Expensive Pork Shoulder but cheaper than a restaurant

[Bob Marlatt]

Would you pay 4.49/lb for a small cut of shoulder/butt? I did. It was an impulse buy. The small size appealed to me. I'll post a few pics but the bottom line was it was a well-manicured cut of meat. Too well-manicured. The lack of fat (I believe) resulted in a much quicker race to 200 than I expected and I overcooked it. Still tasty. Weber 22" Kettle and the snake method.

 

[JWorden]

Personally I would not. If I'm going to spend all day cooking it I would get at least 5 lbs and more likely two small ones to cook at the same time. I wait until the cost is $1.99/lb or less and freeze a couple for when it's time too cook more.

 

[Bob Marlatt]

Impulse purchase. Saw the meat. Saw the next-day weather forecast. Saw myself eating pulled pork with a sub-8 hour cook on a Saturday. I know locally where I can get medium-size shoulders for .99/lb. (I also remember buying shoulders in the Boston Jamaica Plain neighborhood for .49/lb) I also have what remains of a 1.49/lb Costco shoulder/butt purchase in the freezer when I have 12 hours to kill.

 

[Bill D-NC]

Understand your logic. But for me, even if I had to do a short cook, I would probably look for a normal butt and butcher it into smaller cuts. Then I might even cook them all so that I would have some leftovers.

But, nothing wrong with your decision.





BD

 

[Andy Kaminski]

I totally get the impulse buying but I couldn’t do it.
I’d cut a regular one up for small cooks, maybe one section for pulled pork one for carnitas or shoulder bacon.
Having single meal sized vac sealed bags of pulled pork waiting for me in my freezer is always welcome.

 

[timothy]

For Duroc pork I would try it.
Regular IBP pork, nope.

 

[Bob Marlatt]

Understand your logic. But for me, even if I had to do a short cook, I would probably look for a normal butt and butcher it into smaller cuts. Then I might even cook them all so that I would have some leftovers.

But, nothing wrong with your decision.





BD

I call these rash/impulsive purchasing decisions "vacation buys." If you're on vacation and your choices are limited and the prices suck, you (well me) go ahead and pay up no matter the cost. This particular supermarket doesn't offer much low-end meat that any half-decent pit boss can turn into high-end Q. That's why I was surprised they even had a butt for sale. You should see their prices on baby backs... actually you shouldn't.

 

[J Hasselberger]

Just smoked a small boneless butt (5.5lbs). Took about 13 hours at 250 unwrapped (195 internal). At the local H-E-B, big bone-in butts were $1.99/lb and the little bonelesss guys were $2.49. It's just the two of us and we had 3 sammies yesterday and I froze 4 two-sammy freezer bags. Good eats on a budget.

Jeff

 

[Richard Garcia]

Would you pay 4.49/lb for a small cut of shoulder/butt? I did. It was an impulse buy.

Impulse Buying=BBQ Hobby Along with Hunger