Instructions

1. Trim the meat of excess fat and tendons, leaving a thin layer of fat, 1/8 inch at most. Tie the meat with butcher's twine in three or four places to keep it from falling apart.

2. Rub the meat with oil or mustard to help the spices stick. Generously sprinkle it with your chosen rub or season with salt and pepper. Cook the pork butt right away or let it sit overnight in the refrigerator. Warm it to room temperature for at least half an hour before cooking.

3. Heat the barbecue pit to 225 degrees Fahrenheit, whether it's an elaborate gas-fired pit to a wood fire with a grill rack above. Whichever type of barbecue pit you have, put the meat over indirect heat. Wood and gas smokers do this automatically by separating the heat source from the smoking area. On a gas-powered grill, turn on the back or side burner, leaving a zone for indirect heat in the center of the grill. On a charcoal grill or a wood-burning pit, mound the coals around the outside.

4. Add about 4 ounces of soaked wood chips to the fire, if you are not cooking with wood logs. Put the chips directly onto the coals or in an aluminum pan above the fire for gas grills.

5. Place the seasoned pork butt directly on the barbecue grate. Close the lid. Check the temperature every hour or so, keeping it between 225 F and 250 F. Replace the wood chips when the smoke decreases.

6. Baste the pork occasionally with a mop sauce, if you desire. Some pit masters believe the mop sauce keeps the meat moist, while others prefer the crusty exterior of an unmopped butt. Mop sauces are often weak vinegar or apple juice and seasonings.

7. Cook the pork butt for 8 to 12 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 195 to 203 F and is tender to your liking. The exact cooking time depends on your meat, cooking temperature and how often you lifted the lid.

8. Remove the pork from the barbecue pit with tongs, supported underneath with a large spatula. Pull the meat apart with two forks for pulled pork or slice it against the grain. Serve with or without barbecue sauce.