When it comes to what kind of meat to cook, pork butt is among the popular go-to choices. However, not many people know how to bring out the tenderness of the dish. There’s only one key to this, which is resting the meat.

But the main question here is, how long should you rest the meat? No worries, we’ve got you. We’ll try to answer all your concerns about resting pork butt. Scroll down to read more.

How Long To Rest Pork Butt?

Allow pork butt to rest for as little as 30 minutes to as long as 5 hours; however, the ideal resting period to rest pork butt is between 1 and 2 hours. This gives the meat enough time to relax and allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat.

There are different ways to rest your pork butt; we’ll learn all these techniques below.

How Long Do You Let A Pork Butt Rest After Smoking?

The minimum time you should rest a pork butt is about 30 minutes. Keep in mind that the internal temperature of the pork will continue to rise as it rests. You may see a 10-degree rise from when you remove the roast when you shred it.

This part of the pig is often cooked at 96°C (205°F), which is hot enough for a great amount of water to run out. Therefore, you have to allow it to rest for a proper amount of time to avoid getting it tough.

Many chefs recommend that the time needed for this piece of meat to reabsorb juices is between 2 to 4 hours. If you’re in a rush, reduce the time to a minimum point of 1 hour.

Now that you’ve learned the right amount of time to rest, you must combine it with the correct resting process to get the best results.

That being said, here are some ways to rest pork butt.

To Wrap or Not To Wrap?

When it comes to resting meat, pitmasters are debating whether to cover or not to cover. Well, there are drawbacks to both methods. However, it’s common to wrap a pork butt roast in aluminum foil or butcher paper during the last stages of cooking.

Doing so helps push the meat past the stall point and finish without drying it out. You can rest the pork butt in the foil you used while cooking, and it will work fine.

The disadvantage of this method is that it will affect the crispy and crunchy bark you work so hard on, which might become soggy from its own juices.

Another covering technique you can use is tenting the roast pork butt with aluminum foil. This method will prevent the bark from getting chewy, allowing the meat to cool quickly rather than just leaving it in a wrapped foil.

Or you can unwrap the roast and put it in a glass baking dish on the uncovered counter. You can also place it in the oven set at the lowest temperature. This is the best way to maximize the crunchy bark texture, but ensure to monitor the internal temperature.

Resting the meat on the counter allows the pork butt to cool very quickly, making it more challenging to shred.

How To Rest Pork Butt?

Resting a pork butt is best done in a cambro. Cambro’s are insulated boxes used to keep the food above 60°C (140°F). If you don’t have this one, can easily swap it out for an Esky instead.

Step 1: Wrap the pork butt

Many people will wrap the pork butt in aluminium foil or butcher paper to push through the stall during the cooking process. If the pork butt is already wrapped, there’s no need to rewrap and move on with the next step.

Tin foil is commonly used in wrapping pork butt as it holds the heat better than butcher paper, but you can also use butcher paper. To do this, lay two sheets of tin foil on the counter, large enough to wrap around the pork butt.

Then, place the pork butt in the center. Wrap the tin foil around the pork butt tightly. Most people will double wrap their tin foil because the added layers can help them hold the heat in. 

When planning to hold the pork butt for less than 2 hours, adding 1 to 2 wraps will be enough. For more than 2 hours, adding an extra layer of foil will be a good idea.

Step 2: Put the meat in the cooler

The cooler acts as your Cambro, so you have to look for the smallest cooler that can fit your pork butt. If you place your pork butt in a larger cooler, more space and air will be inside the cooler, which can increase the cooling effect of the pork butt.

To remedy this, many people will fill the cooler with hot water, especially if they rest the pork butt for no longer than 5 hours.

Step 3: Get some towels

You need to get a couple of towels, and there are two ways to do this. You can either wrap the pork butt in the towel or compress the towel and put it in the cooler. When you put the pork butt into the cooler, there’ll be lots of open space. 

Thus, the air in this space can absorb the pork’s heat and cool it quicker. Using towels can lessen the air in the space and keep your pork butt warm for a longer period.

Step 4: Close the cooler and wait

After you’ve wrapped the pork butt and placed it in the cooler, close the lid, then wait. Doing all these things can help capture and retain the heat from the pork butt. Do not keep opening and closing the lid, as you will lose the heat.

You can rest your pork butt in the faux Cambro until the temperature of the pork butt drops below 60°C (140°F). However, you should refrigerate the meat once the food drops below 60°C  (140°F).

How Long Is Too Long To Rest Pork Butt?

Depending on the size of the pork butt, the type of insulation the cooler has, and the amount of foil you use affect the resting time of the pork butt.

You cannot rest pork butt forever, or it will start to get cold. It’s best to let the meat rest for 1-2 hour before you shred it. 5 hours is probably the longest you should rest pork butt for.

Want to make the best pork butt you ever had?

A great way to get the most out of your pork butt is to smoke it in a Z Grill BBQ. Smoking it imparts a subtle smokey flavour and give it an eye-catching smoke ring that will go well with any seasoning.

Unlike other grills, the Z Grill is wood-fueled BBQ that gives a wood-fired flavour that you simply can’t get when braising it over the stove or in an oven. 

If you’re looking for a barbecue that is easy to use and doesn’t compromise on flavour, then you might want to consider checking out a Z Grill.

If you want to learn more about our Z Grill BBQs, don’t hesitate to give us a call or chat with us.