Cook a Delicious Boston Butt on Your Gas Grill!

Imagine sinking your teeth into incredibly tender, smoky, and juicy pulled pork, all made right in your own backyard on your gas grill. Sounds like a dream, right? Well, it’s about to become your delicious reality! Many people think you need a fancy smoker to achieve BBQ perfection, but with a little know-how, your trusty gas grill can transform a humble Boston butt into a culinary masterpiece that will have your friends and family begging for your secret recipe. Get ready to master **how to cook a boston butt on a gas grill** and impress everyone with your newfound grilling prowess!

What’s a Boston Butt, Anyway?

Before we dive into the cooking, let’s get acquainted with our star ingredient. Despite its misleading name, a Boston butt isn’t from the rear end of a pig. It actually comes from the upper part of the pig’s shoulder, specifically the “pork shoulder.” This cut is packed with delicious marbling (those lovely veins of fat) and connective tissue. When cooked low and slow, this fat and tissue break down, resulting in incredibly moist, fall-apart tender meat – perfect for pulled pork. Often sold as a bone-in cut, the bone adds even more flavor and helps retain moisture during the long cooking process.

Why Your Gas Grill is Perfect for Pulled Pork

While dedicated smokers are fantastic, your gas grill offers some distinct advantages when it comes to smoking a Boston butt:

• Convenience & Control: Gas grills make temperature control incredibly easy. You can set it and largely forget it, allowing you to maintain that consistent low temperature crucial for tender results.
• Consistent Heat: Unlike charcoal, which can fluctuate, gas grills provide steady, even heat, making the “low and slow” method more predictable.
• Smoky Flavor, Simplified: You might think a gas grill can’t deliver that authentic smoky flavor, but with a few simple tricks (we’ll get to those!), you can infuse your pork with delightful wood smoke.
• Less Fuss: No need to manage charcoal briquettes or worry about ash. It’s a cleaner, often simpler cooking experience.

Gather Your Gear: What You’ll Need

Having the right tools makes all the difference. Here’s a checklist to ensure you’re ready to tackle your gas grill Boston butt:

• Boston Butt: A 6-8 pound cut, bone-in is recommended for extra flavor and moisture.
• Dry Rub: Your favorite store-bought blend or a homemade recipe with salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and a touch of brown sugar.
• Wood Chips/Chunks: Hickory, apple, pecan, or cherry are excellent choices for pork.
• Aluminum Foil Pouch or Smoker Box: To hold your wood chips.
• Spray Bottle: For misting with apple cider vinegar or juice to keep the pork moist.
• Reliable Meat Thermometer: An absolute must for accurate temperature readings. A good leave-in probe thermometer is ideal.
• Aluminum Foil or Butcher Paper: For wrapping the butt during “the stall.”
• Aluminum Foil Pan: Great for catching drippings and making cleanup easy.
• Sharp Knife: For trimming excess fat.
• Meat Claws/Forks: For shredding that perfectly tender pork.

Your Step-by-Step Guide to Gas Grill Boston Butt Perfection

Ready to create some magic? Follow these steps to achieve gas grill greatness:

Step 1: Prep Your Pork

Remove the Boston butt from its packaging and pat it thoroughly dry with paper towels. This helps the rub adhere better. Next, trim any large, hard pieces of fat. You want to leave about a ¼-inch fat cap on one side; this will render down and baste the meat as it cooks, keeping it moist and flavorful. Don’t remove too much, as fat equals flavor!

Step 2: Rub-a-Dub-Dub: Applying Your Flavor

Generously coat all sides of your Boston butt with your chosen dry rub. Don’t be shy – this is where a lot of your flavor comes from! Massage it in gently. For best results, let the seasoned pork sit in the refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours, or even better, overnight. This allows the rub to penetrate the meat and work its magic.

Step 3: Set Up Your Gas Grill for Indirect Heat

This is crucial for low and slow cooking. Turn on one or two burners on one side of your grill to low heat, aiming for an internal grill temperature of 225-275°F (107-135°C). Leave the other burners off. This creates your indirect cooking zone. Place an aluminum foil pan under the grates on the unlit side to catch drippings and make cleanup a breeze.

Step 4: Adding That Smoky Kiss

To get that authentic BBQ flavor, soak about a cup of wood chips in water for 30 minutes, then drain them. Place the drained chips in an aluminum foil pouch (poke a few holes in it) or a dedicated smoker box. Put this pouch/box directly over one of your lit burners. Once you see smoke, you’re ready to add the pork.

Step 5: The Searing Start (Optional, but Recommended)

For a beautiful, flavorful crust, sear the Boston butt. Place it fat-side down over direct heat (the lit burners) for 2-3 minutes per side until you get a nice brown crust. This step adds depth of flavor and texture, but it’s not strictly necessary if you prefer a simpler approach.

Step 6: The Long Haul: Indirect Cooking

After searing (or if skipping), move the Boston butt to the unlit side of your grill, fat-cap up. Insert your meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat, making sure to avoid hitting the bone. Close the lid and maintain that consistent 225-275°F (107-135°C) temperature. This is where patience comes in!

Step 7: Maintain Temperature and Smoke

For the first 4-5 hours, replenish your wood chips every hour or so to keep that smoky flavor going. After the initial smoke period, you can start misting the butt with apple cider vinegar, apple juice, or even beer every 1-2 hours. This helps keep the surface moist and adds a little extra flavor.

Step 8: The Stall and Wrapping

Around the 5-8 hour mark, you’ll likely hit “the stall” – a period where the internal temperature of the meat stops rising, often plateauing between 150-170°F (65-77°C). Don’t panic! This is normal. To push through it and retain moisture, wrap the Boston butt tightly in heavy-duty aluminum foil or butcher paper. You can even add a splash of apple juice or broth inside the wrap. Return the wrapped pork to the indirect heat.

Step 9: Reaching the Finish Line: Target Temperature

Continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 195-205°F (90-96°C). More importantly than a specific number, the meat should feel “probe tender” – meaning your thermometer or a skewer slides into the meat with very little resistance, like it’s going into warm butter. This indicates that the connective tissues have completely broken down. A 6-8 pound Boston butt typically takes 1.5-2 hours per pound, so plan for 9-16 hours total cooking time.

Step 10: The All-Important Rest

Once your pork is probe tender, remove it from the grill (still wrapped) and place it in an empty cooler or your oven (turned off!) for at least 1-2 hours. This resting period is critical! It allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, resulting in an incredibly moist and flavorful final product. Don’t skip this step!

Step 11: Shredding for Success

Finally, unwrap the glorious Boston butt. Be careful, as there will be a lot of delicious liquid. You can save some of this liquid to moisten your pulled pork later. Using meat claws or two forks, shred the pork apart. It should pull apart effortlessly. Discard any large pieces of fat or bone. Mix the shredded pork with some of the reserved juices or your favorite BBQ sauce, and get ready to enjoy the fruits of your labor!

Pro Tips for a Killer Boston Butt

• Temperature Control is Your Best Friend: Consistency is key. Invest in a good grill thermometer and a reliable meat probe. Fluctuating temperatures can lead to tough or dry meat.
• Don’t Rush Perfection: Pulled pork is a labor of love. Allow ample time for the low and slow process. Rushing will only lead to disappointment.
• Keep it Moist: Spritzing and wrapping are your secret weapons against dryness. They add moisture and help the meat power through the stall.
• Mastering the Smoke: For the best smoky flavor on a gas grill, ensure your wood chips are consistently producing thin, blue smoke, not thick white smoke (which can taste acrid). Replace chips as needed during the initial hours.
• The Magic of Resting: We can’t stress this enough! Resting your pork prevents dry, stringy results and ensures every bite is juicy and tender.

Common Questions & Quick Answers

Let’s tackle some frequently asked questions about **how to cook a boston butt on a gas grill**:

Q: What’s the best temperature to cook a Boston butt on a gas grill?
A: Aim for a consistent grill temperature between 225-275°F (107-135°C).

Q: How long does it take to cook a Boston butt on a gas grill?
A: Plan for approximately 1.5-2 hours per pound. A 6-8 pound butt could take anywhere from 9 to 16 hours. It’s done when it’s probe tender, not just by time.

Q: Should I wrap a Boston butt while cooking?
A: Yes, wrapping in foil or butcher paper is highly recommended. It helps push through “the stall,” keeps the meat moist, and tenderizes it further.

Q: How do I know when my Boston butt is done?
A: The most reliable indicators are an internal temperature of 195-205°F (90-96°C) AND “probe tenderness,” meaning a thermometer or skewer slides in with very little resistance.

Q: What if my pulled pork turns out dry?
A: Dryness usually comes from cooking too fast, not maintaining enough moisture (spritzing/wrapping), or skipping the crucial resting period. Ensure you hit the right internal temperature and, most importantly, allow for a long rest.

Q: How do I get a good smoke flavor on a gas grill?
A: Use a foil pouch or smoker box filled with pre-soaked wood chips. Place it directly over a lit burner. Make sure to replenish the chips every hour for the first 4-5 hours of cooking.

Get Grilling!

Cooking a Boston butt on a gas grill is an incredibly rewarding experience. It takes patience, but the payoff of succulent, flavorful pulled pork is absolutely worth it. With these tips and a little practice, you’ll be dishing out BBQ that tastes like it came straight from a pitmaster. So fire up your grill, embrace the low and slow method, and get ready to enjoy some of the best pulled pork you’ve ever made!