Classic low-and-slow smoked pork butt with deep smoke perfume, tender juicy strands, and a crust of bark that needs only a light kiss of sauce, if any.
Preheat a smoker to 225°F (107°C) with clean, steady smoke.
Optional for more bark and speed: Cut the pork butt across the bone into two pieces; start the larger piece first and add the smaller piece about 2 hours later.
Place the pork butt in the smoker and cook at 225°F, planning roughly 1 hour 15 minutes per pound. Monitor with a reliable digital thermometer.
Optional speed-up: When the internal temperature reaches about 150°F (65°C), wrap tightly (Texas Crutch) to save roughly 2 hours of cooking time.
If you’re behind schedule, you can raise pit temperature to about 275°F (135°C) to shorten the cook by 2–4 hours (bark may be drier but meat will still be delicious).
Optional oven finish: After ~2 hours of smoke, place the butt on a rack in a roasting pan, add about 1 cup water or apple juice, cover tightly with foil, and roast at 350°F (177°C) until the internal temperature reaches 203°F (95°C).
Target doneness is an internal temperature of about 203°F (95°C) for maximum tenderness and juiciness.
If the pork finishes early, hold it wrapped in a warm insulated cooler (faux Cambro) until serving time.
Pull the meat into shreds (about 30 minutes by hand or 15 minutes with claws). If it didn’t reach pullable tenderness in time, slice instead.
Serve hot and “nekkid” to taste the meat and smoke; offer barbecue sauce on the side and pile onto buns if making sandwiches.