BUTT SIZE QUESTION


 
S

Sal DeTraglia

TVWBB Member
Hi guys:

I am having guests over this weekend for pulled pork. I have bought a 5.7 lbs bone-IN butt.

In your expert opinion(s), will this be enough meat for five people (three men and two women)?

Thanks.
Sal

PS: Sides will be cole slaw, grilled endives and grilled curried bananas. Dessert is bread pudding.
 
Actually, I think it would be just right for six ! I'll be right over - wait, ...SPAIN... maybe not.
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Sounds like a great event with a wonderful menue. You'll have PP left over, I bet.

For future reference, I believe the formula is 1/2 of the total weight will be finished meat and 1/2 lb per person for male adults.

Paul
 
Thanks Paul and Dave. Now I feel...calmer. I was getting a bit freaked out, since this is a bone-in cut.

It was fascinating to buy this butt. I went to my local butcher (yeah...we have those over here). I whipped out my University of Kentucky pig chart and pointed at the butt.

He went into the freezer and walked out with an entire pig leg in his arms--hoof to shoulder, skin on. He cut off the skin, trimmed the fat, glanced one last time at my chart and chopped off the butt. It's pretty cool to see with your own eyes where these cuts come from.

I'm still kicking myself for not bringing my digi camera.

Thanks again for your advice.
Sal
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Sal DeTraglia:

He went into the freezer and walked out with an entire pig leg in his arms--hoof to shoulder, skin on. He cut off the skin, trimmed the fat, glanced one last time at my chart and chopped off the butt. It's pretty cool to see with your own eyes where these cuts come from.
Sal </div></BLOCKQUOTE> Amazing. a real butcher. I think I heard about one of those once a long, long time ago...

In my neck of the woods, they are about as common as the dodo bird...
 
Hola Tony:

Soy de Chicago, pero he vivido en España por seis años (tres en Barcelona y tres en Guadalajara).

Mi nombre completo es Salvatore. En EEUU, me llamo "Sal" pero no es posible aqui.

"¿Sal? ¿Cómo que Sal?"

Aqui, me llamo "Salvatore" o "Salva."

Mi WSM se llama "El Salivator."

¡SALudos!
 
You guys were right. That "little" 5.7lbs. bone-in butt easily fed five adults...with leftovers.

It was my first butt and it (technically) turned out well. I followed the Mr. Brown recipe; including the Carolina Red sauce. The spice rub and sauce tasted great, it pulled properly and the meat was smoky and moist.

I have to say, however, that I was a bit underwhelmed with the flavor of the interior meat. It seemed a bit bland to me; even with the sauce. Perhaps I've eaten too much Indian food throughout my life.

The next time I cook a butt, I'll brine it as recommended by Alton Brown and see it that flavors the inner meat more.

Anyway...thanks again for the prior advice.

Sal
 
Sal:
I did my first butt this weekend as well.
Followed the Mr. Brown recipe also.
What i found was similar to you as well, at least at first. After 'pulling' the meat I of course had to dive in and take a taste. My first impression was that the meat was moist and could do with some more flavor so I added some of the left over rub. Then I took another taste and 'wow' way too smokey. So then I figured I better mix the pulled meat and make sure to get the outer smoke ringed meat and the bark spread out.
That did the trick and all tasted fine.

Dan
 
You might like brining. I brine butt I am cooking to the slicing stage. For butt I am going to pull I don't since the interior of the roast will be mixed with the exterior/bark. I do think, however, that that exterior needs to be very flavorful to pull it off and, imo, Mr Brown is weak on flavors. You might try a different rub--get a few of the warm/sweet spices in there, most definitely a couple herbs, and cut the sugar in the rub. Mop if you wish, I don't, but consider a splash of finishing sauce--vinegar based, no tomato, with or without a little mustard--to sprinkle on and mix in whilst pulling. This can really help heighten flavors and add fresh notes (unlike brining). Then a sauce or two on the side for use at serving, tomato-based, fruit-based or a combo of the two, and some more of the vinegar sauce.

Handsome little guy you got there, Sal--great tie!
 
Sal,

sorry for not replying to your post but I don't speak or read spanish very well.....a friend of mine is from Spain and wanted to ask you your name. She was suprised to hear that a spaniard is smoking
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....she was telling me that her parents didn't even own a grill until her husband bought one for them. I'm glad to hear your butt turned out good. I assume you just bought your wsm?
 
When I make PP and pulled it, I give it all a good mix, if nothing else just to ensure that there's plenty of bark no matter where whoever might dig in with the tongs. Unless you inject well with a marinade, there's nothing that will flavor the meat that deep inside it, it will just taste like pork. Succulent, excellent, yummy pork. You get the extra flavor from the sauce and bark. If it seems bland, get a little more punch in the sauce. When I think that a sauce lacks a bit of punch, I put in 1/4 tsp of smoked habanero powder and taste it off.
 
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