I've tried smoking pork butt many times, and although I've had friends who have the patience to spend the necessary twenty hours caressing the smoker, including through the middle of the night to keep it stoked with charcoal, chips and water, I'm not there yet. However, I have a fabulous slow-cooker alternative that will turn out an awesome pork butt, with lots of flavor and falling apart, in twenty hours with almost ZERO attention! Read on ...
Don't be afraid to use the pork butt for bbq, chili verde, etc.
Directions
Evenly rub the pork butt with the mixture of pepper, salt and cumin.
Arrange the celery stalks in the bottom of the slow cooker and place the meat on top of the celery. Place the onion wedges around the sides of the meat in the cooker, and break up the sprigs of thyme and rosemary and sprinkle over the top of the meat. Add about 1/2 cup of water to the cooker.
Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 15-20 hours (yes, TWENTY hours!) on LOW. The meat will be falling apart at the end of this time.
Occasionally, pour some of the juices accumulating at the bottom of the cooker over the top of the meat to keep it moist.
When the meat is falling apart, turn the slow cooker off and let the pork butt rest for about 30 minutes in its juices in the slow cooker. Remove the meat from the slow cooker and discard the veggies and herbs.
Pull chunks of meat off the butt, and use the chunks to fill a corn or flour tortilla. Top with blackened onions and bell peppers, salsa, beans and sour cream or guacamole!
Kids!
I let them chase down the ingredients for this one.
Notes...
I've made pork butt and carnitas this way many times and have yet to find a way to mess it up. Put lots of veggies in the slow cooker - it adds flavor and moisture. Set the slow cooker on low, and let it run 20 hours. If the cycle on your cooker isn't that long, be sure to start it over the necessary number of times. I run two 10 hour cycles, starting at 9pm the night before the carnitas feast.