Sous Vide Boston Butt How To Guide and Easy Sous Vide Pulled Pork Recipe

Detailed Sous Vide Pork Butt Directions

I LOVE a good pulled pork, and Boston butt is the perfect cut to use for it. Sous vide if my favorite way to cook it because you can also make a really flavorful and tender chop-like cut, which is unique to the sous vide process.

Boston butt is very similar to pork shoulder and is one of the tougher cuts of the pig. It needs long cook times times to break it down to a tasty texture. While this article is specifically about pork butt, it can be applied to a sous vide picnic roast or pork shoulder as well.

Chop-Like Boston Butt

As I mentioned, creating a tender pork butt that has the texture of a juicy sous vide pork chop is unique to pork sous vide, and it can be a really cool final preparation. It takes a while, to fully tenderize the meat, but it can definitely be worth it when you end up with such a delcious pork steak at the end!

For chop-like sous vide pork butt, it needs to be cooked for several days since pork butt is such a tough cut of meat. Sous vide can greatly change how it normally tastes because you can cook it below the temperature that starts causing lots of moisture loss for a long enough time that it still becomes tender. This results in very tender and moist meat, and is one of my favorite sous vide recipes.

For a chop-like consistency I generally prefer 140°F (60°C) for 1 to 2 days so all of the pink is gone but many people like the slightly more tender pinkish result from a 135°F (57.2°C) cook. You probably don't want to go above 154°F (67.8°C) or you start to lose moisture and fall more into the braise-like category, so for chop-like I recommend sticking to a relatively low temperature.

Braise-Like Pork Butt

When we think of traditionally cooked pork butt or shoulder, we usually think of pulled pork cooked on the smoker. With sous vide cooking, we have more of a range of braise-like meat, which also includes firmer texture (similar to a smoked brisket) in addition to the pulled pork.

The meat becomes more and more tender the longer it cooks as the connective tissue breaks down. At higher temperatures you don't have to cook it as long because the meat breaks down faster. Most butts are cooked for 18 to 24 hours, but if the temperature is above 170°F (76.7°C) or so then you can get away with shorter times.

Smoked pulled pork is traditionally done at around 190°F to 200°F (87.8°C to 93.3°C). With sous vide you can easily cook at lower temperatures but I recommend over 156°F (68.9°C) for something along the lines of traditional pulled pork, otherwise the fat doesn't break down much. The higher the temperature, the more fat will be rendered but the dryer the meat will become.

My favorite combination is probably 165°F (73.9°C) for around 18 to 24 hours, it's shreddable but not too fall-apart, over-tender. Some other popular combinations are 156°F (68.9°C) for 18 to 24 hours for a much firmer, but still tender butt, or 176°F (80°C) for 12 hours for a much more traditional fall-apart texture.

You can use any of the braising temperatures above, but I like the texture that 165°F (74°C) results in. Some people are worried about using that low of a temperature, but I go into more detail about why the sous vide temperature can be lower than when smoked traditionally. I also have a more detailed sous vide pulled pork recipe.

I recommend reading more about how to sous vide pork for more information.

Sous Vide Pulled Pork Recipes

Sous vide pulled pork is a non-traditional method of preparing this dish. By using sous vide it becomes easy to come up with juicy pork shreds that can be used for a number of different dishes.

• Sous Vide Pulled Pork Sandwiches Recipe
• Sous Vide Bourbon BBQ Pulled Pork Recipe
• Sous Vide Pulled Pork Recipe with Chili Pepper BBQ Sauce
• Tortilla Soup with Shredded Sous Vide Pork Recipe
• Sous Vide Tortilla Soup with Shredded Pork Recipe

Easy Sous Vide Pulled Pork Recipe

This is the basic recipe to make traditional-style pulled pork using a sous vide pork butt or picnic roast. You can use any of the braising temperatures above, but I like the texture that 165°F (74°C) results in. This works with a pork shoulder, picnic roast, or Boston butt pork roast.

Recipe Info

• Published: 2021-11-04
• Prep Time: 24 Minutes
• Cooktime: 18 to 24 Hours
• Total Time: 18 to 24 Hours
• Serves: 4
• Calories: 595 Calories
• Tags: sous vide boston butt, sous vide pork boston butt, sous vide pork shoulder roast

Ingredients Needed

• For the Boston Butt
• 1 to 2 pounds pork butt or pork shoulder (450 to 900g)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons spice rub, optional (I love a simple mix of garlic powder, onion powder, brown sugar, ancho chili powder, red pepper and kosher salt)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons liquid smoke, optional
• To Assemble
• Sides (optional)
• Sauces (optional)
• Garnishes (optional)

Recipe Instructions

Preheat the Sous Vide Machine: Start your sous vide machine preheating. I prefer a fall-apart version at 165°F (73.9°C) for pulled pork, but 150°F (65.6°C) is great for chopped pork and much more juicy.

Prepare the Pork: If the pork butt is too large to fit into a bag, cut it into multiple pieces. Mix together the dry rub ingredients in a bowl then coat the pork with them.

Seal the Meat: Place the pork in a sous vide bag with the liquid smoke then seal. Any sous vide pouch Ziploc-brand freezer bag, silicon bag, or other food- and heat-safe plastic bag or zip top bag works well.

Sous Vide the Boston Butt: Add the bag to the preheated sous vide water bath. Let it cook until it is tenderized, 18 to 24 hours.

If Smoking the Pork Butt: Remove the pork butt from the water bath and chill using the 3-step chilling process. Then a few hours before you are ready to eat, start up a smoker. Remove the pork butt from the sous vide bag and place it on the smoker. Smoke until it is warmed through, making sure the temperature of the butt stays below the temperature you sous vided it at. Remove from the smoker, shred apart, and serve.

If Not Smoking: Take the sous vide bag out of the water and remove the cooked pork butt. Dry it off thoroughly using paper towels or a dish cloth. Sear the boston butt for 1 to 2 minutes per side over high heat. It should just start to brown but the core temperature shouldn't rise. Remove it from the heat.

Plating: Place the Boston butt onto a plate with any salads or sides then serve.

How Does it Compare to Traditional Smoked Butt?

People love their BBQ and get really fired up if you suggest doing it a different way, this is especially true if you are recommending a method different than what they like. So asking if sous vide pulled pork is better than smoked pulled pork is a really loaded question.

First, nothing can replace the flavor and texture you get from smoking a pork butt for hours or replicate the pink smoke ring. You can come close, but it is a completely unique flavor. So if that is your goal, sous vide can't replicate it.

However, sous vide pork butt can be made very moist and tender. You can then smoke it after you have tenderized it and get a decent amount of that texture and flavor you would from smoking it with traditional methods, while maintaining the extra moistness of the meat.

It is also much more convenient for most people to sous vide their picnic roasts or butts because it is such a hands-off process. Cooking it on the smoker takes hours, and you have to keep an eye on it because the temperature can vary across several degrees fahrenheit.

For sous vide, once you toss it in the sous vide bath you can forget about it until it is done. You can then reheat on the smoker, or in the over, in just a few hours... or pull it right after sous vide and it'll reheat in just a few minutes.

Difference Between Pork Butt and Pork Shoulder

There are so many names for similar parts of the pig, so it can be confusing what the difference between a Boston butt and a picnic roast are. The Boston butt comes from the butt (which is the front shoulder) and the picnic roast comes from the area right below the butt, known as the pork shoulder.

In general, both cuts are similar and can be treated the same way for most preparations.

The pork butt does have more intramuscular fat than the shoulder, which means it breaks down better and can have more flavor (think a brisket vs a top round). This makes the Boston butt better for pulled pork, or other braise-like dishes. However, a picnic roast will still work well.

The butt usually still have the fat cap on it, and can be either bone in or bone out. The shoulder often still has the skin on, and a bone running through the middle. If the shoulder is de-boned it can be laid flat, while the butt is usually still even and rectangular in shape. Though the even shape doesn't matter as much with sous vide as it would in more traditional cooking methods.

Unless you are doing a specific preparation, I'd look to buy a Boston butt if they have it, but you can turn to a picnic roast as a good substitute.

How to Combine Sous Vide with a Smoker

There are several options for using sous vide pork shoulder with a smoker. The two main camps are split on whether to smoke and then sous vide, or sous vide and then smoke. They both work well and both have people that swear by them, so you can do whichever you prefer.

I usually smoke after, because I like to finish off the meal by smoking it and then serving it directly. I also make pulled pork a lot for parties, so it's nice to have the smoke and aroma going when people show up. Sous vide simplifies the process a lot, especially if it is a big party, because you can cook the roast ahead of time.

It's also a little easier to plan for, since you know the smoking process won't take very long, and you can wait about a week after you are done sous viding it before you need to smoke it. You can also speed up the smoking process by cutting up the shoulder before smoking it. It'll reduce the smoke time, and the flavor, but gives you more control if you need it.

That said, many people find it more convenient to smoke it first. The smoke also tends to "stick" a little bit better to the raw meat and it seems a little more forgiving. If you sous vide at a higher temperature, it can also be very hard to keep it together long enough to get it onto the smoker.

Regardless of the method you choose, there are two rules to follow.

The first is to make sure your pork shoulder is cold. If it is raw, it obviously will be coming from the fridge, but if you have sous vided it first, be sure to chill it before smoking it.

The other rule is to monitor the temperature of your pork butt and make sure it doesn't get above the temperature you will (or did) sous vide it at. Raising the temperature above that point during the smoking process will undo much of the benefits of using a precise temperature with the sous vide method.

How to Add Smoke Without Smoking

Not all of us want to smoke a pork butt all the time. As I mentioned above, you can't replace a traditionally smoked pork shoulder over wood chunks with your sous vide cooker, and this is doubly true if you don't start or finish on the smoker. However, you can still get some great flavor without going outside to your grill.

An easy way is to use a spice rub that has smoked ingredients in it on the surface of the pork. Ancho chile powder and chipotle chile powder both have a smoking flavor, as does Spanish-style smoked paprika. You can also find several different types of smoked salt. I'll often add a smoked spice mixture or rub before sous viding, and then re-apply it before searing or warming in the oven.

Another good method is to use a tablespoon or two of liquid smoke in the bag for additional flavor. If you get a high quality liquid smoke (look at the ingredients and make sure it doesn't have corn syrup or other additives in it) it can contribute some great flavor to it.

To Brine or Not to brine

Brining your pork butt can add a lot of flavor, though it's not something I usually do. If you are using it to add flavor, then a brine can still be effective, but if you are just using it to make the meat more moist, it is much less important. I go into a lot more details about sous vide and brining.

Finishing the Picnic Roast

In addition to finishing the pork roast on a smoker, you can also simply pan fry it in a hot pan. This works really well for putting a great crust on chop-like pork butt. You can get more info in my guide to how to sear sous vide foods.

You can use the same searing method on a really hot grill. It adds some good grilling flavor to it, crisps up the outside of the meat, and gets you outside!

Another effective way of finishing your pork shoulder is to chill it and then reheat it in the oven. You can toss it on a wire rack over a baking sheet, and put it on the middle position oven rack and let it bake for a while.

It won't add flavor like smoking does, but it will start to dry the outside of the meat. While this sounds like a negative, if you are making pulled pork we are conditioned to enjoy that outside "bark", and the oven can create this as long as you don't overdo it.

I love to finish it with some simple black pepper and my favorite barbecue sauce for extra flavor.

How to Seal a Boston Butt

You can use any sous vide pouch for your Boston butt. I usually use a vacuum sealer but any heat safe, food safe plastic bag or vacuum bag will work great. Some people even use plastic wrap if they are doing more of a roulade style.

You can also use the water displacement method with Ziploc bags, but I recommend double bagging them due to the longer cook times which can cause the sealed bag to leak sometimes.

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Do you have experience cooking boston butt? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Looking for more pork? Check out the sous vide pork time and temperatures for all the sous vide information you need.

What Are Some Sous Vide Pork Boston Butt Recipes?

Here are several of the Pork Boston Butt recipes that I recommend trying out.

• Sous Vide Chinese BBQ Pork (Char Siu) Recipe
• Sous Vide Tortilla Soup with Shredded Pork Recipe
• Shredded Sous Vide Pork Tacos Recipe
• Tortilla Soup with Shredded Sous Vide Pork Recipe
• Why is the Sous Vide Pulled Pork Temperature Different Than Smoking?
• Sous Vide Pulled Pork Recipe with Chili Pepper BBQ Sauce
• Sous Vide Bourbon BBQ Pulled Pork Recipe
• Sous Vide Pulled Pork Sandwiches Recipe

Sous Vide Chinese BBQ Pork (Char Siu) Recipe

BBQ pork is a classic Chinese preparation and Carmen and Kevin have perfected their sous vide char sui version. It's a juicy, flavorful take on the traditional.

Sous Vide Tortilla Soup with Shredded Pork Recipe

This is my take on tortilla soup, a spicy, sour, rich and flavorful meal in a dish! It uses sous vide pulled pork as the base protein.

Shredded Sous Vide Pork Tacos Recipe

My wife is a huge fan of tacos, so I try to make them for her when I can. I love shredded pork so it's often my go-to meat to use in them. You can cook the pork however you like, but I love a good sous vide pork shoulder, it has more bite to it than a pressure cooked version would...though if you want to smoke it traditionally, go right ahead!

Tortilla Soup with Shredded Sous Vide Pork Recipe

My wife loves a rich and spicy tortilla soup so I've been working on a go-to recipe I can make for her. There's lots of ingredients, so it can look intimidating, but it is actually really easy to put together. The magic begins by sous viding a pork shoulder or pork butt to shred in the soup! The smell of the soup cooking on the stove will also fill your house with anticipation for dinner! This recipe makes a ton of soup, but it is real easy to freeze the leftovers for easy meals in a week or two.

Why is the Sous Vide Pulled Pork Temperature Different Than Smoking?

An Ask Jason question answering why the temperatures used to cook pulled pork in sous vide are different than the recommended temperatures used when smoking it.

Sous Vide Pulled Pork Recipe with Chili Pepper BBQ Sauce

Pulled pork is usually made using the pork butt, sometimes called the pork shoulder or Boston Butt. Using sous vide to make pulled pork takes longer than with traditional methods but you don't have to manage a fire or look in on the meat. This recipe uses a chili pepper sauce to give the dish some kick and depth of flavor.

Sous Vide Bourbon BBQ Pulled Pork Recipe

Just because summer is coming to an end doesn't mean we can't still enjoy a few last, good summer meals! This sous vide pulled pork recipe is easy to make and you can finish it off on the grill for lots of additional flavor.

Sous Vide Pulled Pork Sandwiches Recipe

Pulled pork is a classic summer BBQ dish that I really love. In this sous vide pulled pork recipe I use it on sandwiches for a simple but flavorful dinner meal. I serve it on English Muffins after the suggestion of Michael Ruhlman and it works great to constrain the portion size...and leave more room for sides!

Sous Vide Boston Butt Comments