skewer into the thickest part of the meat. If it goes in with almost no resistance, like pushing into warm butter, the butt is done. If it still feels tight, give it another 30 minutes and check again.

Do not skip the rest. Pull the butt off the smoker and let it sit, still wrapped, for at least 45 to 60 minutes. The juices redistribute during this time and the meat becomes noticeably easier to pull apart. You can hold it in a dry cooler packed with towels for up to 4 hours if your timing is off.

When you are ready to pull, use two forks or heat-safe gloves. Work in the direction of the muscle fibers and pull in sections. Discard any large pieces of fat cap that did not render down. For a full spread, pair pulled pork with smoked sides or check out how to smoke chicken thighs if you want to run something else on the smoker at the same time.