Butts and the Fat Cap


 
L

Lee A

TVWBB Member
I was prepping some butts last night and noticed that on one of them it had hardly any fat cap at all, literally just an eighth of an inch or less and it didn't cover the entire top of the butt, bare meat showing through in several areas.

So I didn't bother removing it, just rubbed right on top and went on to the next one.

The question is, does anyone cook a butt and just ignore the fat cap? I've read the Mr Brown writeups here on the site and know all the arguments FOR removing it... who ignores all that and what are the results?

Thanks!
 
I leave the fat cap on. I stopped trimming them a long time ago.

The best meat on the butt resides between the cap and butt. The cap is easy to pull off when finished.

You sacrifice bark on the bottom, but on big butts, there is still plenty of bark to satisfy all.

I am putting 4 butts on today, and none of them will be trimmed.
 
Thanks Craig, I may do that next time. Someone was talking about butterflying a butt. Anyone have details?
 
What do you do with the vein in the butt? That is the main reason I trim is to get rid of that vein because once you cook it you can't find it!
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by John Swanson:
What do you do with the vein in the butt? That is the main reason I trim is to get rid of that vein because once you cook it you can't find it! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
John - I think that vein runs in the fat between the meat. I discard all that when I pull the pork so I never worry or think about it.

Jim
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by craig castille:
What vein? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Craig,

I believe he's refering to the gland in pork butt. Here's an image scanned from Rytek Kutas' book, Great Sausage Recipes and Meat Curing. I never remove it for pulled pork but I do for sausage.

Bill

 
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