Cutting Up a Pork Butt for More Bark?


 
Keith Jenkins

Keith Jenkins

TVWBB Fan
Just ran across this video from Black's BBQ in Texas.

How To Make Pulled Pork BETTER! - YouTube

They cut their pork butts into four or five pieces to maximize the bark.

Anyone else smoke a pork butt in pieces like this gentleman does, and do you think it was worth the extra effort?
 
Keith, don't take this the wrong way, but...

You are in North Carolina, a state with a long and rich barbecued pork history.

Why on God's green earth are you considering pork advice from a Texan?;)

But in all seriousness, I get what he's doing. More surface area = more bark, and that's a lot easier with a boneless butt. Personally, I use bone-in for my pulled pork so that approach doesn't work very well.

Would Black's BBQ apply the same technique to a brisket and not call it burnt ends?;)
 
Last edited:
I haven’t cut a pork butt in half for more bark.
I have cut a bone out Costco pork butt in half to use one half of it for carnitas.
 
Nice - I also wonder why you don't see more people separate the point from flat with briskets as it's the same principle, they cook at different rates, and makes them easier to handle. Do most people mix the fat cap in to the pulled pork or separate it for lard?
 
I do this all the time for pork butts.

My standard cook is the Costco two pack of boneless pork shoulders. Very easy to continue the cut where the bone was and butterfly into one (or two) wider flatter pieces. One on the top rack of the 18.5, and one on the bottom. Cooks faster and more bark. See Chris' video below.

I do the same for brisket. Flat on the top rack for slicing. Point on the lower rack for burnt ends.

And, FWIW, I also cook turkeys cut up into separate dark/white meat parts. Cook each part as it needs to be cooked.

www.virtualweberbullet.com

Pork Butt Split In Half - The Virtual Weber Bullet

Pork butt split in half before cooking maximizes dark outside bark & shortens cooking time. This article shows how to do it for best results.
www.virtualweberbullet.com www.virtualweberbullet.com
 
This last few years I haven’t been seeing much of a fat cap on pork butts around here.
There has been barely enough to cross scarf whereas several years ago the cap would be a half inch.
I think the fat caps might be a 1/4 inch with a few bald spots at best.
I mix what little fat I get in and remove any big chunks just like I did before.

I have also quit buying my pork butts at Costco for the most part so that might be why.
The local QFC often marks down bone in pork butts to a $1.00 (or so) per pound.
I like the bone in better and I am ok waiting for the sales.

About separating the point from the flat,
I’m no expert.
I ruined quite a few flats when I first started out.
They probably dried out because I think (for me) trimming too much fat off reduces its “forgiveness”.
Some cooks looked good but couldn’t pass a fold or a pull test and tasted dry like a crockpot roast gone bad.
I find keeping the point on is a good heat sink.
It might be a coincidence but ever since I trimmed less and kept them together the cooks jiggle like jelly.
 
I've seen some do " cheater pulled pork " using boneless country style ribs.
Those are just a boneless butt cut into 6 or 8 pcs and cook in 1/3 of the time.
 
Brad Olson said:
Keith, don't take this the wrong way, but...

You are in North Carolina, a state with a long and rich barbecued pork history.

Why on God's green earth are you considering pork advice from a Texan?;)

But in all seriousness, I get what he's doing. More surface area = more bark, and that's a lot easier with a boneless butt. Personally, I use bone-in for my pulled pork so that approach doesn't work very well.

Would Black's BBQ apply the same technique to a brisket and not call it burnt ends?;)
Click to expand...
Hehe, I grew up in Ohio, spent a few years in Texas, and have ended up in North Carolina; So I'm not partial to a particular region's way to smoke things.

Agreed that NC has some great "Barbecue" as they call pulled pork here, with either a vinegar or tomato based sauce, but I try to keep an open mind to different ideas.

To borrow a phrase from Lynyrd Skynyrd; "I tried everything in my life, things I like, I try 'em twice" [or more].

From the number of responses going both ways so far, I wouldn't discount cutting a pork butt up, or separating the point and flat of a brisket for that matter.
 
Lots of folks butterfly their butts. Pretty common to do in bbq competitions. To expose the money muscle. Harry Soo has a video on doing just that.

If you start with a boneless butt, it makes sooo much sense to butterfly. Versus tie-ing the boneless up into a blob.
 
With the costco butts you might as well finish cutting in half , at least, looks like they bone pork butts with a chainsaw....

But yeah, more chunks more bark....
 
I buy larger 8-10lb bone-in, or boneless....don't care which when they go on sale at the grocery store, then have the butcher cut them in half. More bark and quicker cooks...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top